Pre-Orange Bowl Presser: Players, Part 1
[Bryan Fuller]
Jake Butt and Mason Cole
Jake, talk about how it’s your last game coming up and what do you know about Florida State and that matchup?
“Yeah, first on Florida State, we’ve gotten the chance—they play a lot of night games down there in the south to stay out of the heat a little bit, so after some of our noon games I got watch them play Clemson and Ole Miss. Just kind of flipped it on, so, I mean, we haven’t studied them yet. That’ll happen here in the upcoming weeks. We do know they’re a very good team and they’re gonna be hungry for that win. With it being the last game, gotta lay it all out there.”
Mason, what are your thoughts on playing the Seminoles? Being a Florida guy, you’ve been familiar with them a long time.
“Yeah, just really excited to play another Florida team. We beat Florida, we beat UCF, and hopefully we beat Florida State. Just exciting to go down to Florida and play a really good team. Excited to play in front of family and friends. It’s gonna be two great programs going against each other.”
Did you guys get together and watch the selection show today? What was the general [feeling]? Were you disappointed? Were you excited? Can you take us through the emotions from this afternoon?
JB: “This was our first weekend off in a while, so I know most guys were home. We didn’t have a watch party or anything. I’d say it’s mixed emotions because you set out goals at the beginning of the year and obviously one of those was to be in the playoff, but we weren’t and really we can’t blame it on anyone but ourselves. We left our fate in the hands of other teams and we understand that. That being said, we’re excited about this game. It’s a big game, great opportunity for us to compete against a really good team. We’re really excited to play in this game.”
MC: “Yeah, same thing. We had an opportunity at the end of the year to be in that playoff, but they put us in a great bowl with a great opportunity to go play a really good team. We’re just excited for that now.”
[After THE JUMP: how Butt will look back on this year a decade from now and which way Cole’s leaning re: turning pro]
You guys came to Michigan to play in big games like this. Is this sort of an opportunity for you guy to make a statement nationally to show that hey, maybe you should have been in the playoff to play a program like Florida State on the national stage?
JB: “Definitely. We’ve played some tough opponents in our career and especially this season, too. We’ve played some really good teams, so we’re excited about that challenge. You kind of start to think as you’re on your way out of here what’s your legacy going to be? How are you going to be remembered here at Michigan? You’ve got to win some big games and this is one.”
What would an 11-win season mean to you in terms of showing improvement? That’s a pretty good number of victories.
MC: “Yeah, just getting that 11th win, I think it’d be huge. I don’t know how many—twelve?”
SID: “No, eleven.”
MC: “Eleven Michigan teams have won 11 games, so to get to that twelfth team that’s won 11 games, it’s a big milestone. Winning 11 games is hard no matter what conference you’re in, no matter who you’ve played, it’s hard to do. It’s hard to win 11 games. To go out there and get the last win for the season, it’ll be great for the seniors, great for the team, and great for the program.”
JB: “Yeah, I just agree with everything Mason said. To get 11 wins is huge. It’s something we haven’t been able to do, obviously, in our time here and again, going back to that legacy, to be able to do that would be huge for the seniors and for this team when you look back on it.”
Bonus quotes from scrums after the podium session:
Jake Butt
Can you talk about the mixed emotions? Just how disappointing was this weekend?
“It’s disappointing. It is. But again, you’ve got to remind yourself that we put ourselves in that position. We had plenty of opportunities to change outcomes. The season was in our hands and we didn’t get things done when they needed to get done. It’s disappointing, but you can’t just dwell on the past. There’s still a big game to play for this week—er, at the end of December. We’re excited about that. We’re not going to let that opportunity slip by worrying about what could have been.”
You guys hit pretty hard in December last year. Is it a little harder to do that knowing you’ve got one more bowl game and then you’re moving on?
“No, not at all. If you love football—I know I love football. That goes to say for about every guy on this team. You won’t make it in Harbaugh’s system if you don’t really love football. You love competing and you love this university, so you want to do everything you can to make this fanbase, make this university proud. This is the last game, so a lot of emotions are going to go into every single day trying to win that last one.”
How do you think you’ll look back on this season five or ten years from now?
“Uh, I’ll be proud. I’ll be proud. You look back and I think you’ll probably look back at everything all at once, and you look at our class and some of the things we’ve been through, we’ve seen the lowest of the lows and we’re getting to experience a little bit some of the highs. But we’ve never folded. We’ve never quit. We’ve never turned our back on this program. If anything, even through all the hard stuff that we’ve been through, all it did if anything was we just got back to work on Monday and worked harder because we truly believed there’d be a brighter day in the near future.
“Here we are. We’re going to a big bowl game; it’s a New Year’s Six bowl, right? Yeah. So we’re fired up about that. That’ll be part of the legacy we can leave if we can go out there and win this game.”
