Iowa takeaways: 26-0 was good. Can't be 26-3, needed to come down after the intensity of OSU.
Offense missed some opportunities: get a catch from Barner or Loveland and it looks different.
Love that they gave Semaj Morgan another chance to get on the mic.
Using Edwards: get him running, not reading.
Sainristil: He's going to be drafted. Iowa: yes, but there were non-Iowa moments. He's playing cornerback very well.
Portal talk: Not worried about Trente anymore. Walter Nolen? Sam says they need clarity on whether he's even in the portal. Hard to move on a QB when you don't know what you've got. They're in on the OL from A&M. Can't offer starting spots.
CFP: Absolutely got it wrong. FSU had a better end to the season than Alabama, their 2nd string QB will be back, all of the arguments for Alabama are ridiculous post-hoc excuses for putting an SEC team in the Playoff. Michigan ends up better off because Texas is a tougher matchup than Bama for Michigan.
How good you are is what you've done this season. They put Cincy and MSU in the Playoff; they've never chosen the S&P+ teams—always the most deserving.
Brian: If Michigan wins out Harbaugh should offer to split it with FSU. If Alabama and FSU win out, FSU should be the national champion.
Hoops: Defense isn't the sum of their parts.
[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]
You can catch the entire episode on Michigan Insider's podcast stream.
No offense to Brian, but yes you shoulda got Blake to fill in for him on this one!
Also, Craig Ross isn't wrong about Neil Diamond but as a first-gen Asian-American, "America" is an S-tier patriotic song that works because of and in spite of Diamond.
Other Andrew
December 7th, 2023 at 11:16 AM
^
Physical property of conservation of BCs.
kehnonymous
December 7th, 2023 at 11:34 AM
^
BCs can neither be created nor destroyed?
rposly
December 7th, 2023 at 10:45 AM
^
The most compelling argument for Alabama over FSU is that I'd much rather Michigan play FSU. I think I heard someone say that right after the game, something like "go ask Coach Harbaugh who he'd rather face?" So it comes down to the endless argument of should it be the "best" teams right now, or the "most deserving." If it's best, and most people agree they'd rather play FSU, then it has to be Alabama.
samsoccer7
December 7th, 2023 at 10:55 AM
^
I think two things can be true. But the biggest question is who is to say Alabama is better than FSU? Look at the Oregon/Wash line, 9.5 pts, and Washington won. You play the games for a reason and FSU played them and won. They won their games, they won with a backup QB (irrelevant essentially), and they should reap those rewards.
Sextus Empiricus
December 7th, 2023 at 11:56 AM
^
💯
There is the additional concern of opt outs. No one opts out for Championship games...yet (pls check me if someone knows of someone who has done this.)
Consolation bowls are bullshit. The entire FSU team should opt out.
Beat Bama. Go Blue!
Erik_in_Dayton
December 7th, 2023 at 11:09 AM
^
With Alabama, we have to ask which version of them we're getting. They beat Georgia, yes, but they also needed a near-miracle to beat a 6-6 Auburn team that had lost at home to New Mexico State by 21 points the week before. And while I'm sure that Auburn was hyper-focused on beating Alabama, shouldn't Alabama have been hyper-focused on beating Auburn?
Maize and Blue AF
December 7th, 2023 at 11:40 AM
^
You're absolutely correct. I'm sure MSU was hyper-focused on beating Michigan this year and they still suffered the worst loss in their stadium's history... Georgia barely beat a 3-win GT team who lost to BGSU. The SEC had a 7-9 record against OOC P5 schools. In a vacuum, each of these SEC failings can be explained. Put together?? Not so much. Maybe, just maybe, the SEC is just an ok conference this year (gasp).
joeyb
December 7th, 2023 at 12:15 PM
^
Should Michigan have been hyper-focused on beating Maryland? They still pulled out the win and then beat Georgia (just like we pulled out the win and then beat OSU), so it seems like their focus was probably in the right place.
The biggest argument for keeping Bama out is that we already have evidence that another team is better than them. However, if you look at Bama's and FSU's schedules, FSU's best win was against LSU, whom Bama also beat. FSU's next best win was either Louisville, Miami, or some other mediocre ACC team. The teams that Bama played that are ranked higher in SP+ than FSU's second best win: UGA, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, TAMU, and Tennessee. So, Bama played two teams better than FSU's best win and went 1-1 against them.
