This bowl is far from “meaningless”

Msu and wisconsin are no longer top 15 teams. We beat one this year.

You may not think it's meaningless, but at least one player on Michigan has made that determination for himself, understanding what the risks in playing an exhibition game outweigh his pro future in the sport. And there will likely be more players making that choice in the days ahead.

Bowl practice won't begin for another week.

The game is good because it is more Michigan football and thus a chance for more fun. 

I don't buy that there's dramatic downside to losing.

The currency of sports media is hot takes and outrage. If Michigan wins, the people who were always going to talk shit will reference ND and OSU. If Michigan loses, those same people will just reference three teams instead of two. 

There’s actually nothing to gain from winning this game. The national media has already established that Harbaugh beating Florida does not constitute winning a big game, because he’s already destroyed them twice and the narrative hasn’t changed. 

And it won’t change until he beats Michigan State and Ohio State in the same season and wins the Big Ten. Until then, we will be seen as an under-achieving program that may never relive its glory days. It’s sad but true. 

To march into the capital of the SEC and burn it to the ground like Sherman would not be meaningless.  It would be wonderful.

As a former 20 year Atlanta resident, I can also say that the gazillion Michigan fans in Georgia would appreciate the bragging rights for the year.  I know I did in ‘08.

I support the team in all its endeavors and will be watching at kickoff in my Maize block M t-shirt. I'm just bored with the matchup. Bowls are a chance for unique pairings but we've played them more than any B1G West team. I blame Jim Delaney.

I honestly think a win would mean the most for the players here.  Getting back to winning and learning that hard work is paying off; hoisting.......a peach (?); eating some great Atlanta cooking in the company of your brothers and coaches; knowing the program is going in a direction and 2019 it may all come together even more than this year.  That's got to mean something to young men whose last experience could not have felt worse.  

The bowl game itself isn't meaningless, per se (although most are - when the heck did there get to be 40+ bowls???), but the fact that we're playing a team that we played last year, and also played in a bowl just 3 years ago (2016 Citrus Bowl), and is probably overrated (how they beat LSU is beyond me - but they've lost to both Kentucky and Missouri), and the game is in the frickin' Peach Bowl (when did they decide that was an historic bowl) and on the same day as the 2 semifinal games, I think that is what's driving the "who cares" crowd.  And I don't blame them.  It's a no-win situation for Michigan.  Win and who cares - everyone will say Florida was overrated and we should have beaten them.  Lose and then we hear the Harbaugh-haters with the same old lines about his inability to win big games, blah, blah, blah.

Michigan gains recruiting momentum and a win helps UM's national perception. Those  are probably the two biggest gains.

I agree, in the big picture the game is not meaningless.  When I say meaningless, it is from the perspective of a 2019 high draft pick.  In which case, I 100% understand why somone would not want to risk their draft status (Jake Butt) for a game that has no national or conference championship implications, thus meaningless.  As a competitor, no game is meaningless, as a fan, no game is meaningless.  But for someone who has a big $ future at risk for a game that only lines the pockets of the sponsors, NCAA and colleges, the game is meaningless.

Looks like get-in-the-door ticket prices are far below face value.  Riveting.

I would say this game is meaningless. To a degree, every game outside of the playoff is meaningless. None of these games lead to a possible championship and the vast majority will do nothing to change the narrative or direction of the two teams competing.

This doesn't mean I won't watch. I love football. I coach high school football. I will likely watch portions of most of the bowl games. I watch most games like a coach and pick up a thing or two watching. The bowls give me an opportunity to watch a ton of football between now and early January. I love this time of year.

