Around the Big Ten

[WM Wolverine]

We have to win those games too, remember the buckeyes lost to f'n Purdue.

[WingsFan]

The only other team we might have to worry about losing 1 game is Bama ... they would have the attention of the playoff committee because of what they have done for the last decade and especially last year of not winning their conference, losing a game and still be able to win it all. The SEC bias would be big-time as well saying how tough their conference is even though Bama really hasn't beaten that many good teams on their schedule.

[AlabamAlum]

The interesting thing is that if things play out where the SEC and ACC get a team in as most people think, and Notre Dame wins out, that leaves 3 P5 conferences fighting for 1 spot. Pac-12 is out, which leaves the BigXII vs BigTen. So, Oklahoma or Michigan/Ohio State (whichever team wins out).

Regardless, someone will be upset.

[WingsFan]

Im trying not to think about are chances vs Alabama witch would not be good, but maybe better than anyone besides Clemson ?


There are big games for other teams that will fall either ahead of us or around us so we have that to count on. The best thing is we are going into November still having a chance and being talked about a playoff spot, a B10 East division winner, and possibly a B10 Championship that has eluded this program for a very long time. All those goals are ahead of this team and we control are own destiny.

[WM Wolverine]

I don't see Oklahoma losing again, better chance M drops a game than the Sooners.

With NDs awful schedule, they have no room for a loss but they don't play a ranked team or even a decent team. Northwestern might be the best team they have left and that's a home games for them even if they are in Evanston (?).

Clemson has a similar schedule where if they lose 1 (don't see it), they aren't deserving of the CFP. They've played nobody and won't.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Don't look now but NfW has a one game lead in the BIG West. If the Fighting Fitzgeralds win out in conference play - beating Iowa in the process they're in the BTCG. They play ND in Evanston on Saturday, then on the road for Minny and Iowa, at home v. Illinois to end the season. I could not have never figured this out. Someone else at mgoboard did. There is a new 5th tie breaker rule this season in the BIG and it's possible it will come to that in the West (TLDR but it's interesting if you stick with it):

1. First tie-breaker is head-to-head within the tied group. All teams are 1-1 against each other.
2. Second tie-breaker is division record. Each is 5-1 in the division and 2-1 against the East.

I could care less who wins the West as long as M wins the East. Then I'll care. The revenge tour would be complete with a win v. Iowa in Indy. That would be nice. But it would be way more fun to watch Pat Fitzgerald on the sidelines in that game than watch a stoic like Ferentz ..... he did have a neat fake FG v. Minny though. That was pretty un-Ferentz like. Wisky? No! Boring.

[Hannibal]

I'm gradually warming up to us maybe having a shot at the B1G title but we have to run the table and that's still a tall order.

[Tslisher]

I think we will be favored in all our remaining games, although if OSU wins out, that game might be a tossup in the Shoe.

In order to get into the CFP over Oklahoma, we probably need OSU to win out so they can be highly ranked if/when we beat them. Otherwise, if OSU stubs its toe against Sparty, who still looks scrappy putting away a pretty good Purdue team, this might not be a high enough quality win in the eye of the committee. The conference championship game is going to be most likely against a 3-4 loss (overall record) Big Ten West team. Hate to say it, but we need to have OSU win out so we can get that other quality win. But that's the way is should be, back to the Big 2 and the little 8 (well 12, but some of those barely count as Big Ten teams).

[Tslisher]

It will be interesting to see next week if the Committee has teams ranked roughly where they are in the AP or Coaches Poll. They often deviate, and we will see what they think of Michigan's wins (and loss) next week.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I don't think a one loss BIG Champion is going to get left out. I think it was AA that mentioned we're going to have some chaos at CFB pick time. Clemson and Alabama, likely both with no losses are in. ND, if they win out, is in. So, you'll have, (assuming the PAC12 is out) what, 3, 1-loss conference champs vying for the 4th spot. M will have the best 1 loss resume, IMO. Then Clemson v. ND and Bama v. ? Someone left out is going to be pissed.

If M is in, I actually think a fully loaded Michigan offense (no injuries on the OL, Patterson, Higdon, Evans, Mason and all the TEs and Receivers healthy) with Don Brown's defense has the best chance of taking Bama down. I think Clemson with a healthy Trevor Lawrence at QB is way better than ND with anybody they put at QB. I like Dabo's approach and Trevor Lawrence at QB along with a very good defense makes Clemson a not going to happen out if M faces them in an NCG. Without Lawrence, Clemson's offense is pedestrian. Without Patterson, I don't think M's is if McCaffrey gets called on.

Anyway, couple of hills to take yet. Still, fun to talk about it when Michigan is actually in the conversation in November. It's been too long.

[iam416]

[WingsFan]

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[iam416]

[Rocky Bleier]

I'm going to think about Penn State for now. Get past them, and that's a guaranteed 10 win season, which I'll definitely take given the schedule this year. Then, it's on to Columbus, where they'll have ironed out a few of their problems. Alabama? Hell, no! Don't want to get raped like MSU (38-0). Here's to finishing 5th in the polls, and winning whatever non playoff bowl game we're sent to. That would far surpass any expectations I had for this season.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Sure.

The 2016 offense with Speight at QB and when he was healthy, was not as varied as it is in 2018. I think Karan Higdon is better than Deveon Smith, way better in their respective senior seasons. A lot of that has to do with better OL play under Ed Warriner and without Tim Drevno. There's a sync between Warriner, Harbaugh and the players on the OL that didn't seem to exist with Drevno, at least that's my eyeball take based on on-field results.

When M's 2018 offense is hitting on all cylinders, it's really hard to defend. You know this .... or at least AA from a distance knows it and that counts for something, don't you think?

Brown has a better back end with CBs Long and Hill with Brandon Watson backing them up and S Josh Metellus rounding into form. He also ran a Peppers-centric defense and McRay at MLB had issues sideline to sideline and in coverage that the combo of Hudson, Ross, Furbush and Gill at the variouos "LB" positions (the way Brown deploys the is different from 2016) don't seem to have. The 2018 defense is more rounded with more players contributing.