November 2nd, 2021 at 8:28 PM ^
“The playoff needs to be at least 8 teams.“
Regardless how things turn out, there are going to be some very good teams left out of the dance, and that’s going to ramp up the pressure to increase the field. Power 5 champs + 3 at large works for me.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:11 PM ^
This sounds amazing! We then go get our trophy and put it back where it belongs.
November 2nd, 2021 at 7:55 PM ^
I realize they didn't play the powers in the east, but for all the shit fleck gets, they're number 20, and they're 6-2. Pretty impressive.
November 2nd, 2021 at 7:58 PM ^
This seems unfair to Cincinnati. Per the committee's own rankings, their win at ND is one of the best victories of the year.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:05 PM ^
They’ll get screwed once again.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:11 PM ^
They also beat IU by two touchdowns when the Hoosiers had Penix. MSU beat Indiana by five when Penix was out. I don't mean to say that Indiana is a uniquely important litmus test, but this is valuable information.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:08 PM ^
Practically, I don't think this matters. What matters to UC is that they're ahead of Oklahoma and Wake. At least three teams ahead of UC are going to lose and at least two of those (not GA of course) will drop behind them when they do, which means they have a chance if they win out.
The committee seems to be setting this up for:
- SEC champion
- SEC runner up if it's Georgia
- B1G winner if they have one loss or fewer
- Oregon if they win out
- Cincy if they win out
- OU if they win out
- Wake if they win out
I'm not entirely sure an 11-1 Oregon holds that spot, especially if OSU loses again along the way, but I'll lean toward their current ranking for now.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:19 PM ^
UC didn't beat Tulane and Navy by a combined 243-3. Thus they are now #6.
Well, wait. If they did that, they'd still be ranked #6.
It is what it is. The playoff is really an INVITATIONAL, and UC alongside 70 other schools will never be on the list for an invite.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:25 PM ^
It's pretty transparently silly. I am not a UC fan and have no particular interest in seeing a non-Power 5 team in the playoff, but at this moment Cincinnati has one of the top couple of resumes in the country. That might not be true later, but it's true now.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:23 PM ^
It is totally unfair Erik, but it needs to happen to speed up the expansion and eliminate this travesty of a 4 birth CFP. You can't just simply have a fluke loss or weak schedule or you will pay dearly with a relatively small sample size of games vs the number of teams involved. It happens most years.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:31 PM ^
Its apparent the G5 will never get invited to a 4 team CFP. I don't really think Cincinnati is one of the four best teams this year, but they are is obviously nothing a P5 team could do. Even if Cinci was winning every AAC game 56-0 the committee would say 'they ain't played no one pawwwl'. Whats the point
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:05 PM ^
Somebody on another thread predicted that OU wouldn’t be in the top 4, and I sort of scoffed at that notion. He was right and I was wrong. Pretty significant disrespect for the Big 12’s best program.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Having a very real chance of losing to Kansas should mean disqualification from the playoff (if not deportation from the country).
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:08 PM ^
Jesus guys, you know how this movie ends. OSU hasn’t lost a big ten game in years. They’ll beat MSU and then beat our asses. What in the world makes you think anything will go different? Smh.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
The game hasn’t been played yet and I am a Michigan fan believing in the team. That’s why?
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:17 PM ^
The eternal optimism people have on here is remarkable. We've all seen this movie and know exactly how it ends.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:11 PM ^
Walker ran for 200 behind an OL that's primarily composed of 3-stars, but for some reason people seem to think our vaunted defense will be able to keep Henderson from doing that—if not worse—when running behind his line. It's the triumph of optimism over reality.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:28 PM ^
This is exactly what I was thinking Don when it all went down. That being said, OSU should curb stomp the living shit out of Sparty at the Shoe. I think we have a much better defense than MSU and hopefully we limit these big runs which gives me at least some kind of optimism.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:44 PM ^
I'd like to see the stat on how many of Walker's yards and TDs happened because the Michigan defense was not even at their spots when the ball was snapped. It's at least one TD that I remember. We had like three substitution infractions. I mean, it probably wasn't a ton of yards but there were points scored because of the monkey rodeo on Michigan's defense that I believe will be cleaned up going forward.
November 2nd, 2021 at 11:27 PM ^
Won’t watch that again, but it feels like a lot of his yards were directly attributable to our inability to gst set
November 2nd, 2021 at 10:18 PM ^
Don, valid point but Michigan's run defense is statistically better the IU and Nebraska and they got the job done against Walker. It seems Michigan could get better as the season goes along and recover from the MSU faux pas. I know, I know, that hasn't happened at Michigan is so many years there isn't reason to hope for it this year but there is always hope if not reason.
