MichiganCardinal

I have a hard time believing the sky is falling. They performed too well over the course of like a 16-game stretch to have just forgotten how to football over the last five. I am worried about the turnovers, and our prospects against QBs that can exploit our defensive backs. Luckily there aren't very many of those in the NFC. If Goff looks terrible again on Sunday I may make a small step towards the panic button.

I would expect him to be activated as the emergency QB for the playoffs.

In fairness, TCU didn't lose 31-0 to a team we beat earlier in the season. If Iowa was in the B1G East, they probably go 8-4 or 7-5. They beat Northwestern, Illinois, and Nebraska by a combined 8 points and only beat two teams by more than 10 points all season (Rutgers and Western Michigan). Compared to Michigan who did not trail in the second half of a game this season. I'm sure the team isn't overlooking them, it would be hard to do when you don't know your next opponent and that game isn't for a month.... but the West is a complete joke.

30-3 is the same score they beat East Carolina by. Maybe they’ll try to embarrass the B1G and their pitiful championship game, but I think they have their eyes set on a natty this year, which I think is actually realistic. Iowa is a team to be dismissed of before the real game starts.

They could probably play Orji all game and still win by double digits. I’m disappointed Orji and Jake Butt never played together.

I agree they would be above OSU. A win by Alabama eliminates Ohio State as both 12-1 Georgia and 12-1 Alabama would probably be ranked above them. I think the question is really whether a win by Bama vaults them over top of a 12-1 B12 Champion Texas, who they’ve lost to.

The more I look at the new rankings the more I think it’s possible the SEC gets left out with an Alabama, Texas, and Florida State win. And certainly if you add Washington to that. If the committee wanted it different they would have set it up differently this week. Florida State at #4. I can’t imagine they drop with a win. Oregon at #5. If they avenge their 3-point road loss and beat the #3 team to become Conference Champions am I to imagine they would stay at #5?? I really doubt it. Ohio State at #6. They could have done anything with them. They’re not playing, so it’s not like there are a lot of considerations at play here. They still put them below Oregon and above two teams playing this weekend. Texas at #7 and Alabama at #8. If they wanted Alabama in with a win they could have set the stage this week that head-to-head be damned, or that a 11-1 SEC team is better than an 11-1 PAC team. They didn’t. Alabama looked like a bad football team against a bad Auburn team while Texas took care of business. The UT/Bama game wasn’t a fluke either, Texas won by 10 in Tuscaloosa. I really think if we see Michigan, Florida State, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama win, that it’ll be (1) Michigan v (4) Florida State in the Rose Bowl and (2) Oregon v (3) Texas in the Sugar Bowl. I hope it happens.

I think this is true regarding FSU, but if they planned to hold them out they probably would have shown their hand this week. They were #5 heading into this week, they could have easily had Oregon jump them after their big ranked win over a rival to #4 to set up a 3v4 PAC-12 Championship. With FSU in the top four heading into Championship Weekend, I can’t imagine they get jumped with a win and become the first 13-0 Power 5 Champion not invited to the playoff. I do think the committee doesn’t think they’re very good and would prefer they lose.

What do they do if Bama beats Georgia? Is that worth jumping four spots, over a team that’s beat them head to head? Is it crazy to think that the SEC could get shut out? 1) Michigan 2) Oregon/Washington 3) Florida State 4) Texas 5) Bama 6) Georgia?

Seems like a good guy but I’m doubtful this works out for Sparty. He’s coming in with a cupboard that isn’t just bare, it’s missing shelves and has a punch hole through two cabinets. To win there though, he’s going to have to reinvent the program completely. He knew Oregon State because he lived and loved Oregon State. Winning at Michigan State has always been predicated on Michigan being down. If you can’t snipe 4* recruits from Michigan and Ohio State, you’re going to have to find diamonds in the rough in suburban Michigan and Ohio, of which he has no connections. The expansion of the B1G will help, as kids in the northwest (where he is familiar) will know who MSU is, but you’re not going to go 10-2 in the new B1G by recruiting kids to go to East Lansing from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. And when they go 3-9 next season, they’re not going to be an attractive destination for anybody. Meanwhile Valenti is currently setting his expectations as making the expanded playoff every other year, and that Smith has “failed” if he hasn’t made the playoff three times by the end of this contract. I think they’ll be lucky for one first-round exit in that time.

I think he’s been reading the message board.

Weren't you here for Jim Bob Cooter? Joe Lombardi? Jim Colletto?

So Thanksgiving never happened now right

Stupid to take that out. Hail Mary now instead of a 30-yard play to the sideline followed by a long field goal.

Drilled it. It's still the Bears.

Dan Campbell went 5-7 with the Dolphins, so they hired Adam Gase.

Kill clock and win this ****er, you terrible, terrible football team.

I will say, regardless of the outcome, I feel better about the Lions NFC North hopes watching this dumpster fire. We are not a good team at our worst, but we aren't this.

They'll never see it coming.

Dobbs threw what could have been a pick six on a screen, but the Bears will get the ball back with plenty of time for one more turnover.

You'd think for a running back playing quarterback he would know how to carry the ball.

👏 👏 👏

Dobbs is due for an interception about now.

I have a feeling the Bears will abandon everything that had worked for 58 minutes in the last two minutes and manage to lose this game.