Michigan 26. Iowa 0. 2023 Big Ten Champions

[Jeff Buchanan]

Michigan opens as 22 point favorite and an O/U of 36.5 ....... and M is likely to score 33 of those O/U points. I feel pretty good about Karsen Barnhart at RG and Trente Jones at RT with Barnhart replacing the injured All American RG, Zach Zinter. Barnhart and Jones have been duking it out for RT starter all season. I think Barnhart is at his best as a guard and Jones is more than serviceable as a T - although he did have a few bad outings. So did Barnhart. The T spots on the OL have been M's weak point on offense.

Will Johnson reportedly injured his right ankle in practice on Tuesday and started the OSU game at less than 100%. He was replaced early in that game and did not return. McCarthy looked to be near 100%. Corum and Edwards looked like they were both at 100% with Edwards not showing out like he did in '22. Barret played but likely not at 100%

All-in-all, M looks like they've avoided the injury bug to it's skill players with solid back-ups all around able to jump in and start. M fans are already starting to ring their hands over the possibility that M will overlook Iowa, looking ahead to it's CFP opponent. There are too many pieces of the CFP seeding picture to reliably predict who that is going to be. It's not "chaos" but there are 6-7 contenders, yes, including OSU, and the seeding won't be sorted out until late Saturday evening (or late Tuesday as who knows how the CFP Committee will seed). That won't stop the speculation on said seeding that will be rampant this week.

I don't see anyway, barring some high variance event, that Michigan loses this game to Iowa ........ or UGA loses to Alabama. My prediction for the CFP seeding among the contenders after next Friday's (PAC12 title game) and Saturday's (the rest), the CFB seeding should look like this:


1. UGA
2. UM
3. Oregon
4. Texas.
5. Washington
6. OSU
7. Alabama

The order especially as it pertains to UM and UGA is arguable.

[lineygoblue]

Iowa has a defense that could be a bit troublesome for M, but with M having so many offensive threats, I doubt that they'll contain Michigan for long. And Iowa's offense isn't doing anything against Michigan's defense. Just no.

Maybe they'd be a threat if they still had Cade and Erick All, but without them, forget it.

I plan to be at this game. Staying with my brother in Indy. Hoping to scratch another one off the bucket list. (See Michigan win a B1G Championship in person)

I want to see the moment when Tony Titties hands the Conference Championship trophy to Harbaugh, and I want to see M fans' reaction.

[Cody_Russell]

We were so close to getting a McNamara vs McCarthy B1G championship game. Damn, that season ending injury is unfortunate.

I’m not trying to sound like a delusional homer with this opinion, but this game doesn’t worry me at all. Coming from someone that has watched Iowa a half dozen times this season. All of the memes about a terrible Brian Ferentz offense are true! It’s a travesty how we’ve had to endure this archaic structure of a B1G West vs B1G East championship game for a decade. Of course M played Iowa 2 years ago in the same game. That Iowa team’s offense was laughably better with Petras at QB and a legit weapon in Sam LaPorta. Also, Iowa stud Cooper DeJean is out due to injury. He will be playing on Sundays in the near future.

M 34
Iowa 9
M -22

I would rest Will Johnson and any other M player that is questionable. Next up is probably Oregon in the Rose Bowl. A legit scary team to play.

[lineygoblue]

Next up is probably Oregon in the Rose Bowl. A legit scary team to play.

IMO, it won't be an upset if Oregon wins the whole thing.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It's premature to talk about an Oregon, Michigan match-up in the Rose but Minter has developed a great scheme for Basketball on Grass teams. True, Oregon is very good on offense and ranks 2nd in total offense and score a lot of points via their leading Heisman candidate QB, Bo Nix (an Auburn transfer). His stats are mind-bogglingly good. He's a 23yo copy of 21yo JJ McCarthy with more experience. He's faced two decent defensive performances this season (USC and Washington) and went 1-1 losing to Washington. Nix will get an opportunity to redeem that loss next Friday. Go Huskies!

