SIAP Early CFB rankings. IRISH play 5 in the Top 15

[irishff1014]

They just need to go out and play each week like it is there last game they will ever play.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Our season is not just the manglers on the schedule but the fact that almost every team is of some quality and that wears on you. This is why I think happy about most of the big games, but factor in one or two "upsets" which, given the week-to-week stress aren't too much of a surprise at all --- just depressing.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I thought Michigan State lost everything. Am I wrong in thinking that? They lost their QB and 2 wide receivers along with some defense. They are tough to beat in East Lansing though.

 

[arrowryan]

I thought Michigan State lost everything. Am I wrong in thinking that? They lost their QB and 2 wide receivers along with some defense. They are tough to beat in East Lansing though.

They lost their starting running back too

 

[BeauBenken]

I thought Michigan State lost everything. Am I wrong in thinking that? They lost their QB and 2 wide receivers along with some defense. They are tough to beat in East Lansing though.

All their tough games are at East Lansing. They only have cake away games as well.

 

[phork]

UM @10 is laughable

And we have lost to them the last 3 years.

They did go 10-2 and win the Sugar bowl and bring back most of their team.

Bingo. Year 2 under and over achieving coach. (I say over achieving only with what he had to work with)

How is MSU ranked? They are losing all of their game changers on offense

MSU is now a program. They are already at the Next Man In level.

I didn't think their defense was that great. They were good, but nothing special

They played fundamental assignment defense and played it fairly well.

 

[Sweetness34]

I think they can be beat Stanford, Michigan State and Michigan.

 

[Buster Bluth]

All their tough games are at East Lansing. They only have cake away games as well.

@ Michigan
@ Wisconsin

Not exactly cake.

And they are home vs Boise State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State within the first six weeks of the season.

 

[Buster Bluth]

And we have lost to them the last 3 years.

STOP MENTIONING THIS!!!

 

[Buster Bluth]

On Michigan State....

Quarterback Kirk Cousins needs to be replaced and running back Edwin Baker curiously left early for the next-level. Making matters worse for the offense is the loss of receivers B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, Keith Nichol, and both starting tight ends have to be replaced. On the plus side, four starters are back on the offensive line to pave the way for bruising running back Le’Veon Bell and protect likely new starting QB Andrew Maxwell.

It might take a while for the offense to come around, but the defense should be the best in the Mark Danotonio era. Anchor Jerel Worthy is gone from the defensive line, but William Gholston and Marcus Rush should form one of the Big Ten’s best pass rushing tandems. The secondary is loaded with ball-hawkers SS Isaiah Lewis and corners Darqueze Dennard and Johnny Adams, and Chris Norman and Max Bullough headline a terrific-looking linebacking corps.

Basically Michigan State is going to have a fantastic front seven, but the offense will rely on the OL and the running game to take pressure off of their new QB.

Sound familiar?

 

[BestBIrish47]

good data...like the Avatar alot...good lookin cow...

Thank you Sir. I it is always a treat to get love from a fellow IE old timer. With my hatred for Michigan set aside, I wish we could have a smoke and Mirrors 10-2 season. What that shows me is, Hoke can win with a smidgen of talent from a previous regime. We experienced that with Charlie early in his tenure.

I do think Brian Kelly is a good coach, and the Irish are headed in the right direction. Personally I have never been an Irish fan that expects us to instantly get back to the nation's elite. I do think Notre Dame should be that kind of program every year, but we won't achieve that, without stability with a Head Coach.

College football has changed, and the ambitions of young people have changed from wanting to work hard and earn something special, to instant gratification. I see it everyday with my business. Entitlement is the great epidemic of the young generation.

Now that I have managed to sound eerily like my father, it is my personal opinion that, BK will return Irish Football to a BCS caliber program annually.

Although this year's schedule is daunting, I would love for our IRISH to overachieve, or smoke and mirror their way to a BCS caliber season. Is that too much to ask?

