December 2nd, 2018 at 5:16 PM ^
After what happened to Jake Butt in the orange bowl vs. FSU, I’d never blame a kid for sitting out of a non-CFP bowl game.
December 2nd, 2018 at 5:32 PM ^
Yeah, I don’t understand how anyone could get upset with a kid sitting out a glorified exhibition game. Unless you’re in the playoffs, no reason to play in it if you’re a top two day pick. Unless you really ball out, one game isn’t going to improve your stock all that much. More likely to drop or get injured than anything. Props to kids to do want to play, but I’ll never criticize a kid for not playing.
December 2nd, 2018 at 5:53 PM ^
I respect Rashan's choice, but - unless he is still hurt and has a real chance of aggravating the injury - this is disappointing to hear.
Best of luck to him and I hope he has a great career.
December 2nd, 2018 at 5:59 PM ^
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I get upset about it. I'm all for fulfilling your commitment. He wants to leave a year early, fine. But finish out the season.
And to be honest, he hasn't exactly had a stellar college career. He never became the player people thought he would be and spent much of this season injured. Having a big game against a good opponent actually could help his stock quote a bit. There are many other good DL that will likely go ahead of him.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^
This game is not going to make a lick of difference in his draft stock. But more importantly, IMO: these kids come and play for peanuts and make gazillions of dollars for a bunch of suits. I don't think we should expect them to do anything but preserve their ability to make as much money as they can as quickly as they can.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^
I agree they should be paid, this is probably going to end up being the driving force behind it. Players sitting out games, seasons etc and costing the NCAA revenue. But I agree with this unpopular opionion. At what point do games become meaningless? If we are 4-7 going into OSU is that game now meaningless? At some point to the player all the college games are much less important when they have an NFL career ahead of them. So when is sitting out ok and when is it not ok? Are all Rutgers games ok to sit out? If it doesn't matter why play any starters at all in the bowl game? Let the second team get practice reps.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:37 PM ^
This is a side-effect of the College Football Playoff. The CFP is awesome for Bama and Clemson fans, but it pretty much sucks major ass for everybody else. It has completely ruined bowl season and I believe is also one of the driving forces behind dwindling attendance later in the season. It will only get worse from here. It isn’t going anywhere, but it needs to expand ASAP. It is kind of insidiously ruining the sport in my opinion. 15 years ago departing players played in the damn Gator Bowl and were pumped about it.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:49 PM ^
I agree. The bowl games are there to make money for the people who run them, but at least before the playoff they seemed important. Now they are a weird side show that doesn't feel important to the fans or the players anymore. The time off before the bowl game used to feel like the anticipation before the start of the season but it's pretty clear that if you aren't in the playoff the season is over.
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:57 PM ^
The picture I see is: More players not playing in bowls because their bowl doesnt matter, will put pressure for more playoff games. TV needs these games to matter. They get it. We haven't reached that part yet. But it will happen.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:54 PM ^
Can't blame Rashan one bit. All the best to this special young man.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:55 PM ^
Can't blame Rashan one bit. All the best to this special young man.
December 2nd, 2018 at 7:04 PM ^
This is a crazy take. Before the playoffs there was the BCS, where only one bowl game meant anything. Prior to the BCS there were one or two bowl games that meant anything, maybe three in some years, but more often than not those bowl games meant a lot for one team who had a chance a championship and very little for the other team. You now have three bowl games that are meaningful to both teams that will participate. If you think this system has lessened the importance of the other bowls, it’s only because you started to pay attention, not because it has gotten worse.
December 2nd, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
None of this post is accurate.
December 2nd, 2018 at 8:05 PM ^
Totally disagree. I think he's entirely accurate. There would be 2-3 teams capable of winning a national championship in a given year and most didn't play each other in the bowl season. The rest of the bowls meant nothing more than they do now. That would mean a tops of 3 bowl games that went towards determining a champion (or not when the ballot got split when two top teams didn't play). We now have 3 games that determine a clear cut champion. I wanted U of M to win the Citrus Bowl against arkansas in 1999 just as much as the one against Florida (citrus right?) a few years ago. Still a game against a quality opponent that allows your team one last go for the season that has no bearing on the national picture.
December 2nd, 2018 at 8:11 PM ^
Some elaboration would be helpful.
December 3rd, 2018 at 6:41 AM ^
Your recollection of bowl games during the BCS era has been compromised. The Rose Bowl against USC, the Rose Bowl against Texas, the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. Those games mattered. Even the Capital One Bowl against Florida mattered. All of those games were littered with seniors and going-to-be early entries who buster their ass preparing for those games. The BCS left the rest of the bowl system intact, and meaningful, and in hindsight was a far better format than the Playoff for the fans.
