Anthony Treash, PFF's lead college analyst says Michigan is the best team in the NCAA
I don't buy into that just yet, especially after last year's game versus Georgia. In his defense apparently he was very high on Michigan last year before anyone else. I just can't see it yet, but still eye opening to hear someone with no affiliation to the program or the Big Ten saying this.
Skip to 21: 05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnqAouvpDhs
September 21st, 2022 at 7:51 AM ^
1) UM is good at football
2) JJ is really good at football
3) The team and JJ are yet to be tested in high leverage moments this year
4) UGA and Bama run NFL farm teams, and still have more NFL talent than us.
Would love to beat them, but I remain cautiously optimistic after last year’s UGA game. That was eye opening.
September 21st, 2022 at 7:56 AM ^
I wasn't sure exactly who Anthony Treash was but Google found me a picture.
September 21st, 2022 at 7:59 AM ^
He’s entitled to his opinion, but I definitely don’t see Michigan being better than Georgia right now.
I think Michigan has a legitimate shot against every other team at a neutral field right now. They wouldn’t necessarily win all of those matchups, but they’d have more than a puncher’s chance. But against Georgia? I don’t see that right now. In Athens, Ann Arbor or a neutral site, I think Georgia wins that game. Maybe even convincingly. They just don’t appear to have any weaknesses right now.
McCarthy would have to ascend to DeShaun Watson/Trevor Lawrence status where he so clearly elevates the entire team around him and just becomes far and away the best player on the field. At that point, Michigan could beat Georgia, but otherwise I don’t see it happening based off the info we have thus far.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:08 AM ^
Michigan is clearly one of the top teams, esp. with JJ leading the O. O is loaded! And D looks really really good, with time to get better.
OSU has many more questions if you ask me. Defense still a BIG question mark for them. Yes, they have fast receivers and an accurate QB, so they can score. But if they don't get better on D, they will drop a game before The Game.
My ideal scenario: win the big ten, play anyone other than Georgia in the semi, and then rematch. We'd probably lose, but in a single game, you never know...
September 21st, 2022 at 8:19 AM ^
Hard to see us passing the eye test over Georgia. I suppose we could be in the same zone as 'Bama, who have shown at least some weakness, and OSU does not yet seem fully weaponized, but we've seen evidence of at least some worrying issues. I suppose everyone else has some of those too.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:21 AM ^
"The hay is never in the barn."
-Jim Harbaugh
September 21st, 2022 at 8:25 AM ^
Nice that somebody thinks that (that we're number 1) but it doesn't really matter at this point. If we take care of business and win the Big10 then we will be in the CFP whether we are rated #1 at this point or #12.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:35 AM ^
If Michigan wins the B1G and is still ranked #12, The B1G will be left out of the playoffs this year. Don't flatter yourself - nobody is getting into the 4-team playoff with 2 or more losses, P5 Champion or not. And no P5 Champion is going to be ranked #12 without multiple losses.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:32 AM ^
I dunno, man... I've seen Michigan play this year, and I've seen Georgia. I also saw Georgia beat the living shit out of Michigan less than a year ago. With that first hand knowledge, I am not ready to say that Michigan is better than UGA until I see Michigan beat UGA on the field.
I was quite impressed with that SEC team in Jan, and still am. They've earned that respect on the field and you can't take it away because Michigan beat the snot out of three cadavers.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:39 AM ^
No way do I believe this. As of today - 9/21, no way.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:40 AM ^
"apparently he was very high on Michigan last year"
He's very high now.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:42 AM ^
I've heard this before.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:54 AM ^
Anybody who has watched Georgia this year knows they would pounce us as of today. Now, 4-5 weeks from now if UM is playing at this same level against tougher competition, then we can talk.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:11 AM ^
RJ - I won’t concede that Georgia would pounce / pound Michigan. However, I do agree that Georgia is extremely strong and deserving of their #1 ranking.
The good good news is.. there are ten more games and probably twelve weeks of practice for Michigan to continue to develop and improve the quality of their execution. It would be great to see both teams play in late December or early January.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:43 AM ^
Yeah, Georgia looks really solid but I do think their offense, weirdly, has some unknowns. Bowers is maybe the best player in the country right now and Stetson is playing well at QB but I honestly don't know how good their offensive line is and their running game has been fine but not overwhelming.
