I have long held a belief that you cannot understand the strength of a team until they play a really competitive game against a similar or higher strength team. Road games against competitive teams are especially revealing
Competitive Games To Date
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Penn St. vs ???? (no competitive opponents yet)
OSU vs. TCU
What We Know
I will contend that we have a some idea about the strength of OSU. We know only a little about the strength of Michigan and we know the least about PSU
Barometer Games
The game a week from Saturday OSU@ PSU will be a HUGE barometer for both teams
Michigan does not have another real barometer game until Wisconsin
Nebraska
Pay little attention this week unless Nebraska is competitive in the 4th quarter...that would be a very bad sign. If Michigan wins by 21 or 51 on Saturday I'm not sure it means anything different
Michigan Opponents (Sagarin Rank, Competitive games in BOLD)
1. @Notre Dame 25th (Lost by 7)
2. W. Michigan – 96th (win by 46)
3. S. Methodist – 106 (Win by 25)
4. Nebraska – 66th
5. @Northwestern – 60th
6. Maryland – 64th
7. Wisconsin - 14th
Penn St Opponents
1. Appalachian State – 41st (Win by 7)
2. @Pittsburgh – 72nd (Win by 45)
3. Kent State – 138th (Win by 53)
4. @Illinois – 91st
5. Ohio State – 2nd
Ohio State Opponents
1. Oregon St - 89th (won by 44)
2. Rutgers - 129th (won by 49)
3. N TCU - 17th (Won by 12)
4. Tulane - 95th
5. @ Penn St. – 4th
Competitive Games To Date
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Penn St. vs ???? (no competitive opponents yet)
OSU vs. TCU
What We Know
I will contend that we have a some idea about the strength of OSU. We know only a little about the strength of Michigan and we know the least about PSU
Barometer Games
The game a week from Saturday OSU@ PSU will be a HUGE barometer for both teams
Michigan does not have another real barometer game until Wisconsin
Nebraska
Pay little attention this week unless Nebraska is competitive in the 4th quarter...that would be a very bad sign. If Michigan wins by 21 or 51 on Saturday I'm not sure it means anything different
Michigan Opponents (Sagarin Rank, Competitive games in BOLD)
1. @Notre Dame 25th (Lost by 7)
2. W. Michigan – 96th (win by 46)
3. S. Methodist – 106 (Win by 25)
4. Nebraska – 66th
5. @Northwestern – 60th
6. Maryland – 64th
7. Wisconsin - 14th
Penn St Opponents
1. Appalachian State – 41st (Win by 7)
2. @Pittsburgh – 72nd (Win by 45)
3. Kent State – 138th (Win by 53)
4. @Illinois – 91st
5. Ohio State – 2nd
Ohio State Opponents
1. Oregon St - 89th (won by 44)
2. Rutgers - 129th (won by 49)
3. N TCU - 17th (Won by 12)
4. Tulane - 95th
5. @ Penn St. – 4th
