AP Poll (Michigan Unranked)
1-Bama
2-Georgia
3-OhioSt
4-Oklahoma
5-A&M
6-Clemson
7-Cincinnati
8-NDame
9-IowaSt
10-Iowa
11-PennSt
12-Oregon
13-Florida
14-USC
15-Texas
16-UCLA
17-CoastalCarolina
18-Wisconsin
19-VaTech
20-OleMiss
21-Utah
22-Miami
23-ArizSt
24-UNC
25-Auburn
https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1435306332253458434?s=20
September 7th, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^
Michigan hasn't done anything to deserve to be ranked. Beating Western the way you should beat them doesn't get you rank.
September 7th, 2021 at 2:55 PM ^
We should be more like oklahoma and barely squeak by a mid major, then we'd be ranked in the top 5!
(not that I disagree with your point that Michigan doesn't deserve it, but let's not pretend this has anything to do with anyone deserving anything)
September 7th, 2021 at 3:01 PM ^
Yeah it does, the first 2-3 weeks of rankings is a lot on what you did last year and then what are you doing now. Michigan was awful last year, completely awful so yeah they don't deserve a ranking. Rankings mean nothing right now they mean everything the first week of November and on.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:13 PM ^
I would argue that what most teams did last year is completely irrelevant, given the nature of 2020 football. But yes, I agree that the rankings are pointless in general right now.
Unfortunately I don't know if I agree that they are meaningless, as it's hard for teams to overtake teams that are ranked at the top early on if those top ranked teams don't lose.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:41 PM ^
But really that last bit only matters for the top 4 slots, and even in my wildest dreams I don't see us going 13-0, and if I do see us going 13-0 we are def going to be in the top 4, and if we're instead 11-1 we all know who that 1 is and GAH why did I start dreaming down this road? I'm now mad about a fictional 2021 that won't happen.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:55 PM ^
we began the season ranked last year.... and last season WMU would have probably beat us....
I'm betting no one would be shocked if we were ranked 23rd..... Just like no one is shocked that we aren't ranked.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
We should be more like oklahoma and barely squeak by a mid major, then we'd be ranked in the top 5!
This is a 2-4 club with new coaches all around and an o-line that didn't dominate a mid MAC and has 1 person in the secondary (Hill) that looks worth a darn.
Certainly NOT poll worthy.
September 7th, 2021 at 2:59 PM ^
17. Wisconsin Badgers (0-1)
22. North Carolina Tar Heels (0-1)
24. Miami Hurricanes (0-1)
I don't disagree that Michigan shouldn't be ranked. But the idea that Michigan "hasn't done anything to deserve to be ranked" in Week 2, fundamentally misunderstands how these polls work.
They're popularity polls based on AP writers opinions of how good teams are or aren't. There is no objective "deserve" about it. Three teams LOST and are still ranked. Clearly they didn't do anything to "deserve" to be ranked, they lost.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
I'd defend Miami in this ranking - Alabama would peel the face off basically anyone. But UNC and Wisconsin didn't look good in those losses. I don't think UM should be ahead of them but they aren't particularly great thus far either.
September 7th, 2021 at 4:36 PM ^
- Miami-Bama,
- Georgia -Clemson
- PSU-Wisconsin
Were all highly ranked so weren't going anywhere.
The loser of Iowa Indiana was going to fall
Wisconsin also lost more than PSU won. Either way they weren't falling from the top 25.
Washington, LSU and UNC lost to significantly lower teams but the latter did not fall which is the only real shocker of the poll.
So that meant 4 open slots. 2-0 UCLA who beat a ranked LSU was going to get one. Va Tech got in for beating 10th ranked UNC.
So that leaves 2 slots.
Michigan was ranked around the 32. So there were 7 teams in front of them vying for the vacancies including the SEC schools Auburn and Ole Miss who both had impressive wins and ultimately made the top 25.
UM FWIW only moved up one spot and remains behind -TCU, NC State, UCF, LSU, and Liberty.
So it looks like we were more impressed with the win over WMU than the associated press.
Not that any of it matters. Let's see where we are after week 5.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:32 PM ^
Based upon last year's 2-4 performance on the field and 1 game against WMU, what would make anyone think Michigan is better than at least 2 of those 3 teams (my imagine is Wiscy and Miami would pants Michigan and Michigan could beat a gimmicky UNC team)?
September 7th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
The polls are a joke. They are based on potential which is why Alabama could go 2-2 to start the year and still be in the top 8. Preseason polls are worse. Not saying Michigan should be in the polls, but as the OP says above what exactly have NC, Wiscy and Miami done? Lost to teams that the pollsters perceive to be good. Is what it is. Hopefully winning will solve this eventually.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:37 PM ^
I think given 6 national championships since 2009 -- ONE team has 6 of most recent 13 titles out of ~130 teams, 'Bama has earned the benefit of the doubt.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:22 PM ^
well, the vegas line was 16.5 i believe. 47-14 is much better than the experts thought. though, who cares at this point. win the next few weeks and it they will be top 15.
September 7th, 2021 at 4:13 PM ^
Counting the over under, vegas was calling for something like 42-24. A bit better on both ends there. They outperformed but not massively.
