Higdon spotted in FL, likely sitting out bowl

Higdon is a captain and Harbaugh should be unhappy with him.  He expects his leaders to be there for the team.  If he doesn't want to play, then he should GTFO.

That person is Bush

He could get hit by a bus tomorrow or by some snow-bird retiree driving down in FL now.  This is not an either/or proposition.  He could still play, just with reduced snaps and sit out the late stages - just like the team does against Rutgers and others.  This is not a justified precaution: it is an excuse.

i totally get that.  but he's a captain, and therein lies the significant difference.  captains lead.  captains play the hardest at all times.  captains show courage, intensity, and perseverance at all times.  captains would never assign a task to someone that they aren't willing to carry out.   and for this football season he was captain, not just for 12 games, but for the whole season.  i bet the vote for captain is much different if there'd been an additional question:  if we're not in the CFP, are you going to sit?

not mad at the guy.  loved rooting for him and wish him wild success in the NFL.  however, i would pull that figurative 'C' off his jersey.  he has abandoned the ship. 

I’m sure Michigan football fans would have loved Cole and Hurst and Hammer Panda sitting out the OSU game 2 years ago because we weren’t going to win the B10 or get to the playoffs.

if kids are super worried about getting injured in a game that counts as much as any non-conference game, maybe they shouldn’t play football. Or just play one or two games in the year and voluntarily sit the rest out because they have a good draft grade

This line you speak of is only drawn by the individual player that has to weigh his joy of playing the game vs his joy of living an injury free life.  That is the only argument that has to be answered, and it can only be answered by each individual player on an individual game by game basis.

It ultimately comes down to the player, and my general feeling is it's their choice to make.  Ultimately it doesn't hurt me one bit if they sit or play; I'm not the one being tackled by 250 lb dudes running at 20 mph.  If we suddenly start seeing guys sitting out an entire year then so be it, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.  But a guy who skips the Peach Bowl against Florida to make sure he can make a go of it at his career isn't going to fall out of good graces with me.

As said below, it is ultimately up to the person. You cannot force them to play. But it could be the policy that there will be no pressure by coaches or other players that kids going to NFL should play.  As we saw with Bosa, kids could stop playing in the middle of a good season. They have to consider if that will carry a negative tone for the draft. 

Why would you think it is even possible that is is "really a binary choice; between playing in the NFL, or not supporting a child?"  Do you really believe it could even possibly be true that every single supported child in the world is the progeny of an NFL player?

That's some real dumb thinking right there.  You might want to stop before you show your ass even worse.

Do you take people to task for staying in grad school or pursuing some additional schooling or training in order to reach a better job with a brighter future?  If this was a non-athlete, would you tell him to drop out of college and pick up a job driving for UPS or something?  Because that's a short-term solution that leads to a long-term problem in terms of financial security and job opportunities.

I get that people are mad at guys not playing.  But good lord is this place intolerable when the "back in my day" and "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and "UNACCEPTABLE" crowds all find themselves in a thread. 

I don't think that's how most coaches approach the extra practice time, you still "game plan" in the same weekly cycle as the reg season. The extra time is for healing injuries and introducing new players and new elements that you wish you had this year, so you're getting ready for next.

Because it is the Peach Bowl, not the playoffs. What do these players who are leaving for the NFL have to gain by playing in this game? Now think about what they have to risk. This season ended in Cbus. We lost our shot at the B1G title and the playoff and also the consolation prize of the Rose Bowl. We managed to do all that in embarrassing fashion. Our season ended that day. Time to regroup and get ready for next year starting with these bowl practices.

If Christian Turner goes out and has a big game. Or we come out and throw the ball all over the field to our very talented WR. Or if our DTs look to have made strides, and our young CBs hang in the back pocket of the Florida receivers (assuming Long and Hill sit), then this place will be a lot more pleasant over the offseason because there will be hope for next year.