Ap #14

[TheVictors]

Raw, destructive DEFENSE and a preseason rank at #14 ...opening against a higher-ranked team and prohibitive underdog...??

Sounds familiar ....I'll take it.

 

[thewolverines24]

14 is right. Offense has a lot to prove, but we know the defense is going to be great.

 

[wlvrnstlr4life]

I like it because it gives the team an underdog edge to it. But in reality, they should be higher. This isnt about what the record was last year, its about what you have coming coming back. With how we lost last year and only losing a couple guys, there is no way ND, PSU, and MSU should be ranked higher than us. Ill take it, though, because beating them(ranked higher) means that they will be quality wins. Losing 2 games and beating OSU can still get this team in the playoff.

 

[tomdalton22]

I like it because it gives the team an underdog edge to it. But in reality, they should be higher. This isnt about what the record was last year, its about what you have coming coming back. With how we lost last year and only losing a couple guys, there is no way ND, PSU, and MSU should be ranked higher than us. Ill take it, though, because beating them(ranked higher) means that they will be quality wins. Losing 2 games and beating OSU can still get this team in the playoff.

there are two ways to look at it. If a team brings everyone back and lost 5 games wouldn't you expect similar results the following year?

It really doesn't matter....preseason rankings don't mean a thing.

 

[wlvrnstlr4life]

there are two ways to look at it. If a team brings everyone back and lost 5 games wouldn't you expect similar results the following year?

Absolutely not! Did you expect MSU to go 3-9 again last year?

 

[gotime909]

I like it because it gives the team an underdog edge to it. But in reality, they should be higher. This isnt about what the record was last year, its about what you have coming coming back. With how we lost last year and only losing a couple guys, there is no way ND, PSU, and MSU should be ranked higher than us. Ill take it, though, because beating them(ranked higher) means that they will be quality wins. Losing 2 games and beating OSU can still get this team in the playoff.

So you don?t think a team that beat you on your home field and is bringing back 19 starters on offense and defense should be ranked ahead of you?

 

[TheVictors]

So you don?t think a team that beat you on your home field and is bringing back 19 starters on offense and defense should be ranked ahead of you?

guess the teams will have to play the games this season just like every other one, huh?

 

[wlvrnstlr4life]

So you don?t think a team that beat you on your home field and is bringing back 19 starters on offense and defense should be ranked ahead of you?

No, I dont.

 

[tinselwolverine]

guess the teams will have to play the games this season just like every other one, huh?

This sounds like a good idea, let?s just settle it that way.

The rankings were started years ago by a newspaper consortium to promote and sell newspapers.

 

[TheVictors]

This sounds like a good idea, let?s just settle it that way.

The rankings were started years ago by a newspaper consortium to promote and sell newspapers.

well if a bunch of idiots on the internet can't have an opinion about "clean coaches," they sure as hell aren't determining the rankings of the teams..!

 

[thewolverines24]

guess the teams will have to play the games this season just like every other one, huh?

We don't bring back the reason MSU won. O'Korn is gone, so that's a major plus.

Even with O'Korn's three horrendous INTs, we still had a 37 yard heave for a chance to win the game last year.

A slight semblance of competent QB play will be a major upgrade in this year's Paul Bunyan Trophy game.

 

[Michchamp]

The write up of the '97 team on wikipedia says that their schedule was ranked the toughest in the nation, preseason. I didn't realize Colorado was ranked that highly during the early season. MSU, Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and Ohio State were all ranked, and PSU and OSU were #2, and #4.

I think this team faces a tougher SOS on paper at least, given the recent history.

it's hard to imagine going 3-0 @ ND, MSU, and OSU, and also avoiding any home let downs against UW, and PSU, both of which are ranked ahead of us.

it's also a tougher hill to climb because 1 loss against an eastern division opponent pretty much dooms any hope of playing for a Big Ten championship.

 

[Michchamp]

We don't bring back the reason MSU won. O'Korn is gone, so that's a major plus.

Even with O'Korn's three horrendous INTs, we still had a 37 yard heave for a chance to win the game last year.

A slight semblance of competent QB play will be a major upgrade in this year's Paul Bunyan Trophy game.

also: Drevno is gone.

 

[thewolverines24]

also: Drevno is gone.

The sentence "Drevno is gone" makes me want to dance every time I hear it.

 

[TheVictors]

The write up of the '97 team on wikipedia says that their schedule was ranked the toughest in the nation, preseason. I didn't realize Colorado was ranked that highly during the early season. MSU, Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and Ohio State were all ranked, and PSU and OSU were #2, and #4.

I think this team faces a tougher SOS on paper at least, given the recent history.

it's hard to imagine going 3-0 @ ND, MSU, and OSU, and also avoiding any home let downs against UW, and PSU, both of which are ranked ahead of us.

it's also a tougher hill to climb because 1 loss against an eastern division opponent pretty much dooms any hope of playing for a Big Ten championship.

and in 1997, M was ranked #14 in the preseason ...

 

[Michchamp]

I wonder where you got that from, b/c Wikipedia said 17, but I see that was the coaches poll. it doesn't have the AP.

 

[TheVictors]

I was going off memory ....but wikipedia corroborates, at least on the 97 schedule/results


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Michigan_Wolverines_football_team

September 13 12:00 p.m. No. 8 Colorado# vs No. 14 Michigan Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI ABC W 27–3 106,474

• #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game