2016 orange bowl

Michigan Gets Orange Bowl Bid, Will Face Florida State Comment Count

Brian

Florida Florida St Football (14)

Zero surprise here once the championship games fell the way they did. Game is on the 30th, not the 1st, since the 1st is a Sunday this year; it's at 8 PM at whatever they're calling the place the Dolphins and Hurricanes play this week.

FSU is 9-3, 5-3 in the ACC, with wins over Ole Miss (which had a terrible record but was still top 20 to advanced metrics, USF (10-2), Florida, and Miami. They lost to Clemson and UNC narrowly, and Louisville somewhat less narrowly.

S&P+ has them 9th in the country, with the #6 offense and #18 D. An adjusted sack rate of 85th projects to be a problem for the FSU offense against Michigan. On the other hand, monster DE DeMarcus Walker and his 15 sacks rather loom on the other side of the ball. S&P+ has Michigan a 12-point favorite on a neutral field; dunno how neutral the Orange Bowl is given this context. 

Comments

3xWlvrn

December 4th, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^

Better get used to these outcomes, unless we can start beating OSU. The UM v. OSU game is likely to be a play-in de facto quarter finals game every year. Unfortunately, with OSU recruiting solely 5-star players (sigh), UM is going to have a tough road. We squandered the OSU "rebuilding" year. Our "next year" is probably 2018 or 2019, unless OSU has QB issues sooner. On that note, Barrett will probably be back next year. Hopefully he still doesn't remember how to throw downfield consistently.

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funkywolve

December 4th, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^

It's not so much the refs in the OSU game but the fact that UM should have beaten Iowa and OSU. It's easy to say there will be more opportunities with Harbaugh but shit happens. You never know what the future holds. This defense was/is ridiculous but when all is said and done the 2016 team will be right there with the 1999 team - really good teams who stubbed their toe 2x and it cost them a chance for the Big Ten title and possibly a chance to compete for the NC.

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Chork

December 4th, 2016 at 2:55 PM ^

If M hits their QB it's going to be a long long day for FSU.  I call 3 picks with one of them being a pick-6.  If speight is healthy then chew the clock, own the ball, and take advantage of turn overs.  I call 34-10.

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Perkis-Size Me

December 4th, 2016 at 3:12 PM ^

We'll see. This team is yet to prove it can win high profile road games.

I know this is "neutral site," but this is not a neutral site game. This is right in FSU's backyard. Won't be as tough as playing in Tallahassee, but I'm thinking this will be 60-40 if we're lucky.



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M-Dog

December 5th, 2016 at 12:02 AM ^

Miami is not close to Tallahassee.  
 
This is a travel-and-hotel game for FSU.  It's a long drive and the game is late at night, so you will need to book a hotel.  Once you are booking hotels, it's a high enough hurdle to keep a lot of people away.   
 
It's not like U of Florida travelling to the Citrus Bowl in the middle of the day and then driving back home for dinner.  It's NOT a de facto home game.
 
There may be as many Michigan fans at the Orange Bowl as FSU fans.
 

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JT4104

December 4th, 2016 at 2:55 PM ^

Close to a tough road game...maybe they can finally get over that hump. The young guys need to learn to win if they are to take the next step.

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The Fugitive

December 4th, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^

Take out our frustrations by pounding a Florida team in preparation for next season? Sounds good. But, part of me wants next year's projected online to get all the practice and game reps.

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I dumped the Dope

December 4th, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^

what we are capable of by removing all doubt

I very much liked last year's stomping of the Gators minus whatever catastrophic injury Chesson sustained.  The first part was a nice comfy pillow to rest on until August.  My take was the team prepped hard for the bowl game as if it was another big test by putting in the work after the regular season.

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NYMICH

December 4th, 2016 at 3:03 PM ^

but its hard for me to care about this game.  Michigan is the second best team in the nation and gakked their way down to 6th and out of the playoffs.  Yes, the officiating against OSU was terrible and tipped the scales just enough, but Michigan really screwed up at the end of the year.

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MC5-95

December 4th, 2016 at 3:04 PM ^

Good. I haven't had the opportunity to add the F bomb to the Seminoles' silly "War Chant" in a long time. ('97 NIT Championship as a matter of fact.)

Everybody now: "F--- the Seminoles! F--- the Seminoles!"

 

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Michigan FTW Again

December 4th, 2016 at 3:12 PM ^

Very much neutral, indeed! FSU is clearly the most hated team down here of the big 3, and the seminole stronghold is a good 7 hours away so don't be expecting a sea of garnet and gold in Miami. I'd bet less seminole fans show up this year than gator fans did last year, and we were probably 50/50 at the Citrus Bowl. Last year, we we're doing the gator chomp in the 3rd quarter, here's looking forward to doing the seminole chop next! Let's Go Blue!