BestB Manifesto 2012

 

[ACamp1900]

So they didnt win 10 games and the Sugar Bowl?

lol... exactly...

 

[Joee]

All I ask is Notre Dame to win them all and USC to lose them all.

 

[cowme]

As a biased Michigan fan, I can say that we are without a doubt a MUCH better team than we were when y'all faced us in Ann Arbor (especially on the defensive end). I don't really see what's so insane about our 10-15 rating...no matter how lucky we got last year (and boy did we get lucky), we still won 11 games, finished #3 in the B1G, and have almost our whole team back.

I think Bama is a near certain loss, and I think this is the year you guys get your revenge against us in South Bend. But I don't really see many other games we shouldn't win next year

 

[DSully1995]

As a biased Michigan fan, I can say that we are without a doubt a MUCH better team than we were when y'all faced us in Ann Arbor (especially on the defensive end). I don't really see what's so insane about our 10-15 rating...no matter how lucky we got last year (and boy did we get lucky), we still won 11 games, finished #3 in the B1G, and have almost our whole team back.

I think Bama is a near certain loss, and I think this is the year you guys get your revenge against us in South Bend. But I don't really see many other games we shouldn't win next year

Acknowledging the luck is what makes you not a top 15 team, the luck will (hopefully) reverse and well see how good michigan really is.

 

[cowme]

Acknowledging the luck is what makes you not a top 15 team, the luck will (hopefully) reverse and well see how good michigan really is.

That's like saying notre dame deserves to be ranked higher because they were really unlucky last year. It's about wins and losses, not how pretty it looked along the way.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Michigan has been blessed by a freakish player who messes up all opponent defensive game planning. Because of this certain deficiencies in the overall solidity of the team are masked. Coach Hoke has fallen into a near-magical situation, and I'll bet that he knows it. But he is also maximizing the potential luck [ie Denard and his results] on the recruiting trail, so by the time Denard goes down the road, Hoke has loaded the team back up with high-quality athletes. That IS a large bit of luck and Michigan fans should marvel at how the deck of the cards of Fate dealt them such an unexpected hand. AND they should be praying for no Denard injury --- Hoke doesn't have them quite ready to go Denard-less yet. [I watched the Spring game --- some of that was not pretty].

 

[phork]

As a biased Michigan fan, I can say that we are without a doubt a MUCH better team than we were when y'all faced us in Ann Arbor (especially on the defensive end). I don't really see what's so insane about our 10-15 rating...no matter how lucky we got last year (and boy did we get lucky), we still won 11 games, finished #3 in the B1G, and have almost our whole team back.

I think Bama is a near certain loss, and I think this is the year you guys get your revenge against us in South Bend. But I don't really see many other games we shouldn't win next year

How are you better defensively? Martin and VanBergen are gone and according to this chart:

College Player Database - Depth Chart

You start freshmen or sophomores (Red shirted), at nearly all positions. This year is going to be a wake up call for you guys. With losses to Alabama, ND (Depending on QB situation), MSU and OSU. I see AirForce giving you fits because you really haven't played a triple option team lately. 8-4, 9-3 is your ceiling. Toss in a head scratcher loss and you might be 7-5.

 

[clashmore_mike]

Saying Michigan is better defensively isn't saying anything at all. They got shredded the entire game. 5 turnovers were all that kept the game from being a 30 point loss.

If I recall correctly, didn't Ohio State, who had one of the worst offenses in all of NCAA football, have a pretty good day against Michigan as well?

 

[NDPhilly]

Your Defense wasn't good at all last year. The big 10 just has ****** offenses.

 

[cowme]

How are you better defensively? Martin and VanBergen are gone and according to this chart:

College Player Database - Depth Chart

You start freshmen or sophomores (Red shirted), at nearly all positions. This year is going to be a wake up call for you guys. With losses to Alabama, ND (Depending on QB situation), MSU and OSU. I see AirForce giving you fits because you really haven't played a triple option team lately. 8-4, 9-3 is your ceiling. Toss in a head scratcher loss and you might be 7-5.

