After Watching the Michigan-Notre Dame Game,I think Michigan has a chance in
becoming the National Champions this year. With Wheatly coming back for the
Colorado,if they win that.. hey,they got a very good Chance!

49 responses total.

They have the hardest schedule of any NCAA team, and not by a little bit.
THis cuts into the odds, and I like to be realistic.
Based on what I saw today, I would agree.
Based on my experience watching them over the years, I suspect some
team in the Big 10 (perhaps PSU) will trip them up, and prevent the 
National Championship. Still...this is their best chance in years.
It should be a fun year.

Michigan *always* has a chance at being Nat'l Champs. Unfortunately, very
little separates the champs from the not-so-champs, and Michigan usually slips
up somewhere. Even in this game against Notre Dame, they very nearly gave the
game away in the closing minutes, much like the Illinois game last year. Plus,
there the annoying habit of Michigan teams (in nearly EVERY sport) to play to
the level of their competition. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see U-M
tripped up by a "nobody" like Minnesota or Northwestern.

Getting tripped up by Norwestern will be difficult, even for them this year,
as it will require some schedule juggling. I think your fears are normally
well taken, Carson, but this year seems special. If they're going to
lose out, it'll only take 1 game, but I expect it to be one of the toughies.

They have many tough games this season:
Colorado, Wisconsin, Penn State, Ohio State all come to mind.
You can also be sure MSU will play a lot better against us than they did 
losing to Kansas last night. Nevertheless, they won't beat us this year.
I'll confine my worrying to the first 4.

Don't forget we also have to play the Illini on the road.  They held
Missouri to 1 first down and less than 50 yards total offense this past
weekend.

But throw away the schedule.  We've got to win these one game at a time.
Colorado is up next.  On one hand there is an extra week to prepare (and
recuperate), but a week off can also induce a loss of momentum.

Florida is going to lose to Florida St.,Then Michigan will have to wait for
Nebraska to lose, If they both lose,Michigan will just have to win!PSU will be
the hardest to beat,but if everyone is healthy I think they can do it,Ohio
State isn't looking that good at all this year Wisconsin played EMU which
really doesn't show what wisconsin has but Michigan can beat them here in the
Big House.  The only game they might lose is PSU or Maybe Colorado. I think
Michigan will be 11-0 come the Rose Bowl(Which they always lose)Michigan must
stay healthy and focused to win it all this year.

It's a huge "if" but IF Michigan goes 11-0, I will be supremely confident
that they will win the Rose Bowl.

Admittedly the track record is counterindicative of this, but I think
the difficulty of the Schedule combined with the lack of a strong
Pac-10 showing outweighs this. This is a special UM team, able to focus
better than any we've seen in a long time, IMO.

Leeron is right. The Illinois game is up there, too, and I shouldn't
have failed to mention it. If there ever was a UM team that could
go through a season one game at a time mentally, I think it's this one.

A better track record for injuries would ease my mind a bit tho.

I will add to Michigan's good luck by not watching any game, because
anytime I do they lose or tie...

I appreciate your big sacrifice, but what good is a national championship
if you miss the whole thing? I will do no such thing.
They will have to win despite the fact that I will go to the home games
and watch the remainder on TV.

If the Colorado-Wisconsin game was as close as the score indicated, 
Michigan has their work cut out for them next week.

Michigan will do better than Wisconsin did. It was pretty sad last night.
On the other hand, Colorado is the best team I have seen so far, and
a much stronger team than Notre Dame. Your assessment, Carson, is right on.
Michigan has their work cut out for them next week.
I think I posted earlier that the Colorado and Penn State games will be
the toughest tests.

It will be interesting toee if the Colorado play translates well from
altitude 5300 ft. to altitude 800 ft. It will also be interesting to see
if 106000 fans can have any impact. McCartney is quite familiar with
the environs, though, and I'm sure the Buffaloes will know exactly
what to expect.    I wouldn't miss it.

s/ts/toee/to see/

re #11: looked fine on my screen...

has Penn State had any sort of real challenge yet? I think this year they
could once again be overrated and unprepared for the Wolverines. Michigan
State, however, should remain a joke this year... 

Suppose Northwestern or Indiana go undefeated in the Big Ten this year.
Wouldn't they win a TB with Michigan, thus sending Michigan to another
bowl? Would such a bowl be more or less desirable than the Rose?

Yes, but dream on. That's one of the more impressively hypothetical
scenarios. There are a few other really good teams besides Michigan
in the Big Ten(sic).

OK, so *maybe* Northwestern going all the way is far-fetched, but
Indiana *could* concievably do it.

If Michigan can't quite put it together this year, there is next
year as well, which offers up a JOKE of a schedule. Who put
Miami *OH* on the schedule? Is it supposed to be some sort of homage
to the school that gave us Bo? BWAH!!

Gators all the way baby.

toons makes a point. why *is* Florida ranked ahead of both Miami and
FSU this year? do the polls know something I don't? Florida, while
nearly always a good team, has never to my knowledge finished No. 1
in the STATE, much less overall. I think I'd read that somewhere. It'd
be kind of funny, since FSU was a girls' school up until a relatively
short time ago.

Miami of Florida was (also) supposed to be on the schedule next year, but
they backed out for some reason...  Heh!  So U-M got the mighty Memphis St.
Tams or whatever they are to fill in.

I'd wondered what the reason for that was. You've helped to explain why
U-M has the weak schedule they do for next year.

Only today will tell if the Wolverines will and can stay in the chase for
a National Championship.  If they can do better than Wisconsin did, the
chances look good.  However, there is still Florida and Nebraska out there
with more explosive offences.

I wouldn't say "only today". Michigan has often shown promise in the preseason
only to be tripped up when everything _isn't_ on the line.