The argument that FSU is an undefeated P5 conference champion rings hollow to me, because P5 means nothing anymore and the ACC, outside of FSU, is the worst of those conferences. You can't just say that 13-0 conference champions should be in because then Liberty would need to be in as well.
The best argument for FSU is actually an argument that Bama shouldn't be in because they already lost a play-in game against Texas. However, that would not be indicative of FSU being one of the best 4 more most-deserving 4 teams. That would have to be an argument that the playoff isn't about the best 4 teams, but about finding the best team, which means using the playoff to gain as much information as possible, but that gets messy fast too.
This whole thing is unfortunate for team 5, no matter what had happened. It's why we should have been at 12 teams a long time ago. Given that we're picking the best 4 of 5 deserving teams, someone was getting screwed no matter what.
ST3
December 7th, 2023 at 12:43 PM
^
Brian used to argue that 6 was the correct number. I suppose because the 7th ranked team was obviously not the best because they usually have 1 or 2 losses already. I never liked that because I don’t like byes. If we’re saying we know who the top 2 teams are (6 team playoff) or who the top 4 teams are (12 team playoff), then the first round is just a money grab. I much prefer an 8 team playoff. Conference champions plus at-large teams with the best resume.
The wild-card/play-in round in baseball has killed the concept of determining who is the best team. The best regular season teams get a week off to get rusty and then lose to a wild card team that has a couple pitchers get hot. Next season, we’ll have a first round for teams 5-12 to knock the rust off while teams 1-4 sit for a month. It’s beyond stupid.
Erik_in_Dayton
December 7th, 2023 at 1:30 PM
^
But Michigan & Maryland =/= Auburn & Alabama. The former was not a big game for Michigan. The latter was a big game for both teams. Alabama--just two weeks ago--underperformed in a big game. They aren't just the team that beat UGA.
Hotel Putingrad
December 7th, 2023 at 11:41 AM
^
I don't think it matters. FSU's defensive line would've eaten our OL alive and their skill position players are good enough that even a backup QB would've made it a dangerous game.
As for Alabama, overall they're not that great. But I don't like the Harbaugh vs Saban matchup. And Milroe's escapability is a real wild card.
1VaBlue1
December 7th, 2023 at 11:57 AM
^
There are two reasons why Michigan, and its fans, want to play FSU more;
They're working with a back up QB. And lets be honest, nobody here believes that Rodemaker is the threat that Travis Jordan is. But Rodemaker won games for them.
FSU's resume isn't all that. Seriously - Duke had them beat in Tallahassee until Riley Leonard's ankle gave out.
Nonetheless, FSU won all their games - including each game they played against an SEC team - and kept winning with backup QBs. The SEC didn't...
FSU deserved the nod as the better team.
dragonchild
December 7th, 2023 at 12:08 PM
^
It’s a maliciously disingenuous question because the obvious answer is “FSU because they deserve it” but SEC knob-slobbers are chopping off the meaningful part and replacing it with “because Alabama is scary”.
No, I’d rather face FSU because FSU is undefeated and Alabama isn’t. Stop trying to bury the most obvious, relevant fact with bullshit.
rposly
December 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM
^
You're twisting the question. If the question is which team deserves it, then sure, FSU. That's not the question I asked, and sure, maybe Harbaugh would say he wants to play the most deserving team, which sounds like a hollow PR answer. Maybe that's even true for him. But I was going for "which team would Michigan (or, more specifically, I as a fan) rather play in terms of a path to the Championship?" I don't care about playing the most deserving teams or the best teams. I want to get past the fucking semifinal for once. And FSU presents an easier path, IMO. Ergo, Alabama is the better team right now, again IMO.
RibbleMcDibble
December 7th, 2023 at 3:28 PM
^
Okay, but why not do this across the board?
For instance, I wanted Washington to beat Oregon because even though that would given Oregon two losses to Washington on the year, I think at their best they are a better team.
Likewise, do you think Texas would want to play Georgia over Washington? What about Ohio State?
I mean, if you were going by order of teams opponents don't want to play it would probably be some version of:
Georgia
Alabama
Ohio State
Michigan
So why not just throw out all the results?
