OK, let's say the Lions go 10-2, and UMich loses to Iowa or Indiana....

[BrucePa]

And then Ohio State beats Michigan. That would mean Penn State goes to Indianapolis to face (probably) Nebraska.

Is it entirely outrageous to presume that this scenario -- yes, it's unlikely, but it's also not impossible -- will get them into the final four?

(OK, in full disclosure, I placed a $20 bet on Penn State to win the title when I was in Las Vegas in August. The 200-1 odds would pay out $4000....)

 

[ivan brunetti]

If there are also a bunch of other 2 loss conference champs, then why not? Not probable, but dream away...

Chaos has to start happening right ASAP. All the undefeateds need to start picking up a first loss.

 

[PSU87]

If that scenario plays out, I simply can't see the powers that be letting us into the playoffs. The 2 losses would be the excuse....but we would know the real reason

 

[OhioLion]

You haven't spent the $4,000 yet, have you?
I'm still thinking that NW will give o$ fits this Saturday. NW is playing well and maybe saw something the Wiscy and PS did to get after o$.
If PS's front 7 gave ohowIhate's OL fits, I'm thinking UM's will really salivate.
But, that's just $0.02 worth from a retired school teacher.

OL

 

[Erial_Lion]

And then Ohio State beats Michigan. That would mean Penn State goes to Indianapolis to face (probably) Nebraska.

Is it entirely outrageous to presume that this scenario -- yes, it's unlikely, but it's also not impossible -- will get them into the final four?

(OK, in full disclosure, I placed a $20 bet on Penn State to win the title when I was in Las Vegas in August. The 200-1 odds would pay out $4000....)

Let's just say that if someone were to offer you a nickel for that ticket right now, take it and run.

If the Michigan loss had been close, or we played a really good non-conference schedule (or even conference schedule for that matter, ie getting both Wisconsin and Nebraska), then you might be able to dream. As it stands, it's not happening this year, as even a 2-loss Michigan/Ohio State would go before us.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

You haven't spent the $4,000 yet, have you?
I'm still thinking that NW will give o$ fits this Saturday. NW is playing well and maybe saw something the Wiscy and PS did to get after o$.
If PS's front 7 gave ohowIhate's OL fits, I'm thinking UM's will really salivate.
But, that's just $0.02 worth from a retired school teacher.

OL

Even if daO$U lost to NW, it has nothing to do with what the OP posted.

 

[psuro]

No.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Let's just say that if someone were to offer you a nickel for that ticket right now, take it and run.

If the Michigan loss had been close, or we played a really good non-conference schedule (or even conference schedule for that matter, ie getting both Wisconsin and Nebraska), then you might be able to dream. As it stands, it's not happening this year, as even a 2-loss Michigan/Ohio State would go before us.

No they wouldn't, because a two-loss scUM wouldn't make the b1g Championship game (nor would daO$U). No way the b1g sends scUM or daO$U over the Conference Champion in the Championship Game - no way, no how, not even in this hopelessly myopic, ridiculous, homer conference.

 

[Nitwit]

Let's just say that if someone were to offer you a nickel for that ticket right now, take it and run.

If the Michigan loss had been close, or we played a really good non-conference schedule (or even conference schedule for that matter, ie getting both Wisconsin and Nebraska), then you might be able to dream. As it stands, it's not happening this year, as even a 2-loss Michigan/Ohio State would go before us.

Wrong. A two loss Michigan team would not go before us because both losses are in the Big 10, and we beat OSU heads up. Check the rules.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Wrong. A two loss Michigan team would not go before us because both losses are in the Big 10, and we beat OSU heads up. Check the rules.

I'm talking about the playoff, not the B1G title game

 

[psuro]

I'm talking about the playoff, not the B1G title game

Playoffs?! Playoffs?!

 

[Erial_Lion]

No they wouldn't, because a two-loss scUM wouldn't make the b1g Championship game (nor would daO$U). No way the b1g sends scUM or daO$U over the Conference Champion in the Championship Game - no way, no how, not even in this hopelessly myopic, ridiculous, homer conference.

Umm, sorry to break it to you, but it's not up to the Big Ten

 

[Nitwit]

I stand corrected. Probably too many 1 loss teams ahead of us for the playoffs.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Umm, sorry to break it to you, but it's not up to the Big Ten

Yea, no kidding and there is no way the system rates a non-Championship participant over a Championship Game winner from the same conference with a better record and an additional "quality" win over a highly-ranked opponent genius!

 

[thecoolestfish]

I'm talking about the playoff, not the B1G title game

I mean we're discussing pipe-dream territory at this point, but since that's what this thread is about, here goes....

