So...the Orange Bowl, huh?

Because Hoke said something similar we can expect similar results? Is that what you're saying? Why would the previous coach's words portend anything about the Harbaugh regime? It's clearly already superior.

Okay. Sorry you're not pleased. Sooo then fire Harbaugh?

Aren't we in if Clemson loses?

Well if we end up with the Orange Bowl, give me FSU. Would be great for recruiting for us to beat a local powerhouse in their own backyard.

If by some miracle we make the Rose Bowl, give me USC. Need to administer some payback for all the gut wrenching losses we've had to them over the years. Especially in the Carroll era.

I'd like to play FSU, just for the name factor.

Everyone seems to think our D-line's depth will fall off the map next year... We have Dwumfour and Kemp waiting in the wings as well, both are supposed to be well above-average. Plus, another year with the Doc Brown/Mattison school of aggression and I'm not worried about our D-line at all

I didn't read all 6 pages of this, good God you guys are talkative and salty!!

My thought is that the committee has shown all year they love M, and think they are one of the best 4.  If the B1G CG is a crapfest, played like last night but without the blowout, and Clemson loses, there is a small chance.  Unfortunately, I think Clemson will need to lose fairly convincingly.  Holcutt (comm chair) said Clemson had separated with Bama and OSU, which I don't understand, but whatever. 

Honestly, even with CU getting spit out like old chew, I don't think either PSU or Wiscy will jump us - unless one wins like Washington did last night.  The committee set it up last week to give Michigan every chance.  Its a long shot, but I still think that chance exists.

If not, playing FSU will just suck.  Nobody considers them a hot team, just a pretty good one that got jailsexed by Louisville and beat at home by Clemson.  The bad call at the end doesn't matter, if it did then UM would be #2.  I'm much rather play USC, or even OK (if they win Bedlam).  Not sure OK St moves the scales for anyone...

Down vote on The black and gold thread. It was all giddy for Colorado. You have to do things for yourself. Do not rely on anyone to help you out in this world. And I won't ever get all giddy for anyone but Michigan. And whomever fires last week's refs.

If we're in the Orange, I hope it's FSU and not Louisville for selfish reasons. I know and work with way too many Card fans who would make life incredibly annoying to me these last couple of weeks before vacation. They have a way over inflated sense of self for a team like that.

Despite the quotes from Hocutt, I think even had the Buffs won it would be hard to stay ahead of Wiskey. Look at the factors the committee is to employ. They'd have the championship on us. Yes, we have head to head, but they have the Iowa win on the common opponent comparison. As for strength of schedule, the other factor, right now we're 2 and they'd 5. I would guess that beating a top 10 team would move them up substantially. Put simply, had they picked us JT would have mostly been about ratings.

Would rather be in the playoff but if the Orange Bowl is the destination, we have The Fountainbleau, Doral for golf, Mongo's, Prime 112, Prime Italian and South Beach (hit the beach near the hotels that the European flight crews stay!!!).  Enought M fans pack the house, maybe Ross will make another donation from all the revenue he generates that night.  Extend the weekend to see Pats v Dolphins.   Now I don't feel as bad.....

I'm good with it. Washington will be a four and get destroyed. We would be a four, potentially, had they lost. I don't think this Michigan team beats Bama. Now they can beat FSU or USC in Pasadena. Harbaugh builds the Bowl resume as he builds up the team. That success will play into a scenario rationale for the CFP committee later.

Whichever one gives UM the most exposure to recruits is the answer. Do they get more from CA or FL. Which bowl game is meaningless otherwise. I know some say the Rose Bowl is blah blah. It is playoff or bust now. Playing in one of the big ones after is a second tier prize and gives recruiting opportunities. I'm thinking Orange vs FSU. Lots of FL guys that UM is in on would be watching and the Noles aren't great, but have a ton of high profile recruits on the team. Beating the shit out of them would look pretty good.

Everyone here is trying to rationalize this situation and it just isn't going to happen.

Alabama has beaten no on, really, and they have sat at number 1

Ohio State lost to PSU who is below them because PSU lost to us

PSU or WIS winning the conference should make them jump us but should they jump a team they lost to? If early season games don't mean anything then why play them?

