November 6th, 2022 at 12:18 AM ^
I hate this fucking argument. Playing Iowa at Iowa is not easy. Don't look at their record. It is a tough game. We destroyed PSU. But everyone wants to focus on non conference. It is 9 games in. Clemson played shit teams. The argument has always been loss in the first few games wouldn't matter. So who cares what they did in the first three games. How did they beat the good teams? I will not be surprised if Iowa continues to win. So will PSU. MD had a rough day but it is a good team. If you need proof that first few games wouldn't matter, don't look further than ND. See what they did to Clemson (I hate typing that)
November 6th, 2022 at 9:16 AM ^
“Winning is hard.”
Devin Gardner
November 6th, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
This argument can continue to be made all you want but unfortunately this week there are not any teams left to make this example out of us. Bad SOS or not, Michigan is dominating all of their opponents and looking better each week. The same cannot be said about anyone else in the top 5 except maybe Georgia. Just keep winning!
November 6th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
Before the playoffs, this debate would have been interesting and fun. Now it is unimportant and boring.
Let's go back to 1990 college football.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:05 AM ^
I believe Michigan should be #2. I also believe they won't be. The committee will not be so blatant about putting Michigan at 5 last week by jumping them over a still undefeated OSU. Michigan will be #3.
1 - UGA
2 - OSU
3 - Michigan
4 - TCU
5 - UTenn
6 - Oregon
7 - USC
8 - Ole Miss
9 - LSU
10 - Alabama
November 6th, 2022 at 12:14 AM ^
Ole miss is not going to be ahead of LSU with LSU’s beat down of them last week. Ole miss shouldn’t have even been at 11 to begin with(should have been UCLA).
November 6th, 2022 at 12:15 AM ^
Lol. They’ll put LSU 6.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:19 AM ^
I think Oregon has the advantage over TN if they both win out as one would be a conference champion.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:24 AM ^
Same goes for USC. They would have only a single loss, on the road, by one point.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:09 AM ^
Pres. Ono knows what's up.
With tonight’s win, the 9-0 record and the losses by other teams, Michigan will almost certainly move into the CFP top 4. So proud of the team. 〽️ GoBlue!
— Santa Ono (@SantaJOno) November 6, 2022
November 6th, 2022 at 12:12 AM ^
Santa only witnesses Michigan football wins. 100% of the time.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
Give that man an extension!
November 6th, 2022 at 12:10 AM ^
The groupings seem obvious at this point.
GA is clear #1
Michigan and OSU are the balanced undefeated teams. 2 or 3. Order does not really matter.
TCU is next as the more flawed undefeated is the clear 4.
Oregon and TN - the teams who only lost to the clear number 1 are 5&6.
Everybody else…..
November 6th, 2022 at 12:23 AM ^
Although I agree with you on how the rankings will shake out, OSU is not a balanced team. They are one-dimensional on offense and are not good at stopping the run on defense.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:48 AM ^
I agree with you on that. Their attempts to throw downfield into a 40 mph wind were proof enough. I was thinking more in terms of competent D and O. I could see OSU beating a decent team 17-14. TCU on the other hand is not beating a team with a decent offense unless they score 40
November 6th, 2022 at 10:08 AM ^
I just don’t see how Tennessee is even in the discussion after yesterday. They were out classed in every phase of that game. If they were to play 10 times to Georgia, they’d lose 10 times. Now their Alabama loss looks way worse. Yeah our non conference schedule looks weak but so f’n what
November 6th, 2022 at 12:11 AM ^
Brian Kelly made nearly the whole post game interview and locker room celebration about himself, not the kids who poured their hearts out. That guy makes regular narcissists seem self aware.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:19 AM ^
Brian Kelly comes off as one of the biggest dicks in football, but his approach seems to work. Success wherever he goes, and it doesn't seem to hurt his recruiting either.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:20 AM ^
I think it matters. If we're #2 going into the game and have a close loss, it'll look better than losing to the higher ranked team.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:24 AM ^
Interesting take. I didn’t think of it that way.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
Also whoever gets #2, it's the committee subtle nod they may get in with a loss.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:31 AM ^
They’ve kicked everyone’s ass. That’s the only argument needed.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:41 AM ^
Nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me, nothing really matters unless we win in C-bus…
the rest will take care of itself
November 6th, 2022 at 12:48 AM ^
Should be Jorjah, Ohiyo State, Michigan, Teaseeyou
November 6th, 2022 at 1:17 AM ^
ESPN has some very unserious writers working for them. Only 12/15 of the writers put Michigan in the 4 team playoff and many others placing TCU over them. Of the 3 writers that didn’t put Michigan in the slate; 1 picked Tennessee, 2 selected Oregon.
15/15 chose Georgia, OSU, and TCU. TCU… who ESPN’s own algorithm only gives a 4% chance of winning out.
November 6th, 2022 at 2:10 AM ^
Those are the top two teams. Just watch the games, and then no other argument is needed.
November 6th, 2022 at 5:22 AM ^
I think we move up to 3 and TCU to 4. Don't really have an issue with us being behind OSU.
I think it sets us up for a best case scenario that for the game, if we win, we would be 2 and would only drop to 3 if we lost the big 10 champ game. I hope tcu stays unbeaten and ends up 4 if we stay unbeaten or 2 if we lose the champ game because that's such a winnable match up.
Hell, Georgia isn't last years Georgia and if we can find our downfield passing Game that would be one hell of a game.
November 6th, 2022 at 9:52 AM ^
You’re right this isn’t last year’s Georgia … they are better !!