Also, Michigan historically has been known for its defense rather than its
offense, and its conservative style of play rather than its experimental.
This all went to pot a couple of years ago during a certain Notre
Dame game, but I still suspect that Michigan doesn't emphasize offense
as much as Florida or Nebraska (the Florida State game comes to mind...).
On the other hand, I'd guess that Michigan's defense is much stronger.

I will especially look at the matchup between Kordell Stewart vs the
almost-ready-to-run-for-the-national-championship Michigan defense.
Whoever wins that matchup today will decide the game.

Carson's right though. Michigan has had stronger defenses in past years,
but came up short because the offense wasn't on a par. Today the offense
is there, but there are many fans who doubt if Mo is able to call plays
well enough to confuse Colorado. This will be interesting to see, too.

it's moot now.

Well, they did better than Wisconsin.  I guess last second stunts like
Stewart's can dampen anyone's title shot.  However, Michigan gets all
sorts of props from me for playing a tremendous game.

Go Big Blue!!!

Two great teams. One great game. Wrong team won. I'll get over it.
So will the Michigan team, but it won't be easy. The hunt for the
national championship is over. It is theoretically possible to win it
with one loss, but it is not something anyone expects. It's very very
unlikely. Now they will focus on the Big Ten championship, and that is
certainly in doubt. 

This was one game that I was worried about. The other is Penn State.
UM showed it can play with top ranked teams. They'll get to prove that
in again in 3 weeks. In the meantime, they will have to focus on one
game at a time. Neither Iowa nor MSU is a power, but I believe they
will be ready to play and beat those teams before getting to Penn State.

I don't expect Michigan to fall far in the rankings with this loss,
perhaps only to #7 or #8, right around where Notre Dame will be. I also
think that a convincing win over Penn State will put them back in the top
five. 

Well I think Michigan has a chance at the National Championship, of course they
do.  But if you ask me I think they will crack when it comes to the big game. 
I mean dosen't Michigan always lose the biNotre Dame , but then again so did 
BC.  When it comes to the big game, which is of course Penn State, I think Penn
State will be the victors and will go on to to the Rose Bowl.

actually, considering the way Penn State plays football, I'd think them 
unlikely to beat Michigan any time soon. This isn't to say that Penn State
isn't a better team, but rather that PSU is the sort of team that Michigan
is prepared to play.

As much as I hate to say it, I think Michigan is going to beat Penn State
My blood is pure green and white, but Michigan just has a better team.
I was at the MIchigan\MSU game, and I was impressed by U of M's rushing attack
They have a big chance at the national championship, but I don't think
they'll get it, and I hope they fall this weekend to Penn State.  And
of course we all know State will trample over the little Buckeyes.

We Michigan fans appreciate your confidence in our team.
I, too, believe we will win, but if we do it will probably be Penn State's only
 loss of the season. PSU is very impressive, and I'm not quite as confident as
you are about UM. I will return the display of confidence and say that I fully
believe that MSU will beat OSU. The difference here, is that I don't hate to
say it, rather I'd hate to be wrong.

Well Steve you are right when you say that UM has a chance, but I think
the men in the Blue and White will be the victors. My friend 
Marcus is going to the game, he was reply was number 26.  Well by
tommorow at thid time we will all know who is going to the Rose
Bowl.  Penn State-U of M.  Or maybe even the Spartans of Michigan
State?  We will see.

Yup. I'll be there. Can't wait.

I'm not as quick to say that Michigan has the better team. I think of
it as a paper-scissors-stone-type confrontation: Michigan beats
teams that play like Penn State does.

Side note: all of the Top 5 teams are playing other ranked teams.
        the other four *could* all lose, which would put Mich. back
        in Nat'l Champ. contention, right with Auburn, who would
        have beaten top-ranked Florida. Sunday will be interesting.

Notre Dame is off of the Top 25!! Yay!

<cheer!!>

it's about time! I was beginning they'd have to hire Gerry Faust
back before they'd drop out!

Trivia: when was the last time Michigan wasn't in the AP Top 25?

now that Michigan's decidedly out of the picture... :(

Nebraska finally convinced me that they might actually have a champion-
caliber team this year, but I'd still put them behind Penn State and
Auburn. Penn State, with their wins over U-M and OSU, has shown that
they've adapted to play in the Big Ten, and in a big way. Auburn, on
the other hand, doesn't have a fair shot because of their probation,
but they've been kicking butt and taking names for nearly two years.
(weren't they undefeated last year too?) Bowden is definitely a name
in coaching, but this year, it's not at FSU. :)

...and then there's Utah.

It's your choice on who is the national champs:Nebraska, Auburn, or Penn State
NOw that Michigan got their butts wipped by good ol' Wisconsin, they will have
a hard time getting to the Bowl of choice.  PSU is not going to give them a
chance at the Rose.

That is certainly (and sadly, Wolverine fans) true. PSU looks like #1 in the
country to me. By the end of the season I expect Nebraska to be undefeated and
claiming the title, too. If this scenario proves out, there could hardly
be a better year than this one to make an argument for a National Championship
game after the bowls on 1/1.

If Auburn finishes undefeated as well, a Nat'l Champion game wouldn't solve a
thing. For that matter, if it's Alabama that goes all the way, or even lil' ol'
Utah...

Penn State and Nebraska are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to 
this year's race; they're simply the two biggest names that aren't on
probation. If the winner of this year's Auburn-Alabama game does go undefeated,
I'd think that the winner should take top, since the winner will have beaten
not only the other, but also Florida. Penn State, having to play in the Big Ten
(I'm beginning to think it's the "Big One and Little Ten"), just doesn't have a
tough schedule. Nebraska plays creampuffs.

your all a bunch of losers.  You need some chicks or something.

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