A couple of weeks ago Erik Magnuson said in the week leading up to the Ohio State game that in years past when there was a big game you guys “hoped” that you could win instead of sort of believing it but that this year was different that way. Is that something that you sense program-wide this season?
“This season, yeah, and since Harbaugh’s been here that’s how it’s been is you really truly believe that you were going to win every single game that you were going into, especially the big games. These coaches do an unbelievable job of preparation and putting our team in position to succeed and they continue to do that. At the end of the day it kind of comes down to us executing, and we’ve missed out on that at some points in the season, we’ve done a great job at other points. We’re going to need to execute in this upcoming bowl game.”
Do you believe that’s something you kind of have to learn, to learn how to win in those moments that you talked about?
“Uh, no. No. We’ve been playing this sport our whole lives. A lot of us have been playing in really big games our whole lives, so in the moment—when Michael Jordan talked to us, and one thing Coach Harbaugh says is you don’t rise up to the moment. You’re just going out and doing what you’ve been repping and practicing so many times. That’s really what it comes down to.”
Mason Cole
Have you thought carefully about going pro?
“No, not yet. Right now just focused on beating Florida State. After that, maybe think about it a little bit with my family, but definitely leaning on coming back.”
December 6th, 2016 at 9:57 AM ^
"You kind of start to think as you’re on your way out of here what’s your legacy going to be? How are you going to be remembered here at Michigan? You’ve got to win some big games and this is one.”
December 7th, 2016 at 8:56 AM ^
I know that everyone looks first--and places the most emphasis--in W/Ls, but that's a very limited way to define a team, e.g,. USC and FSU have 3 losses but they're very good teams--and playing their best ball at the end of the season. Michigan's D has been historically good, while the O's performance has varied a bit. IMO the problem with the current system is that only 4 teams make the playoff. The good news is that this year is a great example of why the playoff needs to expand, and hopefully it creates a sense of urgency for the playoff illuminati to expand sooner than later.
I'm really looking forward to the Orange Bowl between 2 blue blood programs. I hope FSU plays like they did in the 2nd half of the season, e.g., Clemson, etc. so that the game is competitive. I have lots to say about the match-up since Michigan and FSU are the 2 teams I follow closer than any others. Looking forward to discussion leading up to the OB.
December 6th, 2016 at 9:58 AM ^
if the team over-achieved or under-achieved this season. There's no question Harbaugh got way more out of the same talent than Hoke did, but when it came to crunch time, the team was done in by various things -- uncharacteristic mistakes by otherwise steady players (Darboh, Butt), bad officiating (fuck you B1G refs), lack of talent (O-line, QB), and just plain bad luck. At times I saw their efforts get set on fire by a bad call or a fluke, but other times Harbaugh scripted a play that had an easy assignment right there and they blew it. So we could go 'round and 'round forever on whether it was factors in their control or out of their control, because the answer was probably, both. They fell short AND were unlucky.
I guess it's appropriate that they didn't fall upwards into the CFP. At their best this team could hang with anyone, but whatever they were done in by, they'd need the opposite (better play or better luck) and at this point I've no expectation it'll be there when they need it.
Go forth and crush FSU, boys.
December 6th, 2016 at 10:20 AM ^
This same group but just two years ago were running onto the field hoping, as they said. Now they are expecting. Learning to win is an actual thing. We've seen passes dropped by normally sure handed receivers in games last year vs MSU, prime example, same this year vs. OSU, coming out uncharacteristally flat Iowa and not being able to bounce back, allowing their running game to gouge us early. Litlle things that are all part of winning becoming as much as a habit as making those catches, shortening necks by the OL in key situations that would allow Peppers the extra three yards, etc. It's coming. So much growth in a relatively small amount of time and the influx is only beginning. There are a lot of young men that have put in anywhere from 12 to 24 months on building their body, their psyche, learning and underrstanding exactly what it is Harbaugh is teaching. it's been a fun ride and it's going to become more fun.
December 6th, 2016 at 10:20 AM ^
i keep thinking about this: Clemson, facing a near certain loss to NC state, gets a gift of a missed field goal. Same situation, UM against Iowa: kicker makes it. The slimmest of margins...
December 6th, 2016 at 11:35 AM ^
The same gift was given twice against OSU.
Just accept what the players are saying in that they didn't capitalize on their opportunities. Against Iowa they got in interception in the final 90 seconds and couldn't get a first down -- a situation like that should never come down to hoping for a missed kick. Get the 1st down and kill the clock.
December 6th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
team over achived a little bit. I realize we have a lot of upper classman, but this is still not a complete Harbaugh team. What I mean by that, it's not all his recruits and his upper classman that he has been coaching for 3-4 years. I think once we get to that position like the 2018 season you will see a team that doesn't make the small mistakes that cost us a close game.
