Campus Insiders is Annoying (aka very pessimistic on Michigan's season-Game By Game Predictions)

Submitted by SpikeFan2016 on

Campus Insiders has been coming out with Game by Game predictions for a wide variety of big name teams across the country, and even some no name teams like our #1 rival, the New Jersey Birthplace Stripers. Obviously, these predictions don't really mean anything besides to provide fodder for the impatience of the August offseason; however, it's a slow day on the board, so why not, right?

 

Their view of Michigan's season, is in my opinion, a worst case scenario. They have us losing at MSU by 4 points, at Iowa by 3 points, and at Ohio State by 2 points to finish 9-3 (6-3). I don't think most of us could handle that magnitude of repeated heartbreak after all these years. While it's in the realm of possibility, I think that even a nonpartisan observer would say that's definitely a very pessimistic outlook. 

 

Overall, they have Ohio State winning the Big Ten East at 11-1 (with their one loss coming at Wisconsin). The chance OSU beats Oklahoma in Norman, but loses in Madison, seems small to me.

They have Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State all finishing 9-3 on the season. MSU would finish 2nd in the East with a 7-2 record (third loss in the non-conference to Notre Dame), and Michigan would have the 3rd place tiebreaker with a head to head win over Penn State (they predict we beat them by a score of 17-12....). They have this trio of teams splitting games (we beat PSU, MSU beats us, and PSU beats MSU).

To me, this seems very negative on both Michigan teams (especially us), slightly too high on Ohio State, and WAY, WAY too high on Penn State

The idea that Penn State wins at Pitt, kills Temple, loses by only 5 points to us in the Big House, then beats both Iowa and Michigan State is laughable to me. I don't see Penn State getting more than 7 wins, and honestly could see them at 6. That they go 9-3 is an absolute best case scenario for them in Franklin's third year, and maybe not even that. 

 

Links:

Michigan: http://campusinsiders.com/news/michigan-football-schedule-predictions-08-03-2016

Ohio State: http://campusinsiders.com/news/ohio-state-football-schedule-predictions-08-04-2016

Michigan State: http://campusinsiders.com/news/michigan-state-football-schedule-predictions-08-03-2016

Penn State:http://campusinsiders.com/news/penn-state-football-schedule-predictions-08-03-2016

 

teldar

August 5th, 2016 at 3:42 PM ^

Which off-season is worse? Last year or this year? I think this may be the worst ever. Threads and comments are getting terrible. Mine included.

Mgodiscgolfer

August 6th, 2016 at 9:16 AM ^

out those 62 things that are not to be talked about..I had a bad day at the board too and it ruined my day. Then my wife pulled all ny UM gear out of the trash handed it to me and said get the $%#& over it and get on with your dumb ass fandome. Those words were so prophetic I just brushed the coffee grouds off my cap put it back on and screamed GO BLUE! My wife shook her head and mumbled something about men and I was back. So don't take it too hard it will all be fine once we get on with this season.....

Tater

August 5th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^

Downvotes may "turn into a feeding frenzy," but so do upvotes.  I have to admit that I often find my hand automatically upvoting something that has a lot of upvotes already, as though it were bypassing my thought process and responding directly to a bright, green shiny object. OTOH, I almost never downvote anyone for having an opinion.

It's not like it really matters all that much anyway.  

1974

August 5th, 2016 at 3:45 PM ^

"They have us losing at MSU by 4 points, at Iowa by 3 points, and at Ohio State by 2 points ..." I'm more surprised by the point estimates than the overall conclusion (which I'd concede is maybe somewhat pessimistic). If UMich gets beat by MSU and Iowa, I can't imagine things being super-close in Columbus, rivalry game blah-blah-blah aside.

Mgodiscgolfer

August 6th, 2016 at 9:50 AM ^

He really did have them kids..... Ready? But they were using their God given athletic ability to try and over come their lack of knowing actually how. He damn near beat them twice. Then again losing to Rutgers was simply inexcusable. Just like apologizing to Staee for anything.

legalblue

August 5th, 2016 at 4:11 PM ^

It's pretty darn annoying to read all these projections about what could happen though.  Anything could happen.  Aliens may attack in the 3rd quarter of the season opener, and it could lead to Jabrill Peppers being hit by some exotic weapon, but it doesn't hurt him, it only increases his killing power! We lose the starting linebacker corp in the resulting explosion, but its ok because at twice his normal size and now with the ability to cloak a la Predator we ONLY need Peppers at linebacker!  In fact this is my season preview for the defense.  Stay tuned for the unbelieavable turn of events in our starting QB competition.

