Your thoughts on teams with “phantom” records
October 16th, 2021 at 1:35 PM ^
Indiana is raising their hand asking that they be added to this conversation as they have 150+ yards on MSU at the half. But it might be more MSU is the phantom.
October 16th, 2021 at 1:37 PM ^
I think of Iowa. MSU probably belongs too.
Also, I continue to believe that Wisconsin is a much better team than their record. It's possible they win out, and that includes a matchup against Iowa.
October 16th, 2021 at 1:42 PM ^
Wisconsin QB is really bad, and we at UM know exactly how much poor QB play can hamper an otherwise solid team.
Nebraska is much better than their record, just keep shitting the bed at critical moments.
October 16th, 2021 at 1:52 PM ^
Iowa is Wisconsin with turnover/injury luck. Great, potentially elite defense...shit offense. Wisconsin has also played a far tougher schedule so far.
October 16th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
Sparty is this year's Notre Dame - solid, not very good.
We are this year's Oregon - really good, not elite.
Kentucky is this year's Indiana - fun story, nothing sustainable or legit.
Iowa is this year's Sparty - lucky wins due to other team's injuries and shitting the bed.
October 16th, 2021 at 2:05 PM ^
These comp's are excellent.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:15 PM ^
Returning to Glory since 1966?
October 16th, 2021 at 1:50 PM ^
Iowa, definitely Iowa. I'm not exactly sure why their undefeated record makes them the #2 team in the country while Michigan's and MSU's make them #8 and #10. Their best win vs. PSU was in large part because Sean Clifford got injured - before that point it felt like PSU was clearly the better team. It took 4 turnovers for Iowa to win by...3 points...at home...against a terrible backup QB. In fact I'd give both Michigan and MSU the edge against Iowa simply because Iowa has a garbage offense. Iowa's next best win is...Iowa State? Indiana? Feels like they're #2 simply because they beat teams that people thought were good but ended up being not that great. I feel oddly passionate about this lol.
October 16th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
Their undefeated record has them above UM & MSU because they started the season ranked while UM & MSU didn’t. I also think Iowa isn’t the #2 team in the nation by a long shot. UM & MSU beat them handily if they take care of the ball (just my opinion), Iowa would have trouble scoring on both teams.
October 16th, 2021 at 1:56 PM ^
There is an embarrassing amount of Sparty love on this post. No, they aren't good. No, the transitive property doesn't apply to football, so save the "we both beat Nebraska by 3" nonsense. Slow down Walker, they struggle.
October 16th, 2021 at 2:40 PM ^
Are you forgetting about fucking Rocky Lombardi scorching our defense on every pass last year? MSU will find the weakness and try to attack it relentlessly.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
And how did Lombardi do THIS year?
October 16th, 2021 at 4:33 PM ^
He did shitty, but MSU has also replaced him with someone better. So the same receivers that beat us last year have someone better throwing the ball to them…I caught some of their game today, their OL looked pretty weak to me, if our DL can keep playing well we should win easily…But now we know they’ll go into our matchup undefeated and ranked in the top 10, so they’ll have some extra juice to make it interesting…
October 16th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
If you caught some of their game today, how did you come away only thinking their OL looked weak? Or did you just fail to mention all of the other units that looked extremely mediocre (DL, LB, secondary, QB, RB, and WR)?
October 17th, 2021 at 10:07 AM ^
By caught some of their game I meant I had it on in my office and glanced at it occasionally, wasn’t watching the whole thing. Even if their team is weak across the board, they’ll be up for our game and make it interesting. I think we’ll end up winning, but think it’ll be close until we pull away late (I’d be happy to be wrong and see us kick their ass from start to finish tho)
October 16th, 2021 at 2:04 PM ^
LOL...
20 yard net punt for IU
Turtle + incompetence
October 16th, 2021 at 2:18 PM ^
This is how you snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Sparty luck or IU incompetence?
October 17th, 2021 at 9:33 AM ^
These are the the box totals for the ENTIRE game?! Woof.
October 16th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
Cincinnati, msu, Iowa, Michigan and UK
October 16th, 2021 at 2:39 PM ^
MSU. they haven't played a top team yet. Awaiting their super bowl with us to validate the season. Their schedule is bs
October 16th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^
This year is starting to be a really fun season. It feels to me like there is a lot more parity this year across the the country. Years past there is usually a pretty substantial gap between the top 4-5 teams and everyone else, but this year I think Georgia is the only team that appears to be head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the country. There does seem to be more teams whose record really doesn't tell the story of how good or bad they are. Lots of 2-3, 3-3 type teams (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Indiana) that feel a lot better than that as well as teams with good records that don't actually feel that good (Iowa, Arkansas, Kentucky). This season feels like anyone can beat anyone and it wouldn't be that shocking outside of a select few teams.
October 16th, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
I actually think Wisconsin and Nebraska are better than their records. Wouldn't surprise me if both became bowl eligible.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:39 PM ^
Nebraska has a lot of work to do. No bowl likely means we’ll see a new coach next year.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:11 PM ^
Bowl eligible? I think Wisconsin wins out, everyone in the West has at least two losses and they end up in the B1G championship game.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:02 PM ^
Michigan, if the way nebraska and rutgers are playing today is any indication
October 16th, 2021 at 4:30 PM ^
meh,
Last weekend was Nebraska's super bowl, world series, olympics and world cup rolled into one.