You say having underclassmen is a weakness, but Countess, Jake Ryan and Desmond Morgan were 3 of our best defenders all year last year

Our D Line will be our weakest link, yes. But Roh and Jibreel Black are both very solid players, and Will Campbell is a once 5 star recruit who has been lost in the shuffle behind Mike Martin. If he can show any signs of life, the line will be fine. Not to mention, Hoke and Mattison both originated as D Line coaches, and that has to count for something.

Linebackers: Jake Ryan was a beast a true freshman. He has the potential to be the centerpiece of our defense for the next 3 years. Desmond Morgan is solid, and Kenny Demens will be a 3rd year starter.

Corners: JT Floyd will be a 4th year starter, and he had a very solid year (after getting torched by Michael Floyd). Blake Countess was a first team B1G freshman, and made multiple all-freshman lists nationwide.

Safeties: Kovacs in his last year.

 

[returnofthemack]

You say having underclassmen is a weakness, but Countess, Jake Ryan and Desmond Morgan were 3 of our best defenders all year last year

Our D Line will be our weakest link, yes. But Roh and Jibreel Black are both very solid players, and Will Campbell is a once 5 star recruit who has been lost in the shuffle behind Mike Martin. If he can show any signs of life, the line will be fine. Not to mention, Hoke and Mattison both originated as D Line coaches, and that has to count for something.

Linebackers: Jake Ryan was a beast a true freshman. He has the potential to be the centerpiece of our defense for the next 3 years. Desmond Morgan is solid, and Kenny Demens will be a 3rd year starter.

Corners: JT Floyd will be a 4th year starter, and he had a very solid year (after getting torched by Michael Floyd). Blake Countess was a first team B1G freshman, and made multiple all-freshman lists nationwide.

Safeties: Kovacs in his last year.

I think michigan deserves to be in the top 20. I hate the wolverines with every fiber of my being, but the thing is, even though they got really lucky last year, they got enough great recruits that now, they don't need as much luck. So yeah, the team's built on luck, but now they actually have good players. So for next year, obviously, Denard will be Denard, but now the defense has the players to actually be legitimately good. So as much as I hate them, it would be unreasonable to not have michigan in the top 20.

 

[returnofthemack]

Michigan has been blessed by a freakish player who messes up all opponent defensive game planning. Because of this certain deficiencies in the overall solidity of the team are masked. Coach Hoke has fallen into a near-magical situation, and I'll bet that he knows it. But he is also maximizing the potential luck [ie Denard and his results] on the recruiting trail, so by the time Denard goes down the road, Hoke has loaded the team back up with high-quality athletes. That IS a large bit of luck and Michigan fans should marvel at how the deck of the cards of Fate dealt them such an unexpected hand. AND they should be praying for no Denard injury --- Hoke doesn't have them quite ready to go Denard-less yet. [I watched the Spring game --- some of that was not pretty].

Exactly. I can only hope ND gets as lucky as michigan did last year.

 

[andre784]

we'll beat stanford and I think we can take michigan st.

 

[FightinI24]

Michigan State is overrated. They shouldn't be that high. Having said that, I think Notre Dame will come away with two -- at the least -- victories. Possibly three.

 

[Akykyshka]

you are right

you are right

I think that's right!

 

[woolybug25]

I think that's right!

No... you are the one!

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I think that's right!

Why do all these bots: (1) have ICQ; and (2) select an absurdly improbable country as their location?

Mongolia? Really?

 

[NDinFL]

Why do all these bots: (1) have ICQ; and (2) select an absurdly improbable country as their location?

Mongolia? Really?

Lmao, I wouldn't have noticed that unless you said it.

 

[Jerry]

Michigan also has to play at Nebraska the week after MSU. The Huskers were pretty average last year but I don't think thats the kind of program you take for granted. UM could easily have 4 losses going into November.