If Michigan loses two games between now and the end of the season, they are NOT going to the playoff. Approaching zero percent chance.

If we win out from here, even including a B1G championship game, we *might* go to the playoff. Kinda depends on what teams do in front of us.

So, while in the scenario we're discussing, us going to the playoff and Michigan not going to the playoff is pretty unlikely, Michigan going and us not going is even more unlikely.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Yea, no kidding and there is no way the system rates a non-Championship participant over a Championship Game winner from the same conference with a better record and an additional "quality" win over a highly-ranked opponent genius!

I'm impressed, you almost made it thru an entire post without a personal attack (just one word away, congrats).

Say that OSU drops the Michigan State or Maryland game on the road. They'd still have road wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin and home wins over Nebraska and Michigan. With that resume, they be ahead of us in the pecking order, even if we knocked off Nebraska/Wisconsin in the B1G title game.

Or switching gears and saying that Michigan somehow loses two games between now and OSU, but beats the Buckeyes on the road. They would also fall ahead of us by killing us at their place and picking up wins over Wisconsin and the road win over OSU.

 

[thecoolestfish]

I'm impressed, you almost made it thru an entire post without a personal attack (just one word away, congrats).

Say that OSU drops the Michigan State or Maryland game on the road. They'd still have road wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin and home wins over Nebraska and Michigan. With that resume, they be ahead of us in the pecking order, even if we knocked off Nebraska/Wisconsin in the B1G title game.

Or switching gears and saying that Michigan somehow loses two games between now and OSU, but beats the Buckeyes on the road. They would also fall ahead of us by killing us at their place and picking up wins over Wisconsin and the road win over OSU.

You need your head examined if you really believe this stuff. If OSU drops the MSU or Maryland game, after also losing to us, they'll be lucky to stay in the top 20 at that point.

The same goes for Michigan. If they somehow lose to two of the teams they play between now and their game with OSU (and there's no way in hell that's happening, but "if"), they'll be lucky to still be in the top 20.

Then, the winner of that game isn't going to make up much ground by beating the other at that point. They will be so far behind us in the perception game (which closely follows the rankings), especially after we beat Wisconsin/Nebraska, there's no way they're catching back up. No way. Not a chance.

 

[Ranger Dan]

And then Ohio State beats Michigan. That would mean Penn State goes to Indianapolis to face (probably) Nebraska.

Is it entirely outrageous to presume that this scenario -- yes, it's unlikely, but it's also not impossible -- will get them into the final four?

(OK, in full disclosure, I placed a $20 bet on Penn State to win the title when I was in Las Vegas in August. The 200-1 odds would pay out $4000....)

Even if we win the east, and somehow manage to beat whomever wins the Big Ten West, there is absolutely zero chance that Penn State makes it to the playoffs. I would say that between tOSU and Michigan, at least one of them make it with no more than one loss, and maybe both will have just one loss if tOSU beats Michigan. You also have multiple teams from other conferences with better overall resume's that Penn State. Even if you throw out the records, Penn State just doesn't look like they belong in the playoffs.

 

[Erial_Lion]

You need your head examined if you really believe this stuff. If OSU drops the MSU or Maryland game, after also losing to us, they'll be lucky to stay in the top 20 at that point.

You're kidding yourself if you think that a 2 loss OSU that has wins over Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Nebraska wouldn't be in the top-20 (they'd likely be around 11th-13th I'd expect). And then after adding on a win over Michigan, they'd still be in the hunt if everything broke right for them. A 2-loss PSU just doesn't have the same resume this season.

 

[thecoolestfish]

You're kidding yourself if you think that a 2 loss OSU that has wins over Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Nebraska wouldn't be in the top-20. And then after adding on a win over Michigan, they'd still be in the hunt if everything broke right for them. A 2-loss PSU just doesn't have the same resume this season.

Oh, I see your mistake.

You're just considering number of losses, and who the wins were against.

You're not considering who the losses are to, or the timing of the losses. If Michigan lost to one of the non-OSU teams on their schedule (bottom feeders), it would look pretty bad -- But voters probably wouldn't hurt them too bad (like they did with OSU after their loss to us), but if they then lost to YET ANOTHER one of those bottom feeders, voters would assume their drop off was real, and punish them significantly.

All this is happening while we're, in this scenario, trucking along with Ws. The fact that our losses were early in the season would be very significant.

When they chose the playoff teams, they don't just look at the resume in a vacuum.

 

[Franklin_Restores_TheTradition]

Oh, I see your mistake.

You're just considering number of losses, and who the wins were against.

