T5 in AP poll

[Sbee]

by the slightest of margins MSU makes the top 5 for the second straight year, tied with FSU. I think we'd blow them out on a neutral field but the top 5 is what matters.

Can't wait until the Ducks come to EL 9/12

 

[Michchamp]

I don't think the Top 5 matters. I think the Top 1 matters. Everyone else is tied for last.

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

I don't think the Top 5 matters. I think the Top 1 matters. Everyone else is tied for last.

Is that you, Ricky Bobby?

 

[Spartanmack]

Is that you, Ricky Bobby?

I believe that was Reese Bobby...

The back-to-back top 5 finishes are great for fans but I think he's right that other than #1, where you finish doesn't matter all that much, particularly for recruiting. The bigger boost comes from beating good teams on the big stage - to me beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl and Baylor in the Cotton Bowl raises the profile more than finishing 3rd and 5th in the final rankings.

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

With so many starters returning on both sides, we might see a top 5 preseason ranking as well. I kind of hope Mariota returns so we get another shot at him, but it's ultimately in his best interest to leave. Still, Oregon will be ranked and OSU should start at #1. Set up for another run at the playoffs.

 

[Spartanmack]

I still think the way they split up the divisions is bullshit. Obviously michigan has a long way to go before they're back but we should be in a division w/ michigan and OSU should be in the other but w/ the uofm/osu rivalry protected. At least we'll have most of next season to build some momentum going into Columbus on 11/21 but that is going to be a brutal game. If/when michigan gets their shit together, the east is going to be a guantlet - esp if PSU also rebuilds and the west will be cupcake city by comparison.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Only two programs in from the Big Ten have finished in the top 5 consecutive seasons since 1948 (aka the modern era of football), Ohio State and Michigan State.

National titles in the modern era of college football:
Michigan State 6
Ohio State 6
Michigan 1

 

[Michchamp]

Only two programs in from the Big Ten have finished in the top 5 consecutive seasons since 1948 (aka the modern era of football), Ohio State and Michigan State.

National titles in the modern era of college football:
Michigan State 6
Ohio State 6
Michigan 1

No matter what anyone says, you'll always have the 1950's.

No one can take that from you. an important decade for all of those posters here aged 70 and up...

 

[everyoneneedsasmil]

I'll be less concerned about the division setup when the B1G starts getting it's due. The fact is, the SEC wasn't nearly as good as pollsters thought. But it didn't matter because all of them were getting ranked high after beating other SEC teams. If the polls start treating our division like the SEC West (which would only happen if UM was also really good), I'll be fine. But if it's one B1G loss and you're out (even to a good OSU/UM team), then I'll be pissed.

OSU winning handily is a big deal this year. MSU coming back to nip Baylor and Wisky taking out Auburn should force people to reevaluate the league. We have some legitimately elite teams in the B1G, and the SEC/Big 12/Pac 12 shouldn't be getting bonus points before the season begins.

 

[Sbee]

No matter what anyone says, you'll always have the 1950's.

No one can take that from you. an important decade for all of those posters here aged 70 and up...

that's really funny coming from a fan of the program that spends their time counting their wins in the leather helmet era.

 

[Sbee]

I still think the way they split up the divisions is bullshit. Obviously michigan has a long way to go before they're back but we should be in a division w/ michigan and OSU should be in the other but w/ the uofm/osu rivalry protected. At least we'll have most of next season to build some momentum going into Columbus on 11/21 but that is going to be a brutal game. If/when michigan gets their shit together, the east is going to be a guantlet - esp if PSU also rebuilds and the west will be cupcake city by comparison.

you want the divisions to be balanced, right now the best two teams are in the east, I'd say Wisconsin is clearly the 3rd best and Nebraska 4th. I don't think the conference is done expanding and there will be more realignment in the future. it just sucks for the other teams in the east, to win the conference, you'll have to be better than both MSU and OSU.

 

[johnny2x2x]

No matter what anyone says, you'll always have the 1950's.

No one can take that from you. an important decade for all of those posters here aged 70 and up...

Career Bowl wins:
Mark Dantonio 5
Bo Schembechler 5

You'll always have 1997 when you were voted second best by the coaches.

 

[SpartyNash]

that's really funny coming from a fan of the program that spends their time counting their wins in the leather helmet era.