November 6th, 2022 at 7:29 AM ^
Here is how I look at it. Forget all the records. Who would beat who head to head at cbus? I personally don’t know. Here is the second thing I would look at, who is favored? Ohio state will be favored, just like Georgia was against Tennessee. Ohio state will remain 2 IMO. Third, who cares if we win out and beat them in cbus I don’t care if we are 4,3,2, or 1 at the time of that game to be honest because we will be 1 or 2 at the end of it going in. Keep them lower I like them having a chip on their shoulder. Beat Nebraska
November 6th, 2022 at 7:37 AM ^
OSU will probably stay #2 and get the benefit of the doubt because of the weather and because they’re OSU. If Michigan played a more complete game yesterday and didn’t let Rutgers go into the half with the lead they’d probably be #2. But they did, so that’s going to give the excuse to not move them up.
Either way, it doesn’t matter. Michigan and OSU are likely going to stay in the same spot until they play in a couple weeks, and that game is a play-in game, regardless.
My guess?
1) Georgia - unquestionably #1. Best and most complete team in America. They’re beatable, but the title is probably their’s to lose right now.
2) OSU
3) Michigan
4) TCU - not convinced they finish the season undefeated, and they would get whooped by Georgia, possibly by OSU/Michigan as well. But they’re undefeated so they have to be there.
5) Tennessee
6) LSU - LSU isn’t moving ahead of Tennessee due to getting blasted by Tennessee two weeks ago and having one more loss than them. They have a path to the CFP, but good luck against Georgia in the SEC title game. That’s the only way.
7) Oregon - Barring massive chaos I just don’t see them getting in. They still got whooped 49-3 against Georgia. Wasn’t remotely competitive and could’ve even been worse. Completely out-classed and humiliated, and while I’m sure they are improved, I have a hard time believing they are THAT much better now. No one wants to see that rematch. No one.
8) USC - That defense looks b-a-d, BAD, but Caleb Williams is who he is. They’ve got a shot, if enough happens in front of them.
November 6th, 2022 at 8:45 AM ^
I agree except for LSU ahead of Oregon. Yeah Oregon got blasted by Georgia, but the first halves of Georgia’s games against both Oregon and Tennessee were pretty close from a scoring perspective. 28-3 vs Oregon and 24-6 vs Tennessee. The biggest differences were that against Tennessee Georgia had a turnover at the beginning of the game that led to a vol fg and Oregon threw a pick after a decent drive that had them in fg range. Oregon outgained Tennessee in yards vs Georgia but had more mistakes leading to the 7 pt disparity in their halftime scores. The 2nd halves were where the games really differed. It seemed like Georgia kept its foot in the gas vs Oregon while against Tennessee they were content to run the ball and shorten the game.
Tennessee gets the nod over Oregon for their ranked foe victories, but Oregon should be higher than LSU. They have handily beaten everyone else but Washington st. On their schedule, with games not nearly so close as the final scores would suggest, including a total beat down of a top ten UCLA.
November 6th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
There is a significant drop from 3 and the rest of the teams in my opinion. Tennessee was never in that game. Lsu didn’t look great and Oregon has that ass blasting by Georgia. How any team can get into the playoffs with a 49-3 loss anywhere on their schedule is beyond me.
November 6th, 2022 at 8:14 AM ^
Here's a hot take.....in a playoff system of limited teams, we should be lobbying for the OSU game to happen earlier. By the time we play them there's no chance to "recover" in the rankings with a narrow loss. Happened in 2006 and 2016.
So we can debate the CFP rankings all we want, but unless total chaos happens elsewhere and it is a classic game, the loser of our game is out. The irony is that we could probably survive an early season loss to UCLA if we beat OSU but we can't survive a late season loss on the road to a top 3 team because of....timing?
November 6th, 2022 at 8:26 AM ^
I will take your hot take and raise you………Michigan is becoming an elite team while OSU (although very good) is looking mortal with flaws these days. If this is the case, could the current format finally benefit Michigan and the tide turns a bit in us winning The Game more often than not. Either way, I think the 12 team playoff expansion makes this a moot point for OSU or Michigan because they will both have a great chance to make the playoffs every year. Go Blue!
November 6th, 2022 at 11:36 AM ^
Arguing for structural changes that make you feel better about losing to our archival really misses the point.
Also, having at the end of the season will help us in the average year as it favors our approach on offense over theirs.
November 6th, 2022 at 8:49 AM ^
Northwestern has only outgained 2 BigTen teams in yardage all year. Nebraska and Ohio State.
November 6th, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
Matters not where Michigan is ranked after 9 games. If both teams remain undefeated the winner of the game is 1 or 2. Michigan’s defense is legit. Run game one of the most formidable, but something is amiss with the air assault. Better get it straightened out in a the next couple weeks.
Preseason rankings are about as useful as a batting average in the 1st week of baseball season. First 4 weeks rankings are just as unnecessary. You don’t start to get a read on teams until about week 6 when teams are into conf play. And as we saw yesterday fraudulent teams like Illini, Vols & Clemson were exposed in week 10
November 6th, 2022 at 9:54 AM ^
Not going to happen
November 6th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
This is the first time since 2006 that I feel like this team could beat any team in the country. Harbaugh’s player development is just otherworldly.
November 6th, 2022 at 11:32 AM ^
I always have a satisfying #2 early in the morning.
November 6th, 2022 at 12:09 PM ^
Who cares now, get back to me on the 27th.
November 6th, 2022 at 6:58 PM ^
Counter argument: I have no legit problem with 3. Georgia deserves the 1 spot, and OSU has looked scary all year, and has that win over ND.
If I had to make an argument, our blow out win over PSU is it, but I think OSU and Michigan are very close.