Michigan is going to win it all, well that's what Michigan thinks

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis would have destroyed Michigan. Washington St's defense held them to 14 points through 3 full quarters.
Michigan won (21-16) with Washington St on Michigan's 26 when time ran out. Even that was controversial. "Coug's gonna Coug".

The media had been pimpin' Michigan for 47 fucking years, they had to give them that hunk of wood to save face. It could be another 47 years before they get another opportunity.

Huskers got the Waterford Crystal Ball as reward for beating Peyton Manning's #3 Tennessee 42-17 in the Orange Bowl. Tennessee would go on to win the 1998 NC by going 13-0.

What a team did one year is not a great indicator what it was like another.

Better to compare what two teams did against a common foe, preferably the same year if available. Which it is! Michigan steamroller a Colorado team that took Nebraska to the wire.

Not saying it would have been easy, but Michigan would have decisively beaten the 97 Huskers.

 

[Olyduck]

And they were arguably the worst of what would now be considered a Power 5 team, with a very high academic standard which can't be hidden by university size.

The fact that Stanford went from whipping boy status to conference contender was all due to Harbaugh.

you may have seen them that way but they werent even the worst in the pac.
Washington, Vandy, Ole Miss, Baylor, Iowa State, Minnesota, Duke were all worse in harbaughs first year.
The year prior they were one of the worst if not the.
however in 2005 they were average at 5-6 and while they were middle to low prior for a few years, 2001 they finished 9-3 and #16, 99 they won the conference.

 

[BoiseMike19]

And they were arguably the worst of what would now be considered a Power 5 team, with a very high academic standard which can't be hidden by university size.

The fact that Stanford went from whipping boy status to conference contender was all due to Harbaugh.

Stanford did suck for a couple of years prior to Harbaugh, but it is not like he worked immediate miracles. In 2006 Stanford was 1-11 and there is really not much room for anything but up from there.

Harbaugh at Stanford
2007 4-8
2008 5-7
2009 8-5
2010 12-1
Total 29-21, Winning Pct. .580

After Harbaugh at Stanford
2011 11-2
2012 12-2
2013 11-3
2014 8-5
Total 42-12, Winning Pct. .796

 

[WABLTY]

It didn't hurt that he had Andrew Luck either.

 

[HammerDown]

Well, there are a lot of parallels between this team and the 1997 Wolverines............

Can someone please check GBNN's account? Someone has hacked it and is posting about sports.

 

[pennstatenut]

Take a look at Stanford before Harbaugh, and consider what they are today.

'Nuff said.

Cool. Look at Vanderbilt before Franklin, what he did there and now that he's gone. Penn State...NC's This year and the next 14.

 

[7Samurai13]

A Michigan team which has underperformed the previous couple of years, lots of questions on offense, but a top tier defense (headlined by a star DB, who could play in all three phases of the game).

Granted there are also diffrences, namely the underperformance has been greater and there is a new coach, but the parallels are there.

Michigan hardly has a top tier defense. They were ranked 24th in points against last year. It's a fairly good defense, but not top tier. Top tier is top five maybe top ten. You have no run game to speak of, no quarterback worth discussing, no wide receivers that are a threat, lost your top defensive player from last year. Bringing up that 97 is beyond a stretch.

 

[Wamu]

Jim Harbaugh for President!

 

[ericd7633]

A Michigan team which has underperformed the previous couple of years, lots of questions on offense, but a top tier defense (headlined by a star DB, who could play in all three phases of the game).

Granted there are also diffrences, namely the underperformance has been greater and there is a new coach, but the parallels are there.

And comparing the 1994, 1995 and 1996 Michigan teams to the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Michigan teams is also insane to me. Michigan finished in the top 15 once and had two other top 20 finishes from 1994-1996 and finished with a 68% winning percentage. Michigan finished in the top 25 barely, and had two other unranked finishes from 2012-2014 and finished with a 53% winning percentage.

While you may be correct in your assessment that those 94-96 teams under performed they still had enough talent to win 68% of their games and finish every year in the top 20. The Michigan teams from 2012-2014, while under performing barely could win 50% of their games.

Also, if you're going to compare the 97 team to this upcoming team, that would take away ALOT of the respect I had for that team, if you're going to compare them to the 2015 team with a 1/3 of the talent. Seriously what's that say about the 97 if you're comparing them to THIS team?

 

[tducey]

I think Michigan will be better this year but I doubt very much they win it all.

 

[Rolltide94]

That Michigan team had 31 players that went on to play in the NFL. This Michigan team probably doesn't have a fourth of that.

I doubt that, the talent is there it just lacked development. And with what Harbaugh did with the material at Stanford, well there are going to be plenty of draft picks from this roster.

