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Should Rutgers be ranked in the Top 25?

No. I'm not sure Michigan belongs there either. We're moving up but I think we're. 30-40 ranked team. Excited that this team has a personality again though and moving up. Continuously. We will be there. But not yet.
 
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No. This team so far has proven to be a team probably around 35 or 40. It's unfortunate that the next game is Ohio State. A more winnable game could help build further confidence and momentum. But we just don't match up well with Ohio State and have never played them close.
 
For losing a close game to the #19 team?

No.

If it were against the #1 team, maybe.

Beat OSU and we'll be ranked.

Lose to OSU and beat Michigan St and I think we still aren't ranked.
 
No but it’s prime for the taking if we keep it up. Watched almost the whole Wisconsin game today (they are #18) and I actually think we win that game this year at home. Our defense is definitely top-25 in the nation. Our offense is not, and it’s mostly due to passing. But there’s hope
 
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I have never seen a team enter the poll because of a close loss. Deserving is questionable but will it happen? No way.
Can happen if enough teams ahead of that team look worse in a loss.
 
A better question is should Michigan be ranked in the top 25. Very mediocre team. Or we are going to shock the world. Will take the latter in a heartbeat.
 
You can blame a loss on whoever you want, a loss last I looked does not get you any points or trophies for participation .
 
We competed well, but I disagree with the above view that Michigan almost lost. They led the entire game and we never had a possession which would have gotten us a lead, ignoring 2 pt conversion possibilities which coaches rarely go for with OT looming.

Michigan is a conservative team just like we are and they were content keeping their lead and beating us via special teams. Cruikshank had just one return I believe.

If the score were reversed, our game calling would have been the same as theirs was with the lead.
 
I have never seen a team enter the poll because of a close loss. Deserving is questionable but will it happen? No way.
This is true but the problem is that the preseason rankings are the starting point, before anyone has even played a game. It's easier to maintain your position in the rankings than it is to climb the rankings, so a team that is overrated before the season starts has an unfair advantage. If we started the season ranked, we definitely would still be ranked now and if North Carolina started unranked, they wouldn't even be close (they surely won't be ranked anymore after getting crushed by Georgia Tech, but that's besides the point). But instead, since the pollsters had a high opinion of North Carolina and a low opinion of us before a single ball was kicked off, we are still far away and they are just falling out of the rankings now with 2 losses to unranked teams. Imagine if other sports started their season with some teams already ahead of others in the standings based on what are essentially some writers' and coaches' power rankings.

There really shouldn't be rankings this early in the season, but the media uses them to advertise games, so they're not going away. At least the CFP rankings don't come out until halfway through the season.
 
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We dominated statistically but not on the scoreboard which is the only thing that matters. that illustrates a deficiency in that we cannot finish when it counts. Highly ranked teams win the game.
 
NO
ya dont lose to get into the rankings unless yer Notre Dame er sumpthin
 
Army and Wake Forest each had more votes than Rutgers last week. They are both 4-0 now (they play each other in a couple of weeks). Rutgers could beat both but voters love those goose eggs in the loss column. I think voters watching yesterday's game will see it as Michigan being overrated - again - in the early season. I don't even think Michigan finishes in top 25 because we've seen Michigan's balloon pop often in mid season after their faces have been rubbed in reality. RU probably beats Michigan in a late season game.
 
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