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Brodie

December 4th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^

Imaging a lot of Michigan fans will be there. 

People underrate how large Florida is geographically. A drive from Orlando to Miami is like driving from Detroit to Traverse City. You are getting a whole different group of people... guessing a lot of blue haired alumni are in the Miami/WPB area. 

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M-Dog

December 5th, 2016 at 12:11 AM ^

I remember being at that one.  

I like to go down to field level toward the end of a game when a lot of people clear out.  I was about 10 feet away from that last second TD catch, in the same corner as Desmond's catch against ND.  That ball came zipping in there.  

Florida State was not fully "Florida State" yet.  It was a good win but not a really big win like it would be today. 

 

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ricosuave

December 4th, 2016 at 3:15 PM ^

Should be fun. Let me remind everyone who is complaining that besides the Ohio debacle, we lost to Iowa. Iowa. Yep, Iowa.

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Toasted Yosties

December 4th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^

Yep. If we had beaten Iowa, it'd be between Washington and Michigan for that 4th spot. We'd have one close loss against what would likely be the B1G champ as compared to their loss to a three-loss USC and the second weakest SoS. In other words, we'd be in. Two-loss teams just don't make the playoff.

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nappa18

December 4th, 2016 at 4:40 PM ^

Agree. That was a bigger loss then Ohio. Win that and lose in Cbus like we did, I think we would be 4. But play Bama. Their D against our OL, might be ugly. Hey, I WAS as sick at the loss against Ohio as all of you, yes, refs hosed us. But: maybe we shouldn't have missed a blitz pick up on the pick 6, maybe Speight should have seen the guy on the second INT, maybe we should have stopped Ohio's last tying drive from their 17, maybe we should have tackled Samuel for a big loss in OT no matter what, maybe should not have dropped first down passes or thrown behind open receivers, of pull a guys face mask downfield (Cole). Or miss a huge hole like Higdon. On the especially, never put yourselves in a position to have bad calls neat you. And Iowa was worse, I'll spare all of us the details. Just a shame because with this defense we should have been in the final 4. Now just hope Ohio doesn't win out.

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jmblue

December 4th, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

S&P+ has Michigan a 12-point favorite on a neutral field; dunno how neutral the Orange Bowl is given this context.

I'm not too concerned about that.  I think we'll have a decent fan contingent there - as long as our fans aren't too disappointed by missing out on the Playoff.  In any event, bowl crowds tend not to be all that raucous, tending to have more older fans and not too many students.

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M-Dog

December 4th, 2016 at 3:55 PM ^

Good point.  Bowl games don't have student sections.  It takes time and money to go to a bowl game.  You can't just walk across campus to the game and be back in time to go out drinking.  There's not a lot of rowdy drunk students all concentrated in one section. 

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M-Dog

December 4th, 2016 at 4:02 PM ^

Florida totally mailed it in last year.  I'm surprised they even came out for the second half at all.

Anybody know FSU's mind set coming itno this game?  Are they excited / disappointed to be where they are?  

I believe they were hyped pre-season to be in the CFP, but I'm not 100% sure.  I know there have been some Jimbo Fisher rumor distractions.  I know they've been out of the ACC hunt for quite a while.

Where is their head at going into the Orange Bowl?

 

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Brodie

December 4th, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^

FSU was ranked #4 in both preseason polls and were #2 three weeks into the season when they were buzzsawed by Louisville. After that, they have hovered right around 12 all year long. This probably represents a best case scenario ending for them, but is a disappointment relative to their expectations coming in. 

They are one of the few teams to have made the NY6/CFP every year that the current format has existed and are riding a 5 game BCS/NY6 streak. 

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HateSparty

December 4th, 2016 at 10:36 PM ^

FSU should be concerned with Harbaugh's mentality. Anyone who thinks or contrives thatMichigan nails a game in isn't paying attention. The hardest workers over the next three weeks plays on December 30. He will have kids clawing over one another to start and play. Anyone mailing will be pining.



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beevo

December 4th, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

Let's make some lemonade here. We need to dominate a perennial power in a recruiting hotbed while getting another month of valuable practice for our very young backups and reserves. Speight will get more game time reps against a quick and talented defense. Harbaugh will probably manage to draw a lot of attention as far as ratings as well. The eyes of HS Florida football talent will be on us.

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schreibee

December 4th, 2016 at 3:56 PM ^

Let's just refer to this game as the Lemonade Bowl for the next 4 weeks. It'll feel better than Orange Bowl, which is not moving my needle for some reason. Had sights set higher is all, I guess.

OTOH, 2 years ago we weren't in any bowl, 3 years ago in the BWW and getting curb stomped by K St... So Lemonade Bowl it is!!!!!!!!

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