December 3rd, 2018 at 10:07 AM ^
The Capital One Bowl against Florida mattered just as much as the 2018 Peach Bowl against Florida. It's a bowl. There's really nothing more than that on the line. The two teams play for pride and as a reward for their season. There was nothing more "meaningful" about any of those games you mentioned. It's fans' attitudes that have changed. The 1997 Rose Bowl meant nothing to Washington State. Tom Brady's Orange Bowl meant nothing between us and Alabama. They are the same "meaningless exhibitions" as everyone now cries today. There is no difference.
December 3rd, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
It is player’s attitudes that have also changed. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because the players would be playing (like they did before the Playoff) and it wouldn’t even be a topic. Players used to play their asses off in bowl games, regardless of what game it was. Now, five years into the Playoff, they sit them out because they are “meaningless.”
December 3rd, 2018 at 1:03 PM ^
Exactly. And the attitude that it's meaningless does in fact say something (even if in a small, understandable way) about the way they view the school, the program, the team, and their teammates. How can it not?
I understand why players do it, but I still strongly disagree with them and dislike it.
This has fluctuated over time. If it continues, they ought to go back to not counting bowl games toward team records or player stats.
Anyway, I'd keep my comment to myself, but why waste a chance to have one of the most nested comments since 3.0?
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:17 PM ^
December 2nd, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
15 years ago departing players played in the damn Gator Bowl and were pumped about it.
We didn't seem too pumped about the 2011 Gator Bowl...
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:20 PM ^
Yup. In the not too distant future we’re all going to wake up and realize we’re simply watching minor league football. And you have to wonder if the Toledo Mudhens could draw 100,000.
And we can thank the NCAA for all of it.
December 2nd, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^
I was looking to see if anyone else mentioned this. These are business decisions that are a direct result of the Playoff System. Other bowl games are basically meaningless...
Don't blame Gary one bit... kid is a freak of nature who is about to make more money than 99.9999% of the general public. This game does nothing extra for his stock...
December 3rd, 2018 at 7:54 AM ^
Yep. Let us watch the MAC champ lose in first round of a 16 to 20 team playoff that includes conference champs, at least the futile debates.
I’d rather see two less OOC games (kids have to play extra useless games now because of megaconferences), more playoffs. Pay the smaller schools more to be the warm up.
Move up The Game week, and all other games, too. Play conference championships at end of November. Start playoffs mid December.
Guarantee all conferences have a shot with their champs. Give top 4 or 6 seeds a first round bye. I’d rather see those small schools get paid in a playoff than as OOC practice.
December 3rd, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
Absolutely agree. I've been annoyed with this Frankenstein bowl system since they introduced the CFP. They want a playoff, but they also want to keep the traditional bowl system, so we end up with this.
The fix is eliminate OOC games, go straight conference (9 games), conference champs get automatic bid and first round bye while runner-ups get a wild-card-style bid. The playoff essentially becomes OOC schedule playing at the venues that traditionally host bowl games. All the smaller bowls that bring in a high-school game-sized audience would go away.
The main disadvantage in my plan would be the non-playoff teams would get less revenue they would have received from OOC games. It might help to have conference re-organization with more and smaller conferences to fill out a full 16-team bracket.
December 3rd, 2018 at 2:03 PM ^
Well then you need to take the money out of the game. Volunteer coaches and administrators, no advertising allowed on radio and TV broadcasts, no merchandising, no nuttin, honey. Free tickets too.
Otherwise, if anybody is making money on the sport then pay the players before anyone else and pay them the most. There is no justification for profiteering from unpaid labor and performance, especially when they are risking life and limb. Very few escape at least one serious injury or surgery during a career and probably all are going to have life long or later in life health issues with knees, hips and brains to varying degrees.
December 2nd, 2018 at 10:32 PM ^
Some of them also play for their teammates.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^
He finished out the regular season. Considering that he came back from injury to do so, I wouldn't question his commitment.
Note that football is one of the only college sports in which you may still have postseason games after you've been eliminated from the national title hunt. In most sports, if you don't qualify for the tournament, that's it - the season's over. The football bowl games are an oddity.
Basketball is one of the other exceptions (NIT, CBI) - and there, entire teams regularly vote to decline playing in the second-rate tournaments.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:16 PM ^
It's interesting to me that even though the overwhelming fan sentiment on this site is that the game is meaningless, if a player dares to basically express the same opinion, he's a loser who doesn't know the meaning of commitment and hard work and needs a haircut, etc...
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:19 PM ^
His commitment of what? Going to school so that others can make money off of him and that people like you and I can have emotional enjoyment and entertainment in watching our football team play. He literally went to Michigan to increase my entertainment level and others. He will be doing the same in the NFL except actually reaping the benefits of being an entertainer.