 

/edit: I can't type or spell or grammer

SpikeFan2016

August 5th, 2016 at 3:54 PM ^

1) I already prefaced this post with that

2) If you don't care, then don't click on the fucking thread and defintiely don't comment on it to make your whiny opinion known. 

 

This is by far more related to Michigan Football than the off season threads about TV shows and soccer.

I personally think those are stupid, but I have never commented on them saying so. 

Avon Barksdale

August 5th, 2016 at 3:56 PM ^

Why even play the season. Let's just call it in and go straight to basketball.

Look, we're going undefeated and that is all there is to it. We ain't losing a game.

uncle leo

August 5th, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

For one, they are predictions.

For two, it is entirely possible to lose three incredibly difficult road games to very darn good teams.

It's not out of the realm of the possibility that this team finishes 10-3 again, even though they are better in terms of talent. 

And there's ALWAYS a game or two every season that just defies logic. It's not that far fetched to have the Penn State game be close. Why not?

bronxblue

August 5th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^

Yeah, that's what the local papers used to do when predicting HS games, and it was always weird to me. Maybe you say the defense will let up a long pass or a running game will break a run some time, but picking stuff like "Smith will fumble in the 3rd quarter" always seems silly.

Sledgehammer

August 5th, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^

They have UM ranked 8th, OSU 6th, MSU 12th, and Iowa 24th. If they think that UM will lose to Iowa and MSU, why do they have UM ranked above them? It makes no sense.

lilpenny1316

August 5th, 2016 at 4:11 PM ^

Everyone outside of EL knows that we have more talent than MSU or Iowa.  But it's college and winning on the road is a challenge.

Also, we don't know who our QB will be and how good they will be.  I know (Harbaugh, Harbaugh), but it's still an unknown.

I would not be surprised, but very disappointed if we lose all three of those games.  I think we're at least a touchdown better than MSU and Iowa on a neutral site.

SpikeFan2016

August 5th, 2016 at 4:19 PM ^

Agreed. 

I think that losing all three is unlikely, but possible. And I think we could lose to teams that we are actually "better" than. The problem is, you can have one of those games, but if you lose multiple games to teams you think you have more talent than, you probably don't have more talent. 

 

If we lose to MSU, I would hope that Harbaugh would be able to light a fire under their butts to win one or both of the last two. I think that would be the most disappointing thing of losing all three: I wouldn't think we had the mentality of a winning team even if the games and talent were close. At some point you have to stop losing big road games. 

Esterhaus

August 5th, 2016 at 4:07 PM ^

 

Unlike most any other CFB team, Harbaugh has been encouraging our players to work on both sides of the field and alternative positions. Once the season begins and the expected attritions obtain, the team should still have competitive athletes filling every spot with no holes. Given this and our schedule, I honestly believe the team stands a realistic chance of an undefeated record until the playoffs. I mean it.

Ty Butterfield

August 5th, 2016 at 4:11 PM ^

The hype train needs to slow down a bit. There will be a new starting QB, new linebackers, and a new D coordinator. These are all places Michigan has not played well. I don't understand the point of predicting the final scores, but I could easily see Michigan losing all those games. If it happens it won't be pretty and I am sure a number of fans will start to tire of the Twitter shots by Harbaugh if he can't deliver on the field.

HateSparty

August 5th, 2016 at 8:48 PM ^

See. That logic is nonsense. I would suggest that anyone on this blog at any point could say the last ten years is the worst years of Michigan Football in their lifetime. So, yea we haven't done well in those three destinations "lately". Might even add Ann Arbor to that list I've some of the recent years. It is different today. Make no mistake, had Harbaugh stayed at Stanford, he has a natty. He is one helluva coach. You cannot compare his team's to past. It simply doesn't fit.



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