September 21st, 2022 at 11:57 AM ^
A repeat in 1981 as a preseason number 1. My first semester at Michigan. But at least we took care of ND the following week.
September 21st, 2022 at 8:54 AM ^
yeahhhh let's pump these brakes a bit. We have that potential, which is an amazing position to be in, but we're not there yet. We've proved very little on the field beyond being able to choose a QB. I don't think we can actually make a claim like this until either 1. we win a playoff game or 2. everyone else ahead of us that are always in the playoffs loses while we keep winning. I think our chances of getting to the playoffs and winning a game are better at this point than osu, georgia, and bama all losing.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
Just beat Maryland.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:07 AM ^
Great to see what the numbers say. As we all know - the competition hasn’t exactly been the most demanding - with all due respect to both Michigan and the first three teams played.
IMO, Georgia looks very impressive. Solid on both sides of the ball.
This analysis really means nothing - and, as some have said - it’s rat poison.
One play and game at a time. If Michigan can take care of business every Saturday - everything will fall into place.
Who controls this team’s destiny? Every player on the roster…
September 21st, 2022 at 9:23 AM ^
GEORGIA 1
ALABAMA 2
OSU 3
MICHIGAN 4
September 21st, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
This is the correct ranking. If Michigan played Georgia tomorrow, it would more than likely be a repeat of the playoff game.
September 21st, 2022 at 12:07 PM ^
I don't see any particular reason to put OSU over us.
September 21st, 2022 at 1:19 PM ^
This ... is certainly the way it feels right now.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:35 AM ^
Our o line has looked porous with Cade in the game, against cupcakes no less, and the D has not been tested at all by a competent offense. We know nothing about those two units.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
I think UM is a pretty good team but there's a reason I don't really trust PFF's analysis and claiming UM is currently a better team than Georgia, Alabama, and OSU (and inexplicably putting USC above OSU and Georgia) supports my reservations. If Michigan blows out Maryland and beats Iowa on the road then absolutely lets talk about them being one of the 2-3 best teams in the country. But right now this feels a bit of a strech.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
Anyone having UM over GA has spent a lot of credibility on a wild gamble.
September 21st, 2022 at 9:53 AM ^
Considering what Georgia did to a pretty good Oregon team, this is a ridiculous statement. They did to Oregon what we did to Hawaii.
September 21st, 2022 at 10:33 AM ^
PFF Sucks, this doesn't change that. This is the same dude that said Tyreek Hill is the best deep ball receiver in NFL history!
September 21st, 2022 at 12:04 PM ^
Beat Maryland
September 21st, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
I've seen Georgia and I haven't seen any evidence that they aren't the best team again this year. Doesn't mean they'll win the title, but the defense is still nasty (probably not as good as last year, because how could it be after losing that pile of first and second rounders, but still real good) and the offense looks clearly better.
September 21st, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
If our OL was performing at its 2021 level, I'd be more likely to consider this idea. But right now, there are pass-pro issues -- against substandard DL -- and that makes me think we're not there yet.
That said, with our strength of schedule, we will have a chance to demonstrate it on the field. Improve pass protection issues. Continue to attack opponent weaknesses when we are on offense. Beat the better teams on our schedule. Then we'll potentially be in that conversation.
September 21st, 2022 at 5:22 PM ^
All we've done is beat up 3 high school teams. I don't see how anyone could say we're the best after that.
September 21st, 2022 at 10:26 PM ^
Georgia is the best team in the country.
Michigan might be there with Bama and OSU, but for my money, those are the 4 best teams in the country.
#1 Georgia vs #4 OSU
#2 Michigan vs #3 Alabama
It would piss off most of the country but that's where this thing is headed anyway.
September 22nd, 2022 at 5:15 PM ^
I don't restrain my expectation. I'm not guarded, I'm off the rails! Ride the hope train, thats what I say. And when my team looses I give myself the same ole speech....."Now you realized that this is only football right"? No one died from cancer Next year will come.
Until then I eat up everything positive concerning my Wolverines!
Gonna be 70 fairly soon, guess I'm not going to change. Im an optimist. I don't apologize to bed wetters who can't allow themselves the liberty of enjoying the hope of a new season. Ask me what my expectations are.... 13-0 with a natty.
I feed myself plenty of Vance Bedford. Some of you guys might try it.