December 2nd, 2018 at 8:12 PM ^
I'm not arguing that he should play or shouldn't play... But the commitment is to the team. The other players. I'm sure the bowl game isn't meaningless to them and while I'm sure they support Rashan, I'm sure they'd also love to play alongside him once more and feel that he improves their chances of winning . Again, I'm fine with his decision, just answering the "commitment to who?" part of your post.
December 3rd, 2018 at 2:12 PM ^
Correction: You meant he'll reap about half his rewards while 32 individuals, "owners" steal the other half of his and the other 1400 or so money makers rewards.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
Everybody is stoked that the WR coach isn't fulfilling his commitment so he can prepare for a better opportunity. I don't see why a player should be held to a higher standard.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:50 PM ^
He’s a potential first round pick. If he gets hurt, he’s a potential late round pick. And increases his his for further injury like Jake Butt. He was a part of that game. He saw it. And now look at Butt. He will be incredibly fortunate to get a second NFL contract. Heck, he’ll be fortunate to play another NFL down.
These games are fairly meaningless. Unless you’re in the playoffs, bowl games don’t mean too much in terms of their results. Gary is a guy that’s going to improve his stock at the combine because of his athleticism for his size. Even a non career threatening injury that would keep him out of the combine would hurt him more than one big game would.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^
If his career hasn’t been to your expectations, why are you upset that he is sitting out?
December 2nd, 2018 at 7:05 PM ^
I'm thinking he's still not 100% and he doesn't want to risk reaggrevating the injury either in the game or in practice. Best of luck to Rashan, it was great to have you while we did...
December 2nd, 2018 at 11:26 PM ^
Same thought. There's a timeline to his injury recovery and he has been coping with it for more than a year while being double teamed and held on the field the whole time. At this point he is well served to think about what's on the line for his future and plan accordingly.
December 2nd, 2018 at 7:51 PM ^
Agreed.
December 2nd, 2018 at 8:37 PM ^
Gary's mom just bitched out the radio sports talk guys in GR for saying gary didn't do great during his college career.
She went into detail about how his position in Brown's defense isn't going to get all the numbers which is why chase stacked up all the sacks the majority of the time.
Then when Rashan went down and chase played his spot his production dropped considerably as well and Uche blew up..
It make's sense, but im not a huge x and o guy to understand fully the in's and out's of every defense.
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:10 PM ^
No there aren't, but keep believing it to fit your narrative. 3-4 end or DT depending on who drafts him. If his shoulder is healthy he will kill the combine.
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:17 PM ^
Michigan received over 51.1 Million in revenues for Football in 2017. There are 85 players on the roster. That means each player (on raw average) helped generate 600,000 worth of revenue in ONE YEAR (2,400,000 over four years). In exchange that got... a college degree ($160,000 in total, if considering out of state tuitions, etc)? Gary is taking his opportunity to go make millions after having made Michigan millions. He owes Michigan nothing and has paid his commitment in full.
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:38 PM ^
and the water boy? what about him?
December 2nd, 2018 at 9:45 PM ^
Your opinion is popular with me. This is not a glorified game as some has suggested. This is a bowl game and the program could really use a win in it. Finish the season with the rest of your teammates who have bleed with you all year
December 2nd, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^
I could not agree more. It will be interesting to see what Winovich does.
It might be old school and pre college playoff thinking but I still feel like you should represent your school - the institution that showcased you - even if it’s “just” a bowl game.
I guess those days are over.
December 3rd, 2018 at 1:19 AM ^
Sitting is fine for a meaningless game. Don’t risk your future. He’s a top ten pick and his production based on counting stats doesn’t indicate the impact he had overall for a great defense. Plus this allows the other guys all the practice and game reps which is a good thing.
December 3rd, 2018 at 9:19 AM ^
there are not "many other good dl that will go ahead of him." they just won't.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:06 PM ^
I mean, really, if that is the case, why even play in the CFP?
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:36 PM ^
This is my question. I understand 100% a player considering his future before his college team. It sucks for the fans but I get it. I've believed players should be compensated for at least 15 years, even writing a paper to that effect in college. But I hope people realize meaningless bowl games are going to become meaningful bowl games/cfp games and eventually regular season games as well. It'll take one superstar sitting out the championship game to shake up the whole system.
December 2nd, 2018 at 6:42 PM ^
I don’t really even know how they will combat it even then. If you then decide to pay the players, is it going to enough to be worth it for them to play? Will they be “under contract” to play all the games including bowl games? I think what needs to happen is to eliminate the 3 year rule and just allow pro-teams to have a “minor league.” Some players will skip college entirely but others will play even if they are “draft ready.” But this house of cards is starting to crumble a bit.
December 2nd, 2018 at 8:34 PM ^