HooplaNation's Week 12 Rankings - Discussion Thread

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

Been thinking about something.

Fill in the blank in this statement in about 4 seconds and be honest with yourself and everyone else here:

“Alabama would finish ________ in the BIG this year.”

Nothing about Alabama is impressive this year other than Young and Gibbs. Their pass defense is terrible. When Young was out -- they struggled to throw the ball. This is the weakest Bama team i've seen in a long time.

I think UM and Bama would be a great game. I think OSU would absolutely torch the secondary of Bama. No team in CFB, including Tennessee has the talent at WR that OSU has. Look at the numbers they have put up and the #1 WR in CFB Jaxon Ngjiba-Smith has missed essentially the whole season. He had 95 catches for 1,600 yards as OSU's #3 WR last year.

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

Been thinking about something.

Fill in the blank in this statement in about 4 seconds and be honest with yourself and everyone else here:

“Alabama would finish ________ in the BIG this year.”

After watching Quinn Ewers and how eradicate he is, and then see what he did to Alabama -- It tells me, Bama is nothing like they have been in the past.

 

[Deep Creek]

I will be the first to say -- Michigan hasn't played much of schedule, but what they have done is..........destroyed every team they played. The two "closest" games they've played look much closer than they were.

UM was up 14 on Maryland in the last minute and both teams had backups in -- they ended up scoring at the last second to make it look much closer.

Next closest game was Iowa. UM was up 27-7 with 2 minutes to go, emptied the bench and Iowa scored in the final minute.

Every other game, they have won by in between 21 and 59 points. So they have had some games where it took them a quarter or two to get going, but they have dominated 2nd halves. The last 4 games against Penn State, Michigan State, Rutgers and Nebraska -- Michigan has outscored them 117-3 in the 2nd half. That's absurd.

I ain't saying Michigan is bad by any means. They are good. But isn't rationalization a wonderful thing. Fact remains Michigan has only had one decent opponent and that opponent's marquee win is over a very down Auburn team. Give Michigan Alabama's schedule to date and the Wolverines ain't undefeated for sure. Don't you think there are several teams ranked well below Michigan that would be undefeated if they had played Michigan's schedule to date?

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

Been thinking about something.

Fill in the blank in this statement in about 4 seconds and be honest with yourself and everyone else here:

“Alabama would finish ________ in the BIG this year.”

Now Georgia is a different story. They'd curb stomp the B1G including Michigan and OSU. We'd need to use Michigan's OL and running game, combine it with OSU's QB and WR's. Then we may have a shot against Georgia.

If OSU and Tennessee played -- you'd need a calculator to figure out the final score.

 

[fishinabarrel]

I will be the first to say -- Michigan hasn't played much of schedule, but what they have done is..........destroyed every team they played. The two "closest" games they've played look much closer than they were.

UM was up 14 on Maryland in the last minute and both teams had backups in -- they ended up scoring at the last second to make it look much closer.

Next closest game was Iowa. UM was up 27-7 with 2 minutes to go, emptied the bench and Iowa scored in the final minute.

Every other game, they have won by in between 21 and 59 points. So they have had some games where it took them a quarter or two to get going, but they have dominated 2nd halves. The last 4 games against Penn State, Michigan State, Rutgers and Nebraska -- Michigan has outscored them 117-3 in the 2nd half. That's absurd.

I'll agree with you on everyone but the Maryland game. Maryland gave Michigan everything they could handle. I'm not sure you can call a game where you have to recover and onside kick to seal it "much closer than it would seem". Michigan also benefited from a highly questionable interception in that game when Maryland was driving to possibly go up by two scores.

Michigan won that game bc they won the turnover battle and one of those turnovers probably should have been overturned

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

I ain't saying Michigan is bad by any means. They are good. But isn't rationalization a wonderful thing. Fact remains Michigan has only had one decent opponent and that opponent's marquee win is over a very down Auburn team. Give Michigan Alabama's schedule to date and the Wolverines ain't undefeated for sure. Don't you think there are several teams ranked well below Michigan that would be undefeated if they had played Michigan's schedule to date?

There is one team right now I'd mark as a loss for Michigan. It is Georgia. Georgia, like last year, is Michigan, but on steroids. They can run, they can pass, they can stop the pass, they can stop the run. The weather doesn't matter. They are a complete team.

That's what Michigan is -- they are a complete team with few weaknesses, even down to their kicker and punter. Our biggest weakness is we lack a deep threat (we have Roman Wilson and he has been hurt alot of the year).

