crg

December 4th, 2016 at 12:05 AM ^

Decent Orange Bowl tickets: a hundred dollars or so

Group travel package to Orange Bowl: up to around $1000 or so

Going to a bowl game somewhere warm and when people will watch, while Dantonio and Brian Kelly sit at home and stew: priceless

Wolfman

December 4th, 2016 at 4:24 AM ^

2017 looks just as you describe, except to the two great puppet masters, one on defense and two on offense. On paper we'll look like an inexperienced squad with the loss of so many seniors moving forward. However, for the past two years these young men waiting their turn have been improving at a pace faster than anyone else in this conference. The reasons are simple. They are receiving the best coaching in the conference. We'll put an offensive line out there that will be better than the one we fielded this season and the defense will be faster than you can imagine. The parts are in place. The parts movers are going to do a tremendous job. After Don Brown receives his much deserved Frank Broyles Award he will move ahead with even more energy than he showed this year. He loves where he's at and having talent like he's never had before at his disposal. We'll keep showing the improvement one comes to expect from a Harbaugh coached team. 

Newton Gimmick

December 4th, 2016 at 10:55 AM ^

If you look at Alabama under Saban or USC under Carroll, it hardly mattered how many starters were back or what their schedule was (except, perhaps, a road game @ LSU when LSU was just as stacked w/ talent).  Do you remember their schedules, or how many starters returned each year?  They simply reloaded.  The best thing about having a Top 3 (if not Top 2 or Top 1) coaching staff is that variables like schedule and even # of returning starters matter less and less.  

I would bet that we will be favored in every game we play next year, up through the B1G CG.

Muttley

December 4th, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^

the others behind it come back with an added year of development.

We're only Year 1 into the Harbaugh recruiting class pipeline.  Next year will be only Year 2, and Hoke's pipeline has a big void in it.  I think by Year 3, Harbaugh will have enough of his pipeline with development to cover for the massive gap in the Hoke pipeline that will be evident after all of the NFL talent leaves this year.

We'll have some good players on the field next year, but I got to believe there will be gaps.  (Keep in mind depth, players at 80% due to nagging injuries, etc.)

gobluefromutah

December 4th, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^

How many OSU fans do you think did the same thing after last year and their ridiculous draft class? I don't see any reason why with our recruiting and this coaching staff why we couldn't do the same thing next year...this team will definitely look different personnel wise but we'll have a lot of youth who have had a chance to dip their feet in this year to get ready for next year. Depth will be scary at a few spots but hey, we were so worried about LB this year and it turned out okay.

I Like Burgers

December 4th, 2016 at 12:11 AM ^

I think there's still a chance if the commitee puts in PSU and OSU.  In that scenario, its up to the Rose who they want, and since USC will be the likely Pac-12 rep, that opens the door for Michigan since they will be higher rated than Wisconsin and it won't be a rematch.

If PSU doesn't make the playoff, they are an autobid to the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten champ.

AmayzNblue

December 4th, 2016 at 12:21 AM ^

How would they put PSU and OSU in? OSU is already in as indicated by the 2 spot given last week. PSU can't really jump us and they didn't dominate the champ game. Clemson should move to 4th or 5th. If anyone gets in, it would likely be us, but unfortunately, the committee has no justifiable reason to push Clemson and Washington out.




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SC Wolverine

December 4th, 2016 at 12:58 AM ^

This is undoubtedly what is going to happen.  Clemson won't fall from #3 to #5 and I don't see how then can drop Washington below us after they drubbed Colorado.  If Washington was ahead of us last week, why would they not be this week?  Oh well.

Newton Gimmick

December 4th, 2016 at 11:05 AM ^

Plus, technically the committee's rankings are not subordinate to transitivie logic vis-a-vis their previous rankings.  They can re-imagine all the rankings however they choose, and aren't beholden to 'keeping' teams at any certain areas.  (Though it could be argued that they would be too cowardly to withstand the outrage if they did not.)

Also, you are correct about TCU, though OSU's drubbing was even more impressive.

p.s. I would be shocked if OSU didn't make it.  Because they seem to always get the benefit of the doubt.  There are a million red-faced Buckeyes willing to tune in.  TCU was box-office poison.

p.p.s.  I love the word "drubbing" and encourage its usage.

Mongo

December 4th, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^

PSU vs USC ... which is fine with me. No love lost here for Pasadena when you play the homers ... our guys get treated like they are playing a B1G away game. Think playing OSU at Columbus.

Have been to an Orange Bowl and Miami is way more welcoming to UM fans / team and puts on a very fair game. FSU won't be a homer in Miami, in fact, exactly the opposite. This will be much better for recruiting and probably can get a bunch of prospects to attend the game.

Muttley

December 4th, 2016 at 4:06 PM ^

Washington is arguably a Top 4 team, and there's no way the committee selects two B1G teams when there is a decent argument to be made for the PAC-12 champ.

PSU > Wash doesn't do it. It has to be PSU >> Wash.  The committee needs an overwhelming argument to piss off the PAC-12 with that move.

Remember 2014? The B1G was declared dead and the SEC West was said to be an NFL-lite division. OSU was a 10 point dog against Alabama and maybe a touchdown dog against Oregon. Then OSU won the National Championship and the top 5 SEC West teams ALL lost their bowl games.

Mongo

December 5th, 2016 at 9:54 PM ^

the NCAA Sanctions Bowl. PSU and USC are the poster children for program issues - cheating and malfeasance in abundance. How soon we forget the transgressions on integrity and human rights in pursuit of the almighty$. So glad it is on Jan 2 when I will be skiing and lifting my soul versus not.