Hey now Sbee, beating Ann Arbor HS in 1891 and Grand Rapids HS in 1896 were huge wins for their program

 

[Sbee]

Hey now Sbee, beating Ann Arbor HS in 1891 and Grand Rapids HS in 1896 were huge wins for their program

every program should just be concerned with catching up to Princeton

 

[MSUMatt28]

you want the divisions to be balanced, right now the best two teams are in the east, I'd say Wisconsin is clearly the 3rd best and Nebraska 4th. I don't think the conference is done expanding and there will be more realignment in the future. it just sucks for the other teams in the east, to win the conference, you'll have to be better than both MSU and OSU.

We keep saying this about the divisions and the east in particular, but think back over the past 20 years how often UM, OSU, and PSU have all been on top of their games at the same time? Not very many. Even before the sanctions PSU had become very up and down in Paterno's last 10 years. UM is 7 years now of mostly down. MSU is up now but has been down more often than not in the past. OSU has been the most consistent dating back to around when John Cooper got there, but occasionally has had a 7-5/6-6 type of season mixed in.

In the West only Wisconsin and Nebraska seem good for 8-9 wins each time out, with Wisconsin occasionally recently getting up higher than that. Iowa will still have the odd year when they're pretty good. Northwestern rises up every so often. Minnesota is on the rise now. In the past under Tiller Purdue had some good years, though those seem a long time ago.

I agree overall the East should be stronger, and has more programs with potential to make a splash nationally, but year in-year out it won't be as lopsided as people think. Nebraska getting it's act together again would go a long way toward keeping things fairly balanced, though.

 

[Spartanmack]

I'll be less concerned about the division setup when the B1G starts getting it's due. The fact is, the SEC wasn't nearly as good as pollsters thought. But it didn't matter because all of them were getting ranked high after beating other SEC teams. If the polls start treating our division like the SEC West (which would only happen if UM was also really good), I'll be fine. But if it's one B1G loss and you're out (even to a good OSU/UM team), then I'll be pissed.

OSU winning handily is a big deal this year. MSU coming back to nip Baylor and Wisky taking out Auburn should force people to reevaluate the league. We have some legitimately elite teams in the B1G, and the SEC/Big 12/Pac 12 shouldn't be getting bonus points before the season begins.

I see these as completely separate issues. If the B1G continues to take care of business, we'll get our due as a conference. We've been shit on but for the most part, we deserved it. Hopefully, we'll continue to have years like this and show this wasn't a flash in the pan. What annoys me is we're likely to be competing in a loaded division while the other is weak. it's bull shit that the conference is split the way it is to protect a rivalry that means nothing to anyone outside columbus and aa.

 

[Michchamp]

that's really funny coming from a fan of the program that spends their time counting their wins in the leather helmet era.

Right, because the 1950's with your National Titles from the Boand, Dunkel, Billingsley, & Helms polls are still so relevant these days...

 

[Michchamp]

... What annoys me is we're likely to be competing in a loaded division while the other is weak. it's bull shit that the conference is split the way it is to protect a rivalry that means nothing to anyone outside columbus and aa.

cry me a river...

it's going to annoy you even more when the pendulum swings back against you.

 

[tinselwolverine]

it's bull shit that the conference is split the way it is to protect a rivalry that means nothing to anyone outside columbus and aa.

Oh.

Is that the reason?

I thought it was kinda like...split geographically, and stuff...

Like, East Division...

...and West Division...

Or so I thought anyway.

 

[Spartanmack]

you want the divisions to be balanced, right now the best two teams are in the east, I'd say Wisconsin is clearly the 3rd best and Nebraska 4th. I don't think the conference is done expanding and there will be more realignment in the future. it just sucks for the other teams in the east, to win the conference, you'll have to be better than both MSU and OSU.

for now, but soon we may need to be better than a really good osu, mich and possibly even psu team (although I'm far less worried about them). Sure, the Harbaugh hire doesn't guarantee michigan will be a great team again - nothing is guaranteed but personally, I think it's more likely than not that he makes them very good, possibly great and I'm not convinced this is a 3 or 4 year placeholder job for him. If he wanted the NFL, he could have had his pick of at least 3 jobs.