AP Poll: Michigan at 14, Minnesota to 7, Michigan Ahead of Wisconsin...?

Submitted by Ezekiels Creatures on November 10th, 2019 at 2:23 PM

AP Top 25

 

Oddly, Michigan is ranked 1 place higher than Wisconsin.

NittanyFan

November 10th, 2019 at 3:32 PM ^

The latest SP+ has Utah at #8 (and PSU #7).  That's one data point that has the 2 teams basically comparable, for what that is worth.

What I find most interesting in the latest SP+ is that Oregon is #16.  And SP+ isn't the only advanced analytic that's not overly high on Oregon.  

That's the trend I'll be looking to follow.  Everyone is talking about Oregon as the Pac-12 team.  It may actually be Utah that's the cream of the crop out west, however.

CFraser

November 10th, 2019 at 3:04 PM ^

I’m willing to bet Michigan would beat Wisconsin now. The middle of the DL/ run defense has been figured out (at least much better than the Wisconsin game).

BoFan

November 10th, 2019 at 3:10 PM ^

Alabama should not be 4.  That sucks.  Other teams played better against LSU.  If Alabama didn't have a couple of lucky plays they would have been blown out. 
Georgia has a better record and quality schedule.  
 

The fact that Alabama is 4 means that they can go to the playoff without having to play in the SEC championship game.  
 

Minnesota deserves the bump.  
 

Auburn is the best two loss team and still has games against Georgia and Alabama.  Go Auburn.  

MichiganTeacher

November 10th, 2019 at 4:39 PM ^

Number one lesson from this is to schedule as easily as possible. 

Number two lesson is that we need an expanded playoff field to sort these things out more clearly.

Neither of these lessons is a surprise, of course.

Marvin

November 10th, 2019 at 4:52 PM ^

I think we either need an expanded playoff, or to go way back to the old bowl system, which of course will never happen. I actually liked the pre-BCS system because it was fun to speculate about who the #1 team was, and I have no problem with there being two teams that can both claim a national championship. In other words I do not think there must be some sort of format where the #1 team has to prove itself on the field. 

But this will never happen. Instead, speculation will only extend as far as "X team should have been one of the four," and that will only ever lead to frustration and griping about unfairness. So they might just as well expand the playoff to 8 teams. 

MichiganTeacher

November 10th, 2019 at 9:31 PM ^

Yes, it was kind of fun to speculate about who the #1 team was. But wouldn't it be more fun to actually play or watch the games?

If speculation were more fun than games, why even play games at all? Just line up the teams in August and let everyone speculate about who looked the best until next August.

B-Nut-GoBlue

November 10th, 2019 at 11:11 PM ^

That's sort of a strawman there.  Yes the point is to play the games and back then great bowl game matchups existed and OOC schedules were more abundantly fun because schools weren't completely deadset on scheduling cupcakes in order to get to the almighty undefeated/1-loss season.

It just seemed more fun back then and deemphasized the mythical champion.  Yea of course schools set out to be national champions but other goals existed and this helped foster seasons of fun rivarly matchups and OOC games.  Now a Power-5 school ditches Washington in order to add another Mac team.  Because that truly helps tell how good a team is /sarcasm.  Those games makes for bad days of football (we have multiple Saturdays a year now that have shitty slates of games from 11am-1am Sunday.  I don't remember it always being this way as every week had something fun to watch).

Mongo

November 10th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^

Can IU beat PSU at Happy Valley ?  Doubtful but one can dream PSU finishes with 3 B1G losses ... row that boat and thank you very much Gophers for making it possible. 

CygnusX1111

November 10th, 2019 at 7:06 PM ^

I am so sick of the SEC bias.  Bama at #4 is ridiculous. They were blown out and only came back because of LSU prevent. Georgia at 5. Florida is highest ranked 2 loss team at 11.

They play 8 conf games and generally 4 cream puffs. The playoff committee seems to try to force the issue to get 2 SEC teams in if at all possible. If Georgia beats LSU in SEC champ game both teams will be in the top 4. If LSU wins out they(deservedly) and Bama will still be in the top 4.

If OSU and Minny meet in the B10 champ game with both being unbeaten, the loser will be ranked 5 or lower.

A 12-1 P12 champ Oregon is screwed as they will not jump a 11-1 non champ Bama.

I am hoping Baylor says unbeaten as that helps keep out a bit.