So yeah, you are right.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:20 AM ^
MacDonald got owned by tempo and his attempt to go with a five man line. He will learn and adjust. This had been a good run defense. They'll figure it out.
Of course, OSU is going to score, but Michigan likely will as well. Get a few breaks and you never know.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:32 AM ^
True, BUT, I hopefully have at least 50 more years on this earth and on the off chance the movie one day ends differently, I will be there for it!
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:45 AM ^
what's the point of even being a fan then?
November 3rd, 2021 at 4:46 AM ^
The point—the essence—of being a fan is rooting for your team regardless of what you think the outcome will be. If you stop caring because you think they’re not going to win a particular game, that’s not being a fan—it’s bandwagoning.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
So you're saying there's a chance..
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Cincinnati isn’t getting much love there. It doesn’t look like there is a path for them to make the top 4 no matter what happens.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:21 PM ^
It seems unfair as things are now. They have what was arguably the second best win of the season by virtue of having won at ND. They also beat IU, which is one of MSU's better wins.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:11 PM ^
Justice
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:23 AM ^
I don't think that's the case. They still have games against SMU and Houston, which will constitute their second and third best opponents. Quality wins.
Oregon is likely to lose in front of them. Either MSU or OSU will lose. And then they're in business. They have to feel good about being ahead of an undefeated B12 team and an undefeated ACC team. Could have been a lot worse for them.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:23 AM ^
whoops
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:25 PM ^
For some reason this pumps me up. Dunno why don't care.
Still wish this Saturday was a noon start.
Fans need to be loud and support the boys. Let's run Indiana out of the stadium by halftime
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:30 PM ^
Just win the games!
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:43 PM ^
I want the boys to go out and stomp IU
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
Wait, wait, wait. Many MGoBloggers stated explicitly that the season is over and we have nothing to play for going forward. This poll seems to claim otherwise. It's quite a perplexing situation.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:47 PM ^
Just beat Ohio please
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:47 PM ^
Just win this Saturday
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:56 PM ^
Michigan wins out and we will be in the playoff unless MSU also wins out. Book it.
November 2nd, 2021 at 8:59 PM ^
If both win out, both are in
imo
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
No no no. OSU will be considered a bad team since they lost to MSU. And Michigan's win over OSU will be diminished akin to beating the likes of Bowling Green or something. At least a subset of our fans will think this way.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:26 AM ^
The problem is the committee will think this way.
But yeah, if Michigan wins out and OSU beats MSU, Michigan is probably in. Regardless of whether they represent the division in Indy or not.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:37 AM ^
Why tf would the committee think this way? The alternatives would be Oregon (best win also OSU), Cinci (lol Go5), or OU (lol Big 12). Michigan would pass any one of those teams in the event that said team loses. Honestly, Michigan is already ahead of OU and passing Cinci in the last week after a win vs OSU is not at all unlikely even if Cinci wins out.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
I really hope this is the year that kills BPONE. I don’t know about the rest of you but I certainly miss the positivity and enthusiasm of being a fan of this team and this program. Maybe it’s easier for those of us who are a little bit older, 37 here, and were alive to see good things happen. It’s a lot more fun to have hope and actually think we can win than to just assume the worst is always going to happen. Even if it hurts for a moment when it does. Isn’t that what feeling alive is all about?
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:31 PM ^
I'm almost right there with you. I don't like our chances of beating OSU right this very minute, but if we win the next three, I'll be chugging Duff along with everyone else that Saturday morning.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:07 PM ^
I'm fully on the Badger bandwagon now. That win at Camp Randall looks better with each passing week.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
I have seen nothing this season to indicate we beat OSU. Bucknuts starting their late season surge towards CFP.
It’s a lot like the movie Flash Gordon - my heart says ‘Flash Gordon’ but my head says ‘Hail Ming’.
But - I’ll play along. ‘Go Flash Go Flash Go’.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:33 PM ^
Higher than I thought they would be, :-)
It's going to be hard to leapfrog teams above. But just win. Go for 11-1 and see what happens.
Maybe Cincinnati will lose to SMU.
But even with where M is, a NY6 is completely realistic. :-)
I think they put Oklahoma too low.
State isn't going to make it through the gauntlet they have in front of them without losing at least once. I hope Purdue will knock them off to start things going downhill for State in the last 4 games.
November 2nd, 2021 at 10:16 PM ^
If UM finishes 11-1, given the final victory is against a team higher ranked in the CFP AND UM has lost 15 of the last 16 vs OSU, the CFP voters will most certainly put UM into the top four if UM also wins the B1G championship game.
November 3rd, 2021 at 12:28 AM ^
If OSU is ahead of Cinci now (and one-loss Oregon), Michigan will leap Cinci if M wins out.
November 2nd, 2021 at 9:37 PM ^
I like all the positive vibe in this thread.