Why is Michigan number 2 in the AP poll?

Question

Why is Michigan number 2 in the AP poll when they have only played one ranked team their whole season so far? How does the AP come up with these rankings. Notre dame was # 2 but why wouldnt Michigan move down in rankings as Notre dame is now a #11 team? Any big college can beat Ball state, Central Michigan, yet their still number 2 for beating unranked, rather small (football wise) colleges?

Answer 1

I am not a MIchgan fan, in fact, I hate Michigan.. However.. Number two does seem justified..

Game one.. they beat Vanderbilt 27-7.. an SEC team, regardless.. and the SEC conference is a strong conference..

Game two.. They walloped Central Michigan, a Patsy.. every team plays a patsy,

Game three.. they went into then number two Notre Dame, certainly not a small college football wise and destroyed the Fighting Irish 47-21, leading 34-14 at the half before the second and third stringers finished the second half.. That's not a push over.. and Michigan is Notre Dame's ONLY loss..

Next, they beat Wisconson, now ranked 17th, 27-13.. The Michigan game is Wisconson's ONLY loss..

Game five.. Into Minnesota, where Michigan topped them 28-14.. another road victory..

Game six.. Michigan State.. records rarely mean anything with these two, but this year, the home team won, my Alma Mater was blasted by Michigan, it wasn;t even close.. 31-13..

Game seven.. into Happy Valley and beat Penn State 17-10.. Penn State isn;t a small school either, and are 5-3.. and yet, another road victory..

and Iowa (5-3) isn't a push over either.. the 20-6 final not indicative of how close the game was..

I despise Michigan, but I also believe the deserve to be top three..

Answer 2

that is a question that has haunted us for years, it will never get answered until there is a college football playoff. But that will never happen, to many companies have spent to much money on their bowls. The system now does not allow for a playoff and every year we hear about how it is needed and no one does anything about it because MONEY RULES!!!! It is unfortunate that the NCAA is so strict on the players accepting gifts and money. I have figured out why they are so strict, the NCAA is greedy they want all the money for themselves. Most college games pull in more money than the pro games do. Imagine a sell out crowd in Tenn. Volunteer Stadium. That place hold 102,000 people. Ticket prices average around 35-50 per seat, and do not forget that the school does not get all of that money, they have to pay the mighty NCAA also. What is leftover is what they pay the coaches and staff with and then there is a little left over to buy uniforms and equipment for the players. But do not let the player borrow 20.00 from someone for a piece of equipment, oh no, the mighty NCAA will come down on him, punish him and the school.
the preceding rant was just my opinion.

Answer 3

Who else is going to be #2?

Michigan beat TWO ranked teams, handily beating current #11 Notre Dame and current #17 Wisconsin. In fact, those teams only losses were to Michigan, and if Michigan didn't crush them, they would be ranked much higher.

USC has also beat two ranked teams, current #13 Arkansas and current #20 Nebraska.

West Virgina has not beat any ranked teams.

Texas has also beat two ranked teams, current #19 Oklahoma and current #20 Nebraska. They also have one loss.

Louisville has not beaten any ranked teams.

Auburn has also beat two ranked teams, current #9 Florida and current #14 LSU. They also have one loss (a blowout loss at home).

Tennessee has beat one ranked team, current #12 California. They also have one loss.

Florida has also beat two ranked teams, current #8 Tennessee and current #14 LSU. They also have one loss.

Clemson has beat one ranked team, current #21 Georgia Tech. They also have one loss.

Heck, even Ohio state has only beat one ranked team, current #5 Texas. They have also beat "unranked, rather small (football wise)" teams such as Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, and Cincinnati.

So, tell me again why Michigan shouldn't be #2? Have you looked at the teams schedules?

Answer 4

Because their kickin @ss this year. Henne to "Super" Mario Manningham has been unstoppable so far. USCs' offense is no where near how good Michigans' offense has been this year. Notre Dame has an inconsistant offense at times, and their defense is crap. BTW it doesn't really matter whose ranked #2 because Ohio State will beat @ss in the National Championship Game. I'm being real, No one is playing on the level Ohio State has been playing.

Answer 5

Because it is corrupt, this is how the rankings should be (not biased, i am a ND Irish fan)

1) Ohio State
2) USC
3) West Virginia
4) Michigan
5) Louisville
6) Notre Dame
7) Rutgers
8) Auburn
9) Florida
10) California
11) Tennessee
12) Arkansas
13) Clemson

Answer 6

Michigan is #2 because they're the second best team in college football. Everything they can do, Ohio State can do better, but nobody else can. We'll see who really deserves it on November 18th in Columbus at the Big Ten / National Championship game.

Answer 7

mister w,
you are funny. haha

michigan has the best defense in college football. hands down.
by the way ohio state is #2.

Michigan beat ND when they were ranked #2
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/teams/mmk

also, iowa in the big 10. which is unranked. but they would beat anyone ranked #12 or higher in the standings.

Noter dame sucks. no way should they be #6.
their O line blows.

don't hate me. cause I tell the truth.

Answer 8

Their classically clean maize and blue along with unique helmet webbing filled with clear-eyed and articulate protein appeal to some of us retros who are tiring of junkyard sinews. It helps that UM's mercenaries can actually read, are disciplined, and are aided and abetted by a diplomatically correct head coach, a firebrand defensive coordinator, and an incredible cast of journalist grads. And given our respect for history, it's symetrically appropriate that UM take the challenger's role. P

Answer 9

they have the second highest win percent score

Answer 10

because they aren't number one and it'll mae it better when they beat ohio