September 7th, 2021 at 6:13 PM ^
'Beating Western the way you should beat them', do you mean like a ranked team should beat them? Surely you aren't suggesting 'Beating Western the way you should beat them' because Western is chopped liver and most teams would beat them like that? Michigan beat them like that because they played very well; I think they did enough to warrant at least a 20-25 ranking.
September 7th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
I hate to be that guy, but Michigan not moving in the rankings may be less about disrespect for Michigan and more about respect for Ronnie Bell...
September 7th, 2021 at 2:56 PM ^
This poll's got a wicked case of "I can't move a team very much from week 1 to week 2 regardless of what I actually saw on the field last weekend".
September 7th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
It's almost as if a larger set of historical data including mostly the same players also exists to makes reasonable assessments from in addition to just one game from the past couple days.
September 7th, 2021 at 2:57 PM ^
I'm fine with this. If it serves to provide the team with any extra "disrespek" motivation, good.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
Keep them out of the polls as long as possible. Too many years they've had the "overrated" label. Let's see what happens if they can stay underrated (hopefully that's true) for a while.
September 7th, 2021 at 2:58 PM ^
Others receiving votes: TCU, NC St, UCF, Liberty, LSU, Michigan
September 7th, 2021 at 3:58 PM ^
It's Emu bias...
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty
September 7th, 2021 at 2:59 PM ^
Iowa up 7 spots to #10 just for beating Indiana?
September 7th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
One spot below Iowa State right before their head-to-head. Totally predictable.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:17 PM ^
Iowa had a 4-score victory over a Top 20 team. It's not surprising they jumped up a lot.
September 7th, 2021 at 4:34 PM ^
To be fair, they clobbered* Indiana
September 7th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
It’s Indinia.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ^
Who cares? Michigan was 2-4 last year, and didn't look that good. So far as I'm concerned, they need to get to 5-0 (Washington and scrubs) before sniffing the backside of the top 20.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
Doesn't this message board exist to discuss topics such as this?
September 7th, 2021 at 3:18 PM ^
I think that's a bit of a hot take. Win next week, they'll be ranked in the 20-25 range. Start 5-0, they'll be top 15, possibly close to top 10.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:43 PM ^
I beg to differ with your assessment, considering Game #5 in your schedule of 'and scrubs' schedule of opponents is @ #18 Wisconsin.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
Polls don’t matter until November. Go undefeated through October, and we will get plenty of votes.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:45 PM ^
I think it is more accurate to say that they don't matter much for bowl positioning until about then, and only because at that point they are beginning to stabilize somewhat. At this point in the season, with only one game played, they really don't carry much weight but as a talking point. Next month, cumulative bodies of work will begin to weigh on these, so they will begin to matter somewhat where polls are integral to broader decisions. A lot of their allure now - in this era of football - exists on places like, well, MGoBlog, of course.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:03 PM ^
Michigan is #̶3̶2̶ #31 in the AP Poll and #̶3̶3̶ #27 in the Coaches Poll. S̶o̶m̶e̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶N̶o̶r̶t̶h̶w̶e̶s̶t̶e̶r̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶#̶2̶7̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶a̶c̶h̶e̶s̶/̶S̶I̶D̶s̶/̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶n̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶p̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶M̶S̶U̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶.
EDIT: These numbers were from the preseason polls. CBS Sports must've been in the midst of updating their rankings page when I cruised on by, so what was being presented as "Updated Sep 7, 2021" was not actually the case.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:26 PM ^
UM is 27 in coaches and 31 in AP.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:38 PM ^
Well, shit. Looks like I visited CBS Sports' site in the middle of them updating their rankings page.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
Take care of Washington, 1 game at a time. Rankings are stupid, they inflate the ego. I say keep us out until we are 4-0 please.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
Don’t really care to much that Michigan isn’t ranked this week.
But following the logic of this poll FSU should be ranked.
Michigan just needs to take care of business and they will be ranked in the poll soon enough.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:09 PM ^
Iowa-ISU is a top 10 matchup lol.
Weird times.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:13 PM ^
DISRESPEKT
September 7th, 2021 at 3:14 PM ^
Unranked you say? Good.
September 7th, 2021 at 7:42 PM ^
Can't disagree there.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:15 PM ^
Excellent news. We can play the disrespkt card too.
September 7th, 2021 at 3:18 PM ^
While overall most of the games this week are duds (Alabama vs Mercer? ), there are few interesting matchups.
Oregon vs Ohio State
Iowa vs Iowa State
Michigan vs Washington
Americas team Kansas vs Coastal
September 7th, 2021 at 3:22 PM ^
Keep winning and earn your ranking!!
September 7th, 2021 at 3:23 PM ^
B1G Schools:
AP (who received votes):
3. Ohio State
10. Iowa
11. Penn State
18. Wisconsin
31. Michigan
33. Indiana
34. Michigan State
41. Maryland
Coaches:
3. Ohio State
12. Iowa
13. Penn State
17. Wisconsin
27. Michigan
32. Indiana
36. Michigan State
45. Rutgers
47. Maryland
September 7th, 2021 at 4:02 PM ^
Massive gap between the top 4 and the rest...
September 7th, 2021 at 5:35 PM ^
Tier 1 : One team stands alone....
Big drop off....
Tier 2 : 3 team bunched together....
Big drop off....
Tier 3 : 4-5 teams bunched together....
FIFY....