You are high as giraffe pussy if you think there are 31 draft picks on this Michigan roster...Saban has had 41 of his recruits drafted at Alabama, which includes 3 National Championship teams. Michigan is not even remotely close, talent wise. I'm with Eric on this one, Michigan has 7 or 8 on this roster, at best.

 

[Wamu]

 

[Wamu]

 

[Irish7478]

A Michigan team which has underperformed the previous couple of years, lots of questions on offense, but a top tier defense (headlined by a star DB, who could play in all three phases of the game).

Granted there are also diffrences, namely the underperformance has been greater and there is a new coach, but the parallels are there.

When your defensive headliner is a sophomore DB who played in three games (started one), had 8 tackles, and sat out the rest with an injury, I think it's hard to classify it as top tier. (assuming Peppers was the star DB you were referencing) I have no doubt that Michigan will show improvement over the next few years, but as was mentioned here, much of his success at Stanford was the result of Luck's emergence at QB. Those guys don't come around very often.

 

[Red_Alert]

What a team did one year is not a great indicator what it was like another.

Better to compare what two teams did against a common foe, preferably the same year if available. Which it is! Michigan steamroller a Colorado team that took Nebraska to the wire.

Not saying it would have been easy, but Michigan would have decisively beaten the 97 Huskers.

Michigan played Colorado in Ann Arbor, MI in September

Nebraska played Colorado @ Boulder, CO in November

Nebraska won @ Washington that season. Washington won @ Washington St.

Face it, you got a chump in the Rose Bowl and barely won by 5 with Washington St on your 26 as time ran out.

Nebraska crushed #3 Tennessee, who won the NC a year later.

The AP trophy was gifted to Michigan because Brian Griese's daddy (Bob) was an ABC analyst pimping his kid every Saturday.

 

[ellupo]

You are high as giraffe pussy if you think there are 31 draft picks on this Michigan roster...Saban has had 41 of his recruits drafted at Alabama, which includes 3 National Championship teams. Michigan is not even remotely close, talent wise. I'm with Eric on this one, Michigan has 7 or 8 on this roster, at best.

Side note, I am going to have to steal the "high as giraffe pussy" Have not heard that but its now one of my favorites.

 

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

You are high as giraffe pussy if you think there are 31 draft picks on this Michigan roster...Saban has had 41 of his recruits drafted at Alabama, which includes 3 National Championship teams. Michigan is not even remotely close, talent wise. I'm with Eric on this one, Michigan has 7 or 8 on this roster, at best.

Yeah, with 2 top ten classes and plenty of 4/5 star recruits on the Michigan roster, and there is no potential NFL draft picks.......................................

Note, I didn't say there are 31, but 7/8 is far too low. How many draft picks came out of the Harbaugh years at Stanford, and what was the material he had to work with?

 

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

And comparing the 1994, 1995 and 1996 Michigan teams to the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Michigan teams is also insane to me. Michigan finished in the top 15 once and had two other top 20 finishes from 1994-1996 and finished with a 68% winning percentage. Michigan finished in the top 25 barely, and had two other unranked finishes from 2012-2014 and finished with a 53% winning percentage.

While you may be correct in your assessment that those 94-96 teams under performed they still had enough talent to win 68% of their games and finish every year in the top 20. The Michigan teams from 2012-2014, while under performing barely could win 50% of their games.

Also, if you're going to compare the 97 team to this upcoming team, that would take away ALOT of the respect I had for that team, if you're going to compare them to the 2015 team with a 1/3 of the talent. Seriously what's that say about the 97 if you're comparing them to THIS team?

I am more than willing to admit the depth to which Michigan sunk these past couple of years was much deeper than the early 90's. But........the general parallels are still there, and worth noting. Not saying that Michigan will win it all, but underestimate this team at your own peril.

 

[Wamu]

I am more than willing to admit the depth to which Michigan sunk these past couple of years.

What are you talking about? As an unbiased sports fan I think meeeechegan has been in fine shape for years now!

 

[GoBlueNavyNuke]

Michigan played Colorado in Ann Arbor, MI in September

Nebraska played Colorado @ Boulder, CO in November

Excuses, excuses........

Nebraska won @ Washington that season. Washington won @ Washington St.

Oh......now we're playing the law of transitive game........

Face it, you got a chump in the Rose Bowl and barely won by 5 with Washington St on your 26 as time ran out.

So you are saying that the PAC-10 champs lead by the #2 QB taken in that year's draft (which many wondered if Leach would be taken over Manning) was a chump? Ok................

Nebraska crushed #3 Tennessee, who won the NC a year later.

1998 UTenn =/= 1997 UTenn

The AP trophy was gifted to Michigan because Brian Griese's daddy (Bob) was an ABC analyst pimping his kid every Saturday.

And the coaches didn't gift their poll to Osborne as a lifetime achievement award on his retirement..........