You're not considering who the losses are to, or the timing of the losses. If Michigan lost to one of the non-OSU teams on their schedule (bottom feeders), it would look pretty bad -- But voters probably wouldn't hurt them too bad (like they did with OSU after their loss to us), but if they then lost to YET ANOTHER one of those bottom feeders, voters would assume their drop off was real, and punish them significantly.

All this is happening while we're, in this scenario, trucking along with Ws. The fact that our losses were early in the season would be very significant.

When they chose the playoff teams, they don't just look at the resume in a vacuum.

This guy is clearly a shizholian poser-troll.... So amusing when these @sshat shizholian poser-trolls tell others to "grow up" when they are on another team's board posing as a fan of that team for the purpose flaming and trolling??? Yep, nothing says maturity like doing that kind of thing.....LMFAO.

 

[brianmix]

Psu would go over um and osu if all had 2 losses.

Psu probably would not go over 1 loss osu with their 3-4 top 10 wins.

 

[CDLionFL]

I'm impressed, you almost made it thru an entire post without a personal attack (just one word away, congrats).

Say that OSU drops the Michigan State or Maryland game on the road. They'd still have road wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin and home wins over Nebraska and Michigan. With that resume, they be ahead of us in the pecking order, even if we knocked off Nebraska/Wisconsin in the B1G title game.

Or switching gears and saying that Michigan somehow loses two games between now and OSU, but beats the Buckeyes on the road. They would also fall ahead of us by killing us at their place and picking up wins over Wisconsin and the road win over OSU.

I guess head-to-head meetings mean nothing in your delusional world. Why bother even playing the games?

 

[psugisher]

I always love these "what if?" scenarios. I think any 2 loss or less power 5 conference championship team will at least be in the conversation. Michigan needs to drop one and then lose to OSU. We need to win out. It would help to have an undefeated number 2 or 3 Nebraska team waiting for us. If we have two top 5 wins and a nine game winning streak and a conference championship, we'll be worthy of a top 4 ranking. I believe a conference championship is pretty important playoff criteria and it'll be tough to get two from one conference. If Oklahoma is a conference champion, we'd have the win vs OSU while they got smoked at home. We'd also have a conference championship game. Bama, Clemson, Washington and PSU.. why not?

 

[Erial_Lion]

This guy is clearly a shizholian poser-troll.... So amusing when these @sshat shizholian poser-trolls tell others to "grow up" when they are on another team's board posing as a fan of that team for the purpose flaming and trolling??? Yep, nothing says maturity like doing that kind of thing.....LMFAO.

You're seriously the father of a 12 year old and yet you actually type stuff like that on a message board? Brutal. And I guess I'll need to mail my diploma back to Old Main since I don't agree with the biggest homer that I've ever seen on a forum (apologies of course to RutgersAl).

 

[Erial_Lion]

I guess head-to-head meetings mean nothing in your delusional world. Why bother even playing the games?

Unfortunately for us, things like quality wins and strength of schedule would probably mean more. Someone else mentioned that it would be good for us to beat an undefeated Nebraska team. I'm not sure that a two loss PSU would go over a one loss Nebraska, though a sound beating would help a lot.

 

[swordsman_l]

I'm impressed, you almost made it thru an entire post without a personal attack (just one word away, congrats).

Say that OSU drops the Michigan State or Maryland game on the road. They'd still have road wins over Oklahoma and Wisconsin and home wins over Nebraska and Michigan. With that resume, they be ahead of us in the pecking order, even if we knocked off Nebraska/Wisconsin in the B1G title game.

Or switching gears and saying that Michigan somehow loses two games between now and OSU, but beats the Buckeyes on the road. They would also fall ahead of us by killing us at their place and picking up wins over Wisconsin and the road win over OSU.

You're simply wrong.
A 2 loss team that didnt win its division would go to the playoffs ahead of a 2 loss team that won both the exact same division, as well as a conference title game?

That would be, simply, unprecedented.

It would literally tear the fabric of the space-time continuum.

 

[ShinerTexas]

I presume your 200-1 is for the National Title. I too bet on Penn St in Vegas in August. $20 on 50-1 Big Ten Title ($1,000 payout) and my LOCK of the year: Penn St. wins 7 regular season games - my $110 bet gets me $210 total back.

 

[WiiRpos]

You're seriously the father of a 12 year old and yet you actually type stuff like that on a message board? Brutal. And I guess I'll need to mail my diploma back to Old Main since I don't agree with the biggest homer that I've ever seen on a forum (apologies of course to RutgersAl).

Hahaha, first time I hear this. I pity that poor 12 yr-old whose daddy is worse than a rabid dog.