But how is that fair to a conference champion to not jump a team in the conference they just won? Conference championships need to go away, look at MSU getting screwed out of a bowl game for losing the conference championship in 2011 (I know, I loved it too, sparty tears do taste like sugar), but we got in over them despite their head to head win over us.

At the end of the day this will NEVER balance out. The playoff isn't large enough. If the playoff was big enough they couldn't play enough games because one-off games don't show which team is really better. There are too many teams in the FBS to accurately determine who should even be in the playoffs. Even if there were only 10 teams they couldn't play enough times to determine who was best because you're back to the one-off thing. The college season doesn't last long enough to play the number of games necessary to do this. There arent enough players on each roster to play enough games and increasing roster size would water down the sport.

TLDR: This is an impossible situation to properly rank, a>b>c>a doesnt make sense, playoffs too small, FBS too big. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS NEED TO GO AWAY!

FSU is a scary opponent when healthy. Deondre Francois is elusive and earlier in the season was very effective - see Miami game.

The only way either Big Ten team playing tonight jumps Michigan, is if Clemson wins. That way the people behind the whole system can save some face for the conference championship thing without costing Michigan.

Michigan is in if VT wins tonight. 

Can't believe so many people doubt that after this week's rankings.

Can't believe there is any doubt that's how it should be after Michigan State slipped and slided their way through the conference and title game last year, when the metrics and eye test were screaming they were barely top 10.

then I prefer that M just get a win in whatever NY6 bowl. 

Getting the win and ending on a high note is more important than FSU/USC or Miami/Pasadena. 

Just have excellent bowl practices and get the win.  Opponent and place are seconary.

 

Louisville 

Orange Bowl versus FSU is a step up from the Citrus Bowl, but it does feel like we fell short of our potential this year. Two tough away losses in the 4th quarter of games we were winning means we just didn't have the horses upfront enough to put it away. My wish for the future is an upgrade in the OL - more depth and competition from a new class of big guys, realy big guys who take over games. We just need some Manball on the road to go undefeated with this coaching staff in the the future. But it is truly amazing to me how we can feel so greedy in such a short period of time compared to the prior RR/Hoke era. We are back and one word describes it all ... HARBAUGH !!!

And this should not shock anyone. For one, we beat both teams in the big ten championship game. For 2, there are around 10k seats for the big ten championship game going for 12 bucks, no way this is not thought of by the committee (not that it should be considered). And 3, no way a 3 lose vt or a 2 lose big 12 champ gets in over Michigan. I don't care who they play though. I think Michigan can beat any team in college football. But was wondering if the orange the bowl western may get..

I'm going to be perfectly fine with us being in the Orange Bowl. Though I know many people have dreams of us playing USC in the Rose Bowl. A poster a few days ago talked about how some teams don't play well in their bowl game after suffering a late season heart breaking loss that knocks them out of the National Champion picture. The person received some negs, but it was a very valid point. I remember one year when a good Alabama team fell short and had to play Oklahoma in a bowl game. Oklahoma smashed Alabama, but most people could tell it was because Alabama was still emotionally down and didn't care to be there. Many of us are talking down and depressed about the way this season is apparently about to finish. The Michigan players may also be feeling that way, even though they would never admit to it. I mean, we really out played OSU, but somehow still lost the game. That may be a tough one to quickly get over. Those feelings could carry over into our bowl game. That's why I feel playing FSU in the Orange Bowl would be a better and easier matchup than playing USC in the Rose Bowl. It's going to be very difficult to defeat a red hot USC team out in California if we aren't emotionally ready and bringing our A game. I'm just not for sure how well our players have moved on from that devastating defeat against OSU. The playoffs would've motivated them for redemption, but I'm not sure a bowl game will. I also want the best chance for potential recruits to see us finish the season strong.

to defend against Dalvin Cook

First bowl game I remember for Michigan was the 1976 Orange bowl. We lost to Oklahoma 14-6. Same road uniform design as today, by the way. The marching band had a fantastic show forming a shark attacking a swimmer, as "Jaws" was the big hit of 1975.