2018 Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll & Rankings Prediction

[ericd7633]

Nothing you've said supports any argument. I've never once said Purdue stands up to Utah over the last 4-5 years. I said if Utah won the Pac 12 when they're coming off a 7-6 campaign, it'd be like Purdue winning the B1G coming off a 7-6 campaign. Neither situation would be a good thing at all for these respective conferences, but then again the difference between the top team in the B1G and Purdue and the top team in the Pac 12 and Utah is significant, so fair enough.

I hereby retract my statements comparing Purdue to Utah.

As @7Samurai13 said, Northwestern is probably a better example, and I agree.

Yes, NW is a better example.

 

[Across The Field]

Lmao. Michigan was able to get to a bowl game without beating a single team that finished the regular season with a winning record. And Nebraska would have if they didn't lose to NIU and a team from the Pac 12, so they definitely don't count. Minnesota got MSU, Michigan and Maryland from the East and still couldn't make one.

Cool. Yet we all saw what the B1G did in bowl season compared to the Pac 12, so it's not like those teams would've fared any worse than teams like ASU, UCLA, Wazzou, or Arizona.

 

[Across The Field]

No, I'm saying that was the point I originally was making before it went off on this side tangent.

Many media types from around the conf are picking Utah to win the South and I'm not convinced at all that is likely. Utah plays every single team with even a remote pulse in the Pac. They only miss Cal and Oregon State ffs. They are dangerous and will have upsets, but I don't see them having the consistency to end up better than USC and maybe Zona. I still expect USC to take the South.

However timing and match ups are everything and the UW at Utah game early sets up as a potential pitfall even if on paper I'd give the edge to UW in unit to unit comparisons.

Many more are picking USC, and not a single media member picked Utah to actually win the conference. I don't doubt what you're saying, though, about an upset happening. We saw Washington fall last year to a mediocre ASU team, it could happen again if they don't have their shit together.

 

[Across The Field]

Yes, NW is a better example.

Even as such, if NW won the B1G, it would be an absolutely horrible look for the conference, which I think would be the same as if Utah won the Pac, which is the crux of this entire argument.

 

[Olyduck]

Are you saying there's a good chance those 3 teams won't be top 10 or that any of the other teams won't be ranked?

im saying what you said about preseason stuff.

 

[Olyduck]

Are you saying there's a good chance those 3 teams won't be top 10 or that any of the other teams won't be ranked?

And we all know that preseason projections of the initial top 25 rankings are really all that matters for how good a team will be that season.

see

 

[Across The Field]

see

Yep, that's what I said when the point was brought up about how Utah was seemingly out of Purdue's class even though both went 7-6 last year. It's not an absolute. If you think those 3 teams aren't going to be top 10, or if you think BC, Northwestern, and Mizzou have no chance of being ranked, go ahead and state your case.

 

[ericd7633]

Even as such, if NW won the B1G, it would be an absolutely horrible look for the conference, which I think would be the same as if Utah won the Pac, which is the crux of this entire argument.

Well they were a win away(beating Wisconsin) from playing for the title. So much like Utah was prior to last year, they weren't that far off. I'm not sure why it would be a horrible look, they've won it before when Ohio State, Michigan and PSU were at their best.

 

[WizardHawk]

Well they were a win away(beating Wisconsin) from playing for the title. So much like Utah was prior to last year, they weren't that far off. I'm not sure why it would be a horrible look, they've won it before when Ohio State, Michigan and PSU were at their best.

It wouldn't. He's just wrong.

In either scenario NW or Utah would have to go through some very tough games to come out champs. Either would be playoff bound if entirely undefeated. Both would be challenged more than the blue bloods and expected top teams with getting in with a loss, but they are guaranteed in going undefeated unless some weird thing happens and there are 6 top flight undefeated teams or something similar that hasn't ever happened before.

Some people view a second tier team breaking through as only a sign that top teams had to have failed while others look at it as a sign that there is more to their conference than those expected top teams.

 

[7Samurai13]

It wouldn't. He's just wrong.

In either scenario NW or Utah would have to go through some very tough games to come out champs. Either would be playoff bound if entirely undefeated. Both would be challenged more than the blue bloods and expected top teams with getting in with a loss, but they are guaranteed in going undefeated unless some weird thing happens and there are 6 top flight undefeated teams or something similar that hasn't ever happened before.

Some people view a second tier team breaking through as only a sign that top teams had to have failed while others look at it as a sign that there is more to their conference than those expected top teams.

There still people, at least in Michigan, who say that the only reason that Michigan State is any good is because Michigan was down, ignoring the fact that in recruiting, Michigan won nearly every single recruit when going head to head. I think it was something like 1-2 recruits a year would choose Michigan.

 

[WizardHawk]

There still people, at least in Michigan, who say that the only reason that Michigan State is any good is because Michigan was down, ignoring the fact that in recruiting, Michigan won nearly every single recruit when going head to head. I think it was something like 1-2 recruits a year would choose Michigan.

I think those narratives come up in every conference. Oregon was only decent because UW and USC were down for example. I can think of a couple from the ACC and a few blips from the Big12.

If either of those teams (NW/Utah) were to win their conf you can bet fans of those expected top teams (mine included) would be claiming it's not as valid because obviously the good teams are down.