Michigan national rankings
Scoring offense 5th at 41.9 ppg
Rushing offense 4th at 251.5 ypg
Total offense 24th at 465.3 ypg
Scoring defense 1st at 11.2 ppg
Rushing defense 1st at 72.5 ypg
Passing defense 4th at 160.1 ypg
Total Defense 1st at 232.1 ypg

So UM is a complete team -- that's what makes them so good this year. The defense has been a shock to me. Last year, it was a 2 man show -- this year, the defense has more sacks than last year's defense and it is like 10 different guys with sacks. They swap guys in and out all game long.

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

I'll agree with you on everyone but the Maryland game. Maryland gave Michigan everything they could handle. I'm not sure you can call a game where you have to recover and onside kick to seal it "much closer than it would seem". Michigan also benefited from a highly questionable interception in that game when Maryland was driving to possibly go up by two scores.

Michigan won that game bc they won the turnover battle and one of those turnovers probably should have been overturned

Michigan was up 34-19 with 2:30 seconds left. Maryland put in their backups. Tagavoila was on the bench. It was the backups who went down and scored. Then they got a 2 point conversion with like 30 seconds left.

Edited to add -- it was definitely our closest game, but it looks much closer than it was, because of that final TD and 2 point conversion.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

Alabama is an interesting team IMO. They are still a "good" team but definitely not a playoff contender. They got major issues. I also think Oregon may fit that bill as well despite all the trolling on here. Oregon is probably the best Pac12 team. I haven't been that impressed with UCLA or USC when I have watched them. USC is a "good" team like Alabama but probably not going to win out.

Bama is the only team on that list that scares me. Meaning, I think we would get some good games from others - UTjr, tOSU - but Bama is the team you wouldn't want to play on a neutral field. And I am on the record before the season they would not be the great team people were making them out to be.

They lost both their games on the last play, and have had 5 games decided on the last play. They could just as easily be 10-0, or 5-5. I've thought back and in the last decade we've had 3 games decided on the last play, they have had 5 in one year.

You beat them at home when they had 17 penalties, and Saban made terrible coaching decisions at the end. If you think you have a chance against us because our home field was a large advantage, you shouldn't want a game against Bama.

They aren't a playoff contender because of their 2 losses, not because they aren't capable of winning it all. On a neutral field, they would be favored over you, LSU, and probably everyone else other than UGA and tOSU.

You are writing in this post as if you think you are way better than Bama ... not many people who aren't Vol fans see it that way.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

2nd

Certainly no worse. They would beat one of two games against tOSU and UM, perhaps both. As I posted above, this year's Bama in a 12-team format is the team you don't want to play.

 

[Voltaire]

Been thinking about something.

Fill in the blank in this statement in about 4 seconds and be honest with yourself and everyone else here:

“Alabama would finish ________ in the BIG this year.”

They would finish higher in the B1G than Tennessee. Alabama is probably the 2nd or 3rd best team in the NCAA ... playing on a neutral field Alabama would favored over everyone except Georgia and maybe ohio state.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Michigan was up 34-19 with 2:30 seconds left. Maryland put in their backups. Tagavoila was on the bench. It was the backups who went down and scored. Then they got a 2 point conversion with like 30 seconds left.

Edited to add -- it was definitely our closest game, but it looks much closer than it was, because of that final TD and 2 point conversion.

Taulia was on the bench bc he had been playing hurt most of the second half. I can't imagine Harbaugh had defensive backups in only up two scores and the other team having the ball. If Maryland recovers the onside kick they would have had the ball midfield with like a minute left only down one score. No way a coach puts back ups in in that situation. Stupid prevent defense, yes, but not back ups

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

Taulia was on the bench bc he had been playing hurt most of the second half. I can't imagine Harbaugh had defensive backups in only up two scores and the other team having the ball. If Maryland recovers the onside kick they would have had the ball midfield with like a minute left only down one score. No way a coach puts back ups in in that situation. Stupid prevent defense, yes, but not back ups

He wasn't hurt -- he hasn't missed any playing time all year. The backup has only thrown 40 passes all year. All in garbage time.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

Been thinking about something.

Fill in the blank in this statement in about 4 seconds and be honest with yourself and everyone else here:

“Alabama would finish ________ in the BIG this year.”

2nd or 1st.

They would easily win the West and face UM or tOSU in the B1GCG.

