Michigan vs. FSU, Orange Bowl, 8pm, ESPN, Game Day - Post Game Discussion

[hack]

Newsome, Bredeson and Carr will still be around. Kugler has some experience. I'm not saying the line won't be a concern, but as long as Newsome is back I'm much more worried about the secondary.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

There is a good possibility a true freshman could start on the OL. Isaiah Wilson and Cesar Ruiz are distinct possibilities. Wilson is a stud.

[WM Wolverine]

Newsome is the most critical piece, a true left tackle that I think will have an NFL career...

Bredeson, Onwenu, Cole, Kugler, Dawson, Bushell-Beatty doesn't sound promising unless you add Grant Newsome's name in there too. Grant Newsome allows the guy(s) who probably shouldn't be playing tackle to move inside where they belong.

[Rocky Bleier]

The year was ultimately a failure. Michigan had practically their entire team returning, while MSU and OSU were hit hard by graduation and/or early departures. To not only miss the playoff but the B1G Championship as well is failure. Wisconsin and Pedophile State, both of whom Michigan beat, are playing for the championship, and OSU is in the final four. Michigan is the team left on the sidelines. That's a failed season. They shot themselves in the foot when they didn't show up to play in Iowa.

Next season will be bad. It will include another loss to OSU. The future should be bright, but I'm waiting to see if Harbaugh can recruit some O-linemen and RBs that are on a level with the elite teams. Meyer and Saban may be great coaches, but it doesn't hurt that they get the best of the best each recruiting season.

[hack]

I guess the Iowa loss is even worse given the OSU loss.

I won't rule out beating OSU next year. It can be done. But this year was an opportunity that's now wasted.

[paul daugherity]

Ditto that Rocky. I would add that UM needs to win on the road against a good team to be elite.

In response to some of Jeff's posts, in my opinion UM is not back. Not until they can win on the road against a good opponent, beat OSU and win their division.

[iam416]

If M had beaten Iowa, then OSU goes to the B10 CG. If OSU wins the B10 CG, then they're in. And it's Alabama, OSU and Clemson. And then the ONLY way M doesn't get in is if it's a M vs Washington, and even then I'm not sure.

So, yeah, if M had beaten Iowa they'd be sitting there knowing that a Clemson or Washington loss means they're absolutely in, and they'd still have a really good case against Washington, although I tend to think they'd take Washington as the CFP has reiterated that "2 through 5 are really close" -- so the CG would actually come into play.

[Cody_Russell]

Purdue is on M's schedule for the first time in years.
That's a free win.

Beat Florida and there is a good chance M gets out to a hot start next season. Ending at Wisconsin and vs OSU is a tough finish.
9-3 or 10-2 seems right in 2017.

[Rocky Bleier]

If Michigan had beaten Iowa, they'd be a one-loss team that just loss to the #2 team in double overtime. It would be criminal to put Clemson or Washington ahead of them, but I'm sure it would be done to keep the B1G from having two teams in the CFP.

[Paul L]

Rocky, your avatar pic is of the 4th down screw job (which means M won), yet you still view the season as a failure?
All the goals you mentioned are met if they weren't fucked on that call, no?

I'm curious as to M fans' thoughts on whether the officiating in fact had an impact on the end result, and hence their assessment of the season as a whole.

[paul daugherity]

The officiating did, but as with most things, there were several factors at play. The turnovers were big. The failure of the offense to get first downs and hold onto the ball in the 4th was a factor. It seemed like the offensive playcalling turtled a little. In other words, there were plenty of things UM did that could have turned the game and won it, negating the officiating issues. They had their opportunities and didn't capitalize. Hence, my view that the season was a failure.

[BlueInCostaRica]

If Michigan had beaten Iowa, they'd be a one-loss team that just loss to the #2 team in double overtime. It would be criminal to put Clemson or Washington ahead of them, but I'm sure it would be done to keep the B1G from having two teams in the CFP.

Even before the present CFP system became a reality, I advocated getting rid of the Conference Championship games, and using that weekend to begin an 8 team, 4 game CFP. 8 vs 1, 7 vs 2, etc. At the end of the weekend, things would work exactly as they do now. The CFP committee would declare where the 4 winners would go in playoff bowls, and all other teams would go through the same bowl process they do now.

The conferences can figure out ways to determine their champion without a conference playoff game. A lot of fans don't care anyway, and there would be a lot more national interest in that weekend featuring the 8 teams declared to be the best, regardless of which conferences they come from.

Just my 2 cents.

[Rocky Bleier]

Rocky, your avatar pic is of the 4th down screw job (which means M won), yet you still view the season as a failure?
All the goals you mentioned are met if they weren't fucked on that call, no?

M lost at OSU. There's no changing that unless that call is overturned. Granted, they had to play two teams on Saturday, but they couldn't protect a 10 point lead. Maybe playing 8 games at home wasn't helpful. I felt it was championship or bust.

[Rocky Bleier]

The officiating did, but as with most things, there were several factors at play. The turnovers were big. The failure of the offense to get first downs and hold onto the ball in the 4th was a factor. It seemed like the offensive playcalling turtled a little. In other words, there were plenty of things UM did that could have turned the game and won it, negating the officiating issues. They had their opportunities and didn't capitalize. Hence, my view that the season was a failure.

Yes, they let it get to that point where you felt the game slipping away and knew we weren't going to be the beneficiary of any close calls.

[hack]

I think that it's right and fair for Michigan to walk away from this thinking that the first course of action is to fix its own issues with turnovers. It's true that you can't make that many mistakes on the road and expect to win. But that does not mean you cannot expect better from the refs and the system. It looks like we now have Buckeye Bobby to go with Spartan Bob. Michigan should not tolerate that shit. Harbaugh said his piece, and it's now up to the university's athletic department to put some people on the job of referee reform.