ESPN Names Michigan as a 2018 Playoff Contender
Here's the (link). Unfortunately, it's accompanied by some silly talk on Harbaugh hype. Worth noting that the list intentionally excludes current CFP participants. Among others making an appearance: Auburn, Stanford, and both Ohio State and Penn State.
December 27th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
honestly think you are thinking of somebody else, man. I remember one conversation that I had after the Michigan State game where I said that Harbaugh seemed a little disconnected from things this year, and that I was confounded about that. But I seriously have never used the word "underachieving" about Harbaugh, nor have I ever referenced how much he is paid before today, I don't believe.
Some people want to discuss things and are not concerned with being right or wrong, they just like discussion. You seem to only exist to complain about what other people post, and you completely mischaracterize who I am as a poster. Why? Are you trying to make yourself feel better about something? It isn't necessary. We get it, you are an asshole. There is just no reason to continue to prove it on a daily basis.
December 27th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
No, he definitely has the right person. I don't think you're a concern troll - I think you're a sparty troll who posts under several differnt monikers.
December 27th, 2017 at 8:31 AM ^
Same applies next year.
December 27th, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^
think we were a pretty far cry from a Playoff team this year. We struggled early with teams like Cincinatti and Air Force and needed O'Korn's miracle to get by Purdue. I think we did improve vastly in a quite a few areas but I don't think we were a "could have been a playoff team" this year.
December 27th, 2017 at 10:38 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^
How did we "contend" for the Playoff this year? We were out of the discussion by the middle of October.
December 27th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
The difference in 2017 though was that the QB injuries did not result from simple bad luck or freak occurrences, like Denard hurting his ulnar nerve or Dreisbach breaking a finger on his throwing hand by catching it in a lineman's jersey. Our QBs got hurt because our OL kept getting confused and biffing the pass protection, exposing our QBs to massive hits, and our young WRs exacerbated that problem by struggling to gain separation. Certainly, had our luck gone differently Speight and/or Peters might have managed to avoid their injuries despite those problems, but the flaws were deep enough that I don't feel M was cheated out of a better season by randomness as I did in 2016.
December 27th, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^
"cheated out of a better season by randomness" - great phrase. The, "he's 1-5" crowd don't seem to recognize the role that randomness plays and that in small sample sizes, randomness doesn't necessarily even out.
Forget the source, but there is a book that talks about randomness and that it is more streaky than people realize. To illustrate, it puts forth a party trick where the host leaves and the guests individually predict the outcome of 50 coin flips in a row. Then the results of 50 actual coin flips are recorded. The host then returns and identifies the series that was from the actual coin flips. How? The actual coin flips series will have longer streaks.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:43 AM ^
living in the shoulda woulda coulda. Then we follow that with next year is our year. Every year we say next year. When are we going to stop making excuses and win something meaningful.
December 27th, 2017 at 11:44 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:29 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 8:36 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:07 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
Of 5* offensive skill players not pan out. It's not exclusive to us either
December 27th, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^
Agreed. Losing Sa'Quan and Moorehead is really going to hurt PSU. They've recruited well so they will hang around, but they will take a step back in 2018. Hot take: they will be an 8-4 team in 2018
December 27th, 2017 at 8:54 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:40 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 8:55 AM ^
Hopefully our OL improves to 2016 levels. Then we have the defense and skill positions that can get it done with a Game Manager Plus QB.
December 27th, 2017 at 8:57 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:05 AM ^
It wasn't an excuse why Michigan didn't contend for a big ten title. There are valid reasons for why Michigan failed to win a big ten championship, such as losing 2 QB's, 19 starters, and a young WR corp. Success is not linear, dispite what your favorite sports movie tells you.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
OR ELSE!!! Or else, what? What should we do if he goes 8-4? Fire him?
Also, what's "half a recruiting class?"
December 27th, 2017 at 9:05 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:09 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:17 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
Beacuse that is really an irrelevant data point. What Brady Hoke's team, for example, did 5 or 6 years ago has zero impact on how the 2018 team performs on the road next season. If they get to 9 wins with 18 returning starters, some of whom are All-American, All-Confernce impact perfomers, you can see why people think they have potential.
December 27th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^
Saying "Michigan" can't beat a good ranked team on the road implies that Michigan has been some kind of constant for a decade. The Hoke and Richrod years shouldn't be included in the discussion because it has no bearing on 2018 and Lloyd was petering out before that.
Harbaugh's been close. We beat Florida in a de facto road game in 2015. We shoulda beat OSU in Columbus last year. The only other big road opportunities were @Wisconsin this year with some back up QBs and @PSU which was obviously non-competitive. No reason to think a top 5-caliber team with Harbaugh won't do some damage next year
December 27th, 2017 at 9:15 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:18 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:22 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 12:55 PM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:34 AM ^
Defense is good enough. Run game is probably good enough and showed that that portion of the offense is probably trending up.
Pass protection and the passing game will have to improve a lot for UM to be real playoff contenders.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:41 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^
Teams that finish with 8-9 wins and bring back almost all of their starters are always trendy picks the next season. Teams that add the No. 1 prep quarterback from three years ago become even more trendy picks.
Teams that steamroll South Carolina in their bowl game and then have three quarterbacks who will all look awesome in the spring game will become even MORE trendy.
So, get used to this. We will be a very trendy pick for 2018.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:43 AM ^
And each of these pundits will make the very clever and original observation that it's Jim Harbaugh's fourth year and that he needs to win.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 9:49 AM ^
If they can field a competent offensive line for the first time in the Harbaugh era, then I like their chances. All comes down to controlling the line of scrimmage and protecting the QB for this team.
December 27th, 2017 at 9:56 AM ^
December 27th, 2017 at 10:09 AM ^