PAC12 teams traditionally have had crap defenses. Oregon is good on D relatively speaking among PAC12 teams. They rank 15th nationally ceding 306 ypg. Good but not great. I think M matches up better with Washington so, I have my rooting priorities set for the PAC12 CG. But if Oregon prevails in the CCG, I like Minter's defensive scheme against these guys.

[Cody_Russell]

2023 Oregon is better than 2022 TCU. Worse than 2021 Georgia. Ultimately, M can’t afford to shit the bed again in the CFP. Long overdue to bring their “A game” in the postseason under Harbaugh.

…

To bring it back from premature Rose Bowl discussion, can’t believe how I predicted 2021 Iowa vs M to be a close game:

https://www.detroitlionsforum.com/forums/forum/sports-discussion-forums/university-of-michigan/1764364-michigan-42-iowa-3-2021-big-ten-football-champions?p=1764376#post1764376

Whereas the M vs Purdue outcome seemed easier to predict last year:

https://www.detroitlionsforum.com/forums/forum/sports-discussion-forums/university-of-michigan/1816923-btccg-michigan-43-purdue-22?p=1816929#post1816929

[Jeff Buchanan]

Long overdue to bring their “A game” in the postseason under Harbaugh.

This

The CFP losses to UGA and TCU were an embarrassment. Jim's Career Coaching Record: 13 Years, 115-46, .714 Win% (at major schools) ; Bowl Record: 9 Games, 2-7, .222 Win% (at major schools). That post season record is not only awful but unexplainable. I do not think in the last two trips to the CFP that M wasn't good enough to win both those games but, instead, against UGA they looked poorly prepared and got steam-rolled. Against TCU, the players looked disinterested and the coaching staff stuck to a bad game plan until it was too late.

Jim redefined himself and M football for the 2021, 2022 and especially for the 2023 regular seasons and, no, it had zero to do with decoding an opponent's signs. I'm betting that JH has identified the problems his teams had v. UGA and TCU and will correct them. As well, the players are a band of brothers with a singular focus on winning. You can't quantify that as a multiplier of a team's performance but it's there and you saw it yesterday v. OSU. The CCG game and, if M wins, the CFP games are going to look a lot different than they did in their first two appearances.

[THE_WIZARD_]

We were so close to getting a McNamara vs McCarthy B1G championship game. Damn, that season ending injury is unfortunate.

I’m not trying to sound like a delusional homer with this opinion, but this game doesn’t worry me at all. Coming from someone that has watched Iowa a half dozen times this season. All of the memes about a terrible Brian Ferentz offense are true! It’s a travesty how we’ve had to endure this archaic structure of a B1G West vs B1G East championship game for a decade. Of course M played Iowa 2 years ago in the same game. That Iowa team’s offense was laughably better with Petras at QB and a legit weapon in Sam LaPorta. Also, Iowa stud Cooper DeJean is out due to injury. He will be playing on Sundays in the near future.

M 34
Iowa 9
M -22

I would rest Will Johnson and any other M player that is questionable. Next up is probably Oregon in the Rose Bowl. A legit scary team to play.

Iowa cannot score on M.

M 52 Iowa 0

[Tom W]

Jim redefined himself and M football for the 2021, 2022 and especially for the 2023 regular seasons and, no, it had zero to do with decoding an opponent's signs. I'm betting that JH has identified the problems his teams had v. UGA and TCU and will correct them. As well, the players are a band of brothers with a singular focus on winning. You can't quantify that as a multiplier of a team's performance but it's there and you saw it yesterday v. OSU. The CCG game and, if M wins, the CFP games are going to look a lot different than they did in their first two appearances.

I can't imagine that Harbaugh being forced to watch the last three games on TV hasn't given him a new perspective to go along with pissing him off royally. I've got nothing against Iowa and respect Ferentz Sr, but they are going to get broiled next Saturday.