He will have all his recruited talent playing his system they have been coached to play for 3-4 years and we won't loose these close games to the Iowa's and OSU's of the world.
He has done a lot with players who 2 years ago were 5-7 and looked horrible. He got them within a couple of plays of being in the CFP, so his ability to coach is unquestioned. When he has all his own players in a couple of more years...... look out!
December 6th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^
We had a first team All Big-10 right tackle, 3 2nd team all-big 10 guys and an honorable mention. They paved the way for 2679 yards rushing, ~800 yards more than last season. The team averaged 5 yards per carry. Seven players with double digit carries averaged 4.9 or more per carry. We were 3rd in the big 10 in fewest sacks allowed. Oh I forgot, we couldn't gain a first down rushing against OSU and Iowa when everybody knew we were trying to run the ball. We did not have an elite offensive line, but they certainly didn't lack talent.
Serious question, what are your expectations? Because you are liable to be really disappointed next season when we have to replace 3 honored, multi-year starters from the offensive line.
December 6th, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
I think they were done in by a lack of depth. A championship team has a two-deep full of starters at each position group. We had this at the D-line, for sure. But the O-line only had a freshman to come in when Newsome went down. Our QB got dinged and we only had O'Corn. When Harbough has 3-4 recruiting cycles with top 5 classes, we will have the depth necessary to win it all. This year we could have "fallen upwards" as you aptly say, but didn't for all those reasons you listed. But truth is, we didn't over or under achieve. With Newsome healthly, or better depth (and talent) at O-line, we beat Iowa. With a healthy Wilton, or a solid backup QB, we beat ohio, even with ohio biased zebras.
Next year, and in the coming years, we will have all the depth necessary at every position to win championships, even with bad calls, key injuries, occasional dropped receptions, and even (mostly) without relying on luck.
Our furture couldn't be brighter. Things are lined up for us to excel. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
December 6th, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
Next year's team will be young; they'll have chances.
But this year was the swan song for many players who lived through some of the worst years of Michigan football in memory. The program will probably take a step back just from losing so much experience and depth, but the future's bright for next year's starters. But many of the guys who carried this team, it's the end of the ride for them. They'll be fine, but they've got one game left as Wolverines and damn if I'm not pissed that fate, past mismanagement and some goddamn crooked asshole refs didn't rob them of what could've been.
December 6th, 2016 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm pissed off too, over being robbed by those no-call ohio homer refs. Hoping the BIG makes a rule change this off season that refs with ties to teams, are sent to other games where they can be neutral. The sport, the fans, the players deserve to be spared even the appearance of bias. That crew of ohio fans officiating the Game was a travisty.
As far as taking a step back next year, probably. We are losing a ton of starters. But we take a step up at QB and i believe on the O-line. RB should be good, or better. WR/TE will hold. Defence will be a different story. Hard to match the level of play this year. But they will be great just the same. So 2017 i think we will be deeper and better then 2016.
And beyond? Faggeddabodit!!!
December 6th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^
"Faggeddabodit"
Sorry to razz you cazzie, but I can't pass this up. I never knew a made up word with no actual correct spelling could be misspelled, and so badly! It's a travisty with no defense!
December 6th, 2016 at 11:35 AM ^
Paranoid me is worried about reporters regularly speculating/asking the players if they're disappointed about the Orange Bowl and if they're motivated to play etc.
Just how disappointing was this weekend? Were you disappointed?
Visions of Florida against us last year or our sleepwalking against K-State a few years ago come to mind. (granted K-State bowl was low tier)
This is still a huge game and I'm hopeful the Seniors go in with the enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
December 6th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^
in constructing wins and losses. But the failure to get a first down (one play) against Iowa after Stribling's interception; and the stop on 4th down against the buckeyes (ruled a first down), leave me with the feeling that two plays were most the most important and could have left UM undefeated. Nonetheless, a great, exciting season. GoBlue!
December 6th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
Option 1: Lose 3 of the last 4 games, all on national television. Finish 10-3, the same as last year. Its a disappointing year.
Option 2: Win on national television against a traditional power in a recruiting hotbed. Finish 11-2 - at or above expectations.
We need this win.
December 6th, 2016 at 2:49 PM ^
Man I hate the petty types of questions these reporters ask. They just seem to be looking for dirt. They might as well ask these also while they are at it:
1. Are other players jealous that you are the starter?
2. Do you think other UM players let you down last week?
3. Are you really motivated to play anymore or sad?
4. Is FSU a desirable team to play to you?
December 6th, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^
Haha, other than the poor wording of #4 those are great questions I wish they'd ask!
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