All of that said, there are occasions where a specific matchup could change that narrative I spoke of earlier. Had Michigan been able to play Georgia or (if OSU had made the playoff), Oklahoma, they would have been able to secure a statement win. Those teams are considered elite and a win over them (even if unlikely) would raise eyebrows from the "experts" out there, recruits and fans. Unfortunately, Florida has no ability to give Michigan that. They aren't very good. A win over Florida, no matter how big, won't be looked at any differently than a win over PSU, Wisconsin or MSU. None of those teams are very good either. It was a weird year in college football that you could basically lump #7 or 8  with everyone down to #25 or #30 and you don't see much of a difference. They are all good to slightly above average, at best. 

Best case scenario for this game is Michigan looks significantly more creative in the passing game (I'm not holding my breath) and gets a win, though that will do little to move the needle for most. What I want to see, but Florida will tell us nothing, is if we learned some lessons defensively. Florida is not capable of running what OSU did at a exceptionally high level. They will try, they just won't be near as good. Oklahoma and Georgia would have provided that test. So basically, we wait until OSU (and maybe ND) next year to find out if we will be less stubborn with our defensive philosophy.

Practices are meaningful.

Game is meaningless.

It's not "meaningless," but it's not meaningful either.

Win or lose,
there is no championship at stake,
this is still a 10+ win season,
still exists a dominant record over Florida, and
expectations for next year doesn't change.

Bo's bowl win percentage is one of the worst in college football history at .294. This is a well known fact, but it hasn't discouraged us from deep admiration for his contribution to Michigan football.

As it will be the last Michigan game for the year and for many players on the team, I will watch every second of the game and will miss Michigan football deeply for another 9 months. Go Blue!

Florida is being coached by Dan Mullen who is a better coach than McElwain.  I expect this to be a difficult game for Michigan and as such the entertainment value will be better than what we got with McElwain's UF teams.

I am definitely watching the game.

A top 5 finish would be noteworthy, so there is that to play for.

We would need some teams above us to lose big though. We have 2 losses, and 3 of the teams above us are undefeated, and another of the teams scored 62 points on us. 

They won't fall far if they don't lose convincingly.

I just hope a win doesn't make Harbaugh think that his offense is fine..

If we beat a much improved Florida team and get to 11 wins it signals upward progress from being stuck at 10 wins to 11. Plus this will carry positive momentum into the offseason and into the next. 

I'll take any progress, as minimal, as it may look to some, over no progress at all. 

NY6 is a joke too if the game is played three days before. What the hell am I supposed to do on New Years Day now?

I know it's a nice bowl game with a good opponent but it still feels like I'm kissing my sister.

Tell that to Rashan

Its meaningless.....in the fact it means nothing. Beat OSU if this program wants to make another step. 

Chance to win 11 games for the third time this century

Four years in and beating Florida in a second tier bowl is our gold standard.

Harbaugh playing checkers again, while everyone’s playing chess.

Honestly, with the playoff in place, it's not clear to me at all why these bowls exist. I think they should be dropped.

its not meaningless in that there would be negative repercussions if Michigan loses...

like how their South Carolina loss really hurt their closing on a number of recruits....

It meaningless to fans cause its the third time Michigan has faced Florida in 4 years. Its more novel playing a team in the B1G West at this point in time...After the OSU pummeling, it would have been nice to play anyone else other than Florida...

the novelty of playing florida wore off in Dallas

I'm an OSU fan and I think the Rose bowl is meaningless. It's playoffs or bust. Does anyone care or  remember that we beat USC last year? Hopefully more star players sit out the bowls and no one goes or watches so this whole system gets blown up and we get to a 8 team playoffs sooner than later.

Ask R Gary if this game is meaningful.

Bowls used to be the payoff for a good season, then it was the payoff for a not disastrous season and a chance for the top teams to reach #1, and now it's something for everyone else to do while a playoff is happening.  They don't help you get in the playoffs nor win the conference nor win the division. In that sense, they are the least meaningful game on the schedule and thus relatively meaningless. I still want us to win, but it's not that important and I don't fault anyone who is going into the draft for not playing.

An 11 win season would be nice.  The narrative around JH won't change until he beats OSU.