"Keep winning and the rankings will take care of themselves" ... except this week

[SmellyCat]

I know some don't care about the rankings or think they're stupid, but I spend a lot of time thinking about them, especially when NU is good.

What's strange is based on today's results, including NU's most complete win since at least the Penn State game last year, if not longer, NU might actually drop in the rankings.

Right now NU is 16th in the AP and 17th in the Coaches, and the only teams above them that might lose look like Ole Miss, Georgia, UCLA, and the Notre Dame/Clemson loser. I'm not sure any of them (except for Clemson, who leads right now) falls all the way below NU with a loss.

Meanwhile, Florida is destroying Ole Miss, they're college football royalty, and you always get a big bump when you beat a good SEC team, especially if you destroy them. I would not be surprised to see them jump NU. I don't think Michigan's strong win will push them past NU (though they'll close the gap because: Michigan), but a big Stanford win tonight (they're about to kick off) might. And yes, I know how stupid that is, but that happens.

My prediction: NU holds steady at 16 in the AP and moves up to 16 in the other poll past idle USC, but it's very possible that they're down to 17th or even 18th despite today's big game.

Win in Ann Arbor next week, and it's a different conversation, but on October 4, we might be having this one.

 

[DaCat]

Ole Miss lost pretty badly against Florida, as did Georgia to bama.

 

[SmellyCat]

Yes they did, but losing on the road in the SEC - even by four TDs - shouldn't drop them from #3 to #18 or whatever. If Notre Dame and UCLA both lose but keep it close they may stay above NU too.

 

[Sheffielder]

I'm not *too* worried about how we'll fare in the rankings this week - the truth is, whether we're 15th-18th doesn't really make a difference either way as a middling team in the Top 25 - as long as we're in there, I think it tends to yield the same impact - extra coverage, recruiting benefit, etc.

I will say this - I've been watching games all day and I'm pretty f'ing fed up with the B1G coverage going like this, in this order:
1. Ohio State squeaks by (with highlights)
2. Sparty squeaks by (with highlights)
3. Harbaugh Harbaugh Harbaugh (with highlights)
4. Iowa beats Wisconisn (with highlights)
5. The NU-Minny score/stats alongside either the Iowa-Wisconsin score or the Michigan-Maryland score.

Players: I hope you're reading this, and you're as put off by this as I am or more...since you're the ones putting in the work and I'm just watching you. Barely any respect or lip service from Saturday highlight reels. Beat the f*ck out of Michigan next week - do what our team couldn't do the last two years - make that the story - force them to show your highlights and make Michigan the "other" team. And then beat Iowa, leaving no question about the "wide open race in the West."

 

[Deeringfish]

I know some don't care about the rankings or think they're stupid, but I spend a lot of time thinking about them, especially when NU is good.

What's strange is based on today's results, including NU's most complete win since at least the Penn State game last year, if not longer, NU might actually drop in the rankings.

Right now NU is 16th in the AP and 17th in the Coaches, and the only teams above them that might lose look like Ole Miss, Georgia, UCLA, and the Notre Dame/Clemson loser. I'm not sure any of them (except for Clemson, who leads right now) falls all the way below NU with a loss.

Meanwhile, Florida is destroying Ole Miss, they're college football royalty, and you always get a big bump when you beat a good SEC team, especially if you destroy them. I would not be surprised to see them jump NU. I don't think Michigan's strong win will push them past NU (though they'll close the gap because: Michigan), but a big Stanford win tonight (they're about to kick off) might. And yes, I know how stupid that is, but that happens.

My prediction: NU holds steady at 16 in the AP and moves up to 16 in the other poll past idle USC, but it's very possible that they're down to 17th or even 18th despite today's big game.

Win in Ann Arbor next week, and it's a different conversation, but on October 4, we might be having this one.

I have to admit I was not comfortable being ranked 16th last week but this week feel like it is deserved.

 

[SmellyCat]

Beat the f*ck out of Michigan next week - do what our team couldn't do the last two years - make that the story - force them to show your highlights and make Michigan the "other" team. And then beat Iowa, leaving no question about the "wide open race in the West."

+1

 

[DaCat]

We should be in the top ten but probably won't be.

 

[NU Houston]

Just keep winning...

 

[villox]

People said that after Ball State and we still moved up. I predict we'll be at about 13 or 14 when the polls come out today. I wouldn't even be surprised to see us ahead of ND.

 

[Catreporter]

People said that after Ball State and we still moved up. I predict we'll be at about 13 or 14 when the polls come out today. I wouldn't even be surprised to see us ahead of ND.

We SHOULD be a ahead of ND. They haven't beaten anyone with a winning record!

 

[hdhntr1]

I have to admit I was not comfortable being ranked 16th last week but this week feel like it is deserved.

Well deserved. I would guess that IA makes it into top 25 and Wisconsin exits.

 

[Sheffielder]

As a quick addendum to my earlier remarks...I just watched College Football Final and they were pretty generous with their NU coverage, even if Herbstreit has jumped off the NU band wagon (can't blame him as he frequently picked us for big games over the past few years but last night said Iowa has the edge in the west). And THANK GOD Steven Reese has some moves and happened to be doing the Macarena when the cameras were rolling...if we can't get solid coverage in the shadow of Harbaugh at least we get our players and uniforms on tv for that...

 

[SmellyCat]

Guess I was wrong, but I'm not complaining. Win the next two weeks against ranked opponents and we'll be up in the rare air.

 

[StreamCat]

Guess I was wrong, but I'm not complaining. Win the next two weeks against ranked opponents and we'll be up in the rare air.

I admire a man who can say he was wrong. Maybe someday I'll get an opportunity to do the same.

 

[SmellyCat]

I have a lot of practice doing that, because my wife is never wrong.

 

[FanatiCat]

We should be in the top ten but probably won't be.

We shouldn't be in the top ten unless we beat Mich. Then definitely. We've beaten one ranked team, although that may be more than some top 10-15 teams can say.