RibbleMcDibble
December 7th, 2023 at 11:06 AM
^
I think FSU should be in 100%. What sucks for them is that this year broke perfectly for them to be left out for the SEC champ (because barring two losses, there's no way they would have left Alabama out).
In 2015, you couldn't leave Michigan State out because the only conceivable teams you could put in were Iowa and Ohio State, both already beaten by MSU.
In 2021, the only team you could put in instead of Cincinnati was Notre Dame, who lost to Cincy earlier in the year at home.
This year, the committee absolutely would have left Texas out because the Big 12 isn't viewed on the same level as the SEC...except they couldn't because Texas beat Alabama earlier in the year.
If Texas had played and beaten Georgia by 10 at Georgia and the rest of their season went the same way, they would be out.
MGolem
December 7th, 2023 at 11:10 AM
^
Georgia is going to beat FSU. Kirby Smart is not the type of coach to see this as a
This post first appeared on
Mgoblog, please read the originial post:
here
kehnonymous
December 7th, 2023 at 10:37 AM ^
No offense to Brian, but yes you shoulda got Blake to fill in for him on this one!
Also, Craig Ross isn't wrong about Neil Diamond but as a first-gen Asian-American, "America" is an S-tier patriotic song that works because of and in spite of Diamond.
Joined: 11/25/2011
MGoPoints: 30139
Other Andrew
December 7th, 2023 at 11:16 AM ^
Physical property of conservation of BCs.
Joined: 06/30/2008
MGoPoints: 6452
kehnonymous
December 7th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
BCs can neither be created nor destroyed?
Joined: 11/25/2011
MGoPoints: 30139
rposly
December 7th, 2023 at 10:45 AM ^
The most compelling argument for Alabama over FSU is that I'd much rather Michigan play FSU. I think I heard someone say that right after the game, something like "go ask Coach Harbaugh who he'd rather face?" So it comes down to the endless argument of should it be the "best" teams right now, or the "most deserving." If it's best, and most people agree they'd rather play FSU, then it has to be Alabama.
Joined: 11/01/2014
MGoPoints: 1956
samsoccer7
December 7th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
I think two things can be true. But the biggest question is who is to say Alabama is better than FSU? Look at the Oregon/Wash line, 9.5 pts, and Washington won. You play the games for a reason and FSU played them and won. They won their games, they won with a backup QB (irrelevant essentially), and they should reap those rewards.
Joined: 07/08/2008
MGoPoints: 10717
Sextus Empiricus
December 7th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
💯
There is the additional concern of opt outs. No one opts out for Championship games...yet (pls check me if someone knows of someone who has done this.)
https://www.si.com/college/fsu/football/florida-state-star-wide-receiver-opts-out-of-orange-bowl-declares-for-2024-nfl-draft
Consolation bowls are bullshit. The entire FSU team should opt out.
Beat Bama. Go Blue!
Joined: 09/21/2009
MGoPoints: 6917
Erik_in_Dayton
December 7th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
With Alabama, we have to ask which version of them we're getting. They beat Georgia, yes, but they also needed a near-miracle to beat a 6-6 Auburn team that had lost at home to New Mexico State by 21 points the week before. And while I'm sure that Auburn was hyper-focused on beating Alabama, shouldn't Alabama have been hyper-focused on beating Auburn?
Joined: 12/03/2008
MGoPoints: 56615
Maize and Blue AF
December 7th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
You're absolutely correct. I'm sure MSU was hyper-focused on beating Michigan this year and they still suffered the worst loss in their stadium's history... Georgia barely beat a 3-win GT team who lost to BGSU. The SEC had a 7-9 record against OOC P5 schools. In a vacuum, each of these SEC failings can be explained. Put together?? Not so much. Maybe, just maybe, the SEC is just an ok conference this year (gasp).
Joined: 12/20/2014
MGoPoints: 1385
joeyb
December 7th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
Should Michigan have been hyper-focused on beating Maryland? They still pulled out the win and then beat Georgia (just like we pulled out the win and then beat OSU), so it seems like their focus was probably in the right place.