[THE_WIZARD_]

52-0

[Tslisher]

Michigan opens as 22 point favorite and an O/U of 36.5 ....... and M is likely to score 33 of those O/U points. I feel pretty good about Karsen Barnhart at RG and Trente Jones at RT with Barnhart replacing the injured All American RG, Zach Zinter. Barnhart and Jones have been duking it out for RT starter all season. I think Barnhart is at his best as a guard and Jones is more than serviceable as a T - although he did have a few bad outings. So did Barnhart. The T spots on the OL have been M's weak point on offense.

Will Johnson reportedly injured his right ankle in practice on Tuesday and started the OSU game at less than 100%. He was replaced early in that game and did not return. McCarthy looked to be near 100%. Corum and Edwards looked like they were both at 100% with Edwards not showing out like he did in '22. Barret played but likely not at 100%

All-in-all, M looks like they've avoided the injury bug to it's skill players with solid back-ups all around able to jump in and start. M fans are already starting to ring their hands over the possibility that M will overlook Iowa, looking ahead to it's CFP opponent. There are too many pieces of the CFP seeding picture to reliably predict who that is going to be. It's not "chaos" but there are 6-7 contenders, yes, including OSU, and the seeding won't be sorted out until late Saturday evening (or late Tuesday as who knows how the CFP Committee will seed). That won't stop the speculation on said seeding that will be rampant this week.

I don't see anyway, barring some high variance event, that Michigan loses this game to Iowa ........ or UGA loses to Alabama. My prediction for the CFP seeding among the contenders after next Friday's (PAC12 title game) and Saturday's (the rest), the CFB seeding should look like this:


1. UGA
2. UM
3. Oregon
4. Texas.
5. Washington
6. OSU
7. Alabama

The order especially as it pertains to UM and UGA is arguable.

By that seeding, I’m assuming that you believe that Oregon will beat Washington in the Pac12 playoff? I don’t know, Washington has found a way to gut out wins this year. I’d go with Washington with Oregon dropping out with 2 losses.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Oregon will beat UW...the final four is set...

UGA, M, Oregon and FSU..assuming they beat L-Ville...if FSU stumbles.. Texass assuming they beat Okie Lite...if both lose then OSU has a shot.

UGA will hammer The Nick. M will hammer The Kirk...Oregon will hammer UW...the 4th is a little murkier...

[Jeff Buchanan]

By that seeding, I’m assuming that you believe that Oregon will beat Washington in the Pac12 playoff? I don’t know, Washington has found a way to gut out wins this year. I’d go with Washington with Oregon dropping out with 2 losses.

I do think the Ducks will beat the Huskies with likely Heisman winner Bo Nix directing traffic.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Oregon will beat UW...the final four is set...

UGA, M, Oregon and FSU..assuming they beat L-Ville...if FSU stumbles.. Texass assuming they beat Okie Lite...if both lose then OSU has a shot.

UGA will hammer The Nick. M will hammer The Kirk...Oregon will hammer UW...the 4th is a little murkier...

This is a really good way to look at CFP scenarios and I know where my rooting loyalties belong. Go Noles ....... or Longhorns. Don't you dare both lose!

[Mike]

Alabama beating Georgia will be the biggest problem for the committee. Oregon will roll Washington by 3+TDs and punch their ticket. Michigan is in, obviously. It would seem like FSU is in with a win. I mean, you can't keep an undefeated P5 champ out so someone will be gifted a relatively easy game against the Noles - Likely Georgia or Michigan.

I think this will be the field:

Georgia
Michigan
FSU
Oregon.

Not sure how they'll seed FSU/Oregon but he above would be a dream scenario. If Bama wins, things get crazy. A 12-1 SEC champ should be in but then how do you give them the nod over Texas? Then do they drop Georgia all together? It would be insanity. They'd have to kick an undefeated FSU to the curb and then you'd still have only 2 spots for UGA/Bama/Texas.