It's really an overall problem with how unbalanced the various schedules are even within each conference.

I wouldn't care if others claim such things about UW, as they did two years ago on the backs of a weak schedule. Just win and get to the show. Let the haters hate. It's all they have.

 

[Deep Creek]

No, I'm saying that was the point I originally was making before it went off on this side tangent.

Many media types from around the conf are picking Utah to win the South and I'm not convinced at all that is likely. Utah plays every single team with even a remote pulse in the Pac. They only miss Cal and Oregon State ffs. They are dangerous and will have upsets, but I don't see them having the consistency to end up better than USC and maybe Zona. I still expect USC to take the South.

However timing and match ups are everything and the UW at Utah game early sets up as a potential pitfall even if on paper I'd give the edge to UW in unit to unit comparisons.

Utah needs to go to the session on "Getting the Easy Side of Unbalanced Conference Schedules" session. Looks like they went to the opposite one.

Or, bribe the PAC 12 schedule makers. That might be better.

 

[Deep Creek]

There still people, at least in Michigan, who say that the only reason that Michigan State is any good is because Michigan was down, ignoring the fact that in recruiting, Michigan won nearly every single recruit when going head to head. I think it was something like 1-2 recruits a year would choose Michigan.

Could it be that Dantonio is just a better coach than Harbaugh? Some homers just refuse to believe the opponent is just better.

For nearly 50 years I've had a mother-in-law that way when it comes to her beloved Dallas Cowboys. She'll never admit the other team was better after a loss. Everytime the Cowboys lose it is because the referees cheated them.

And for the record, I've been pushing that button all these years. Probably why I'm not the favorite son-in-law.

 

[kburjr]

Could it be that Dantonio is just a better coach than Harbaugh? Some homers just refuse to believe the opponent is just better.

For nearly 50 years I've had a mother-in-law that way when it comes to her beloved Dallas Cowboys. She'll never admit the other team was better after a loss. Everytime the Cowboys lose it is because the referees cheated them.

And for the record, I've been pushing that button all these years. Probably why I'm not the favorite son-in-law.

Funny. I am that way when the Cowboys win.

 

[WizardHawk]

Utah needs to go to the session on "Getting the Easy Side of Unbalanced Conference Schedules" session. Looks like they went to the opposite one.

Or, bribe the PAC 12 schedule makers. That might be better.

Pac12 schedules rotate on a known formula. We all know which teams we are skipping each year out forever. It's only when and occasionally home/road that can vary. We are all on a two year rotation. You miss two teams from the other div for two straight years before getting them back again. Except Cali teams never skip other Cali teams.

 

[7Samurai13]

Could it be that Dantonio is just a better coach than Harbaugh? Some homers just refuse to believe the opponent is just better.

For nearly 50 years I've had a mother-in-law that way when it comes to her beloved Dallas Cowboys. She'll never admit the other team was better after a loss. Everytime the Cowboys lose it is because the referees cheated them.

And for the record, I've been pushing that button all these years. Probably why I'm not the favorite son-in-law.

Michigan has never been beaten. The other team/officials just cheat.

 

[it'sHuskers4me]

The guy that did that poll is a little prick. He used to do video's on Campus Insiders and he has a hard on against teams west of the Mississippi.

In other words, another Beno Cook.

 

[Across The Field]

Well they were a win away(beating Wisconsin) from playing for the title. So much like Utah was prior to last year, they weren't that far off. I'm not sure why it would be a horrible look, they've won it before when Ohio State, Michigan and PSU were at their best.

No they didn't. They have one outright B1G title (unless you're counting the 30s when there weren't hardly any members), and it was in 1995. OSU was elite but Northwestern didn't play them thanks to the old shitty system where that could happen. Penn State and michigan were 9-3 and 9-4 teams, hardly their best.

We're also talking an entirely new era. Northwestern should by no means be able to get through a full season and conference title game and come out on top facing the likes of michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and then likely Ohio State or another elite team like that, which they'd have to in order to win the conference in 2018.

 

[ericd7633]

No they didn't. They have one outright B1G title (unless you're counting the 30s when there weren't hardly any members), and it was in 1995. OSU was elite but Northwestern didn't play them thanks to the old shitty system where that could happen. Penn State and michigan were 9-3 and 9-4 teams, hardly their best.

We're also talking an entirely new era. Northwestern should by no means be able to get through a full season and conference title game and come out on top facing the likes of michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and then likely Ohio State or another elite team like that, which they'd have to in order to win the conference in 2018.

By best I mean they were contending. Ohio State finished top 10, Penn State finished top 15 and Michigan finished top 20. It's not like they won it against Michigan's 2008 team, Penn State's 2000 team, and Ohio State's 2000 team. Those we're all good teams. All were top 15 teams the year before and all were top 20 teams after.

 

[Across The Field]

By best I mean they were contending. Ohio State finished top 10, Penn State finished top 15 and Michigan finished top 20. It's not like they won it against Michigan's 2008 team, Penn State's 2000 team, and Ohio State's 2000 team. Those we're all good teams. All were top 15 teams the year before and all were top 20 teams after.

They didn't win it against the only team that was actually elite, they never faced Ohio State.