The biggest argument for keeping Bama out is that we already have evidence that another team is better than them. However, if you look at Bama's and FSU's schedules, FSU's best win was against LSU, whom Bama also beat. FSU's next best win was either Louisville, Miami, or some other mediocre ACC team. The teams that Bama played that are ranked higher in SP+ than FSU's second best win: UGA, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, TAMU, and Tennessee. So, Bama played two teams better than FSU's best win and went 1-1 against them.
The argument that FSU is an undefeated P5 conference champion rings hollow to me, because P5 means nothing anymore and the ACC, outside of FSU, is the worst of those conferences. You can't just say that 13-0 conference champions should be in because then Liberty would need to be in as well.
The best argument for FSU is actually an argument that Bama shouldn't be in because they already lost a play-in game against Texas. However, that would not be indicative of FSU being one of the best 4 more most-deserving 4 teams. That would have to be an argument that the playoff isn't about the best 4 teams, but about finding the best team, which means using the playoff to gain as much information as possible, but that gets messy fast too.
This whole thing is unfortunate for team 5, no matter what had happened. It's why we should have been at 12 teams a long time ago. Given that we're picking the best 4 of 5 deserving teams, someone was getting screwed no matter what.
Joined: 10/12/2008
MGoPoints: 16525
ST3
December 7th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^
Brian used to argue that 6 was the correct number. I suppose because the 7th ranked team was obviously not the best because they usually have 1 or 2 losses already. I never liked that because I don’t like byes. If we’re saying we know who the top 2 teams are (6 team playoff) or who the top 4 teams are (12 team playoff), then the first round is just a money grab. I much prefer an 8 team playoff. Conference champions plus at-large teams with the best resume.
The wild-card/play-in round in baseball has killed the concept of determining who is the best team. The best regular season teams get a week off to get rusty and then lose to a wild card team that has a couple pitchers get hot. Next season, we’ll have a first round for teams 5-12 to knock the rust off while teams 1-4 sit for a month. It’s beyond stupid.
Joined: 09/11/2010
MGoPoints: 48436
Erik_in_Dayton
December 7th, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
But Michigan & Maryland =/= Auburn & Alabama. The former was not a big game for Michigan. The latter was a big game for both teams. Alabama--just two weeks ago--underperformed in a big game. They aren't just the team that beat UGA.
Joined: 12/03/2008
MGoPoints: 56615
Hotel Putingrad
December 7th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
I don't think it matters. FSU's defensive line would've eaten our OL alive and their skill position players are good enough that even a backup QB would've made it a dangerous game.
As for Alabama, overall they're not that great. But I don't like the Harbaugh vs Saban matchup. And Milroe's escapability is a real wild card.
Joined: 12/10/2014
MGoPoints: 199990
1VaBlue1
December 7th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
There are two reasons why Michigan, and its fans, want to play FSU more;
Nonetheless, FSU won all their games - including each game they played against an SEC team - and kept winning with backup QBs. The SEC didn't...
FSU deserved the nod as the better team.
Joined: 01/31/2016
MGoPoints: 118153
dragonchild
December 7th, 2023 at 12:08 PM ^
It’s a maliciously disingenuous question because the obvious answer is “FSU because they deserve it” but SEC knob-slobbers are chopping off the meaningful part and replacing it with “because Alabama is scary”.
No, I’d rather face FSU because FSU is undefeated and Alabama isn’t. Stop trying to bury the most obvious, relevant fact with bullshit.
Joined: 10/13/2011
MGoPoints: 54997
rposly
December 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
You're twisting the question. If the question is which team deserves it, then sure, FSU. That's not the question I asked, and sure, maybe Harbaugh would say he wants to play the most deserving team, which sounds like a hollow PR answer. Maybe that's even true for him. But I was going for "which team would Michigan (or, more specifically, I as a fan) rather play in terms of a path to the Championship?" I don't care about playing the most deserving teams or the best teams. I want to get past the fucking semifinal for once. And FSU presents an easier path, IMO. Ergo, Alabama is the better team right now, again IMO.
Joined: 11/01/2014
MGoPoints: 1956
RibbleMcDibble
December 7th, 2023 at 3:28 PM ^
Okay, but why not do this across the board?
For instance, I wanted Washington to beat Oregon because even though that would given Oregon two losses to Washington on the year, I think at their best they are a better team.
Likewise, do you