In the East, they would easily dispatch PSU, then the tOSU and UM games would be interesting, I think. We will know more when we see them play each other, and then the winner in the CFP. Let's not forget that we thought that UM was good last year and that turned out not to be the case once they played a really good team.

 

[fishinabarrel]

Certainly no worse. They would beat one of two games against tOSU and UM, perhaps both. As I posted above, this year's Bama in a 12-team format is the team you don't want to play.

They could still very easily be in 1st place position in the SEC as well. It's not like Tenn and LSU blew their doors off. LSU is going to be playing for the SEC championship and lost to FSU. (They are not the same team and have certainly made great strides through the season). If Alabama was in the B10 we would have people saying how they would win the SEC

 

[fishinabarrel]

He wasn't hurt -- he hasn't missed any playing time all year. The backup has only thrown 40 passes all year. All in garbage time.

He sprained his MCL against Michigan. He most definitely was hurt

 

[NewPhoneWhoDis]

2nd or 1st.

They would easily win the West and face UM or tOSU in the B1GCG.

In the East, they would easily dispatch PSU, then the tOSU and UM games would be interesting, I think. We will know more when we see them play each other, and then the winner in the CFP. Let's not forget that we thought that UM was good last year and that turned out not to be the case once they played a really good team.

Georgia is always going to be a bad matchup for Michigan. You play the same type of game, but with much better recruits and way deeper across the board. You can pass, you can run, you can stop the pass, you can stop the run.

I said it when Michigan faced Georgia last year. Facing Georgia is like facing Michigan, but on steroids.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

They could still very easily be in 1st place position in the SEC as well. It's not like Tenn and LSU blew their doors off. LSU is going to be playing for the SEC championship and lost to FSU. (They are not the same team and have certainly made great strides through the season). If Alabama was in the B10 we would have people saying how they would win the SEC

For sure. I think Bama has some serious issue if you compare them to other Bama teams. Their OL isn't as good, and their WRs aren't what they used to be. They are glad they hit the portal for a RB which is odd based on their recruiting. Their DL has gotten less stellar the last 4 years, and their secondary hasn't played as well as people thought they would.

All that, and they have two last play losses in two very difficult places to play. Total of 4 points. I think we are better than they are and would beat them, but I am sure glad that we don't play them this year.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

Georgia is always going to be a bad matchup for Michigan. You play the same type of game, but with much better recruits and way deeper across the board. You can pass, you can run, you can stop the pass, you can stop the run.

I said it when Michigan faced Georgia last year. Facing Georgia is like facing Michigan, but on steroids.

I know the whole "SEC speed" thing gets a lot of grief, but it's true IMO. We get better recruits and often that is size and speed. Mostly on the D side as a lot of teams have fast O skill players.

I am really looking forward to that UM v. tOSU game. Should be one for the ages!

 

[osubuckeye89]

2nd or 1st.

They would easily win the West and face UM or tOSU in the B1GCG.

In the East, they would easily dispatch PSU, then the tOSU and UM games would be interesting, I think. We will know more when we see them play each other, and then the winner in the CFP. Let's not forget that we thought that UM was good last year and that turned out not to be the case once they played a really good team.

I don't know about that.

Bama was a play away from losing to A&M. And YES I know A&M has a million 5* recruits but they are a terrible team no matter how anyone tries to spin it.

For the record i'm not saying Penn State is great either.

Bama is not on the level of prior years this year, they could probably beat anyone in any given game still though, but they could also flop and lose to a Penn State type team.

Also I think most people saw that UGA was going to beat Michigan down in that semi final game.

 

[WhosYourDawggy]

I don't know about that.

Bama was a play away from losing to A&M. And YES I know A&M has a million 5* recruits but they are a terrible team no matter how anyone tries to spin it.

For the record i'm not saying Penn State is great either.

Bama is not on the level of prior years this year, they could probably beat anyone in any given game still though, but they could also flop and lose to a Penn State type team.

Also I think most people saw that UGA was going to beat Michigan down in that semi final game.

UM talking heads didn't. You have to remember that we lost badly to Bama in the SECCG and a lot of UM fans were saying "UGA was exposed ... our OL and Edge guys are going to kill them." One pleasure in life has been to go listen to the UM talking heads before the game and hear how badly they got it. A few were humbled after.

With regard to Bama, as I posted above they could just as easily be 5-5 or 10-0. It's nuts. And I agree there is something off. But you don't want to play them on a neutral field after Saban has had a month to get them ready, IMO.