It was supposed to be Frost's program defining, narrative shifting, momentum changing win after many close calls, a juiced up crowd in a night game, and an offense coming in hitting on all cylinders - after multiple years of falling just short in big games.
UM broke Nebraska last week, specifically the way the game ended...a microcosm of the Scott Frost era...close heartbreaking losses. I wouldn't read anything into how Nebraska played today or even going forward. They are a solid, but not good, team that has had their spirit broken a few too many times due to poor coaching, poor execution, and shit luck.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
I love this board, but this is reminding me of “Army is a really good team” sillyness that we heard in 2019. Just because a team plays us close doesn’t mean they’re good. What has Nebraska done this season to make us think they are good? This is the same Cornhuskers team that got beat by a terrible Illinois & mediocre Minnesota team this year. Good teams don’t “meltdown & have terrible turnovers”, they are average at best! We are putting them on a pedestal because as of right now that is our best win. I think we are good but if you’re looking at who we beat…it leaves a lot to be desired. If Wisconsin wins tonight they will be the only power 5 team we beat with even a .500 record. Both MSU & Michigan will face they’re toughest competition on Oct 30th.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:04 PM ^
MSUs touchdowns are (1) a pick 6 and (2) a 39-yard drive after an interception. Sheesh, IU is doing everything they can to lose this game. Also, MSUs 52-yd FG into the wind earlier in the game is looking pretty huge right now.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:27 PM ^
We haven't played anyone better than them. If they are phantom, so are we.
October 16th, 2021 at 3:44 PM ^
If you’re a Michigan fan and not sold on Sparty? Given the last ten years or so if you’re not sold on Sparty then you’re in forever denial
October 16th, 2021 at 6:53 PM ^
Except for the fact that those last 10 years mean absolutely nothing about this Sparty team?
I think Sparty is pretty good, not great this year. But I am so sick of you chicken littles that want to ignore everything that is happening right now because of what happened years ago.
October 16th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
MSU is better this year than they were last year. The chicken littles at msu beat Michigan. Fucking embarrassing. Time to man up and take the team that hates you seriously
October 16th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
If we as fans don’t man up and take MSU seriously, how is Michigan ever going to beat them again as we all know games are won on message boards
October 16th, 2021 at 3:49 PM ^
OSU (NT OSU) I think they lose next week to Iowa State.
October 16th, 2021 at 4:25 PM ^
How many years outta the last 20 have people on here, including Brian and Seth, said MSU is not as good as their record?
How many times have they been wrong enough that MSU handled Michigan and either won the conference or at least their division?
I think there is a huge bias on this board and it often leads to over-confidence in the outcome against MSU.
October 16th, 2021 at 4:44 PM ^
I think this is a very fair statement. I'm only 35, but I still find myself thinking of MSU as an average to below average football program, at best, and this is based upon my memories of how things used to be between UM-MSU when I was younger. I don't know why that perception sticks with me, but there is nothing that has occurred in the last 15 years that should make anyone think that Michigan isn't going to have its hands full in two weeks.
October 16th, 2021 at 5:20 PM ^
MSU takes the Michigan game almost as much as Ohio State does. This has been the case more so since Dantonio took over in E-Lansing. I don't underrate them. Never forget that scoop and score they had on our guys in 2015, you can't ever count them out.
The game on the 30th looks to be a war. Michigan better bring it's A game and for 60 minutes.
October 16th, 2021 at 5:15 PM ^
Right now, it's Purdue. This 3QB offense is working and against one of the B1G's better defensive team and on their field. Maybe they can run the table in the B1G West, anything is possible in that division as it stands now.
Am not too focused on teams outside the B1G conference. It's more about teams not living up to expectations that those exceeding.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:32 PM ^
Iowa.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:43 PM ^
Iowa’s phantom record, the win vs Psu is only because Clifford went out. They handled Maryland and Indiana and Iowa St. Again 2 teams played in the box against Iowa and you can’t. Penn st did till Clifford went out.
KY, is a good team but they haven’t beaten anyone either. The Florida game is looking less and less impressive.
October 16th, 2021 at 6:52 PM ^
Okay, I'm ready to name my pick: Iowa's probably overrated.
The fact that there are only 2 minutes left in the game have nothing to do with my opinion. I'm almost certain I would have said the same long ago. Even with 4 minutes remaining, I'd have said the same.
October 16th, 2021 at 8:34 PM ^
Late to the party but I’ll say Iowa.
October 16th, 2021 at 9:45 PM ^
Iowa is/was the most over-rated.
And, stop it, MSU is legit -- and will be even moreso when they play us, and with 2 weeks to prepare to boot. Stop Walker and Thorne and the receivers will still have an advantage over our secondary. We are going to have to score to keep up with them.
Basically Nebraska, but a step up in firepower. And with a matchup advantage against the weakest part of our defense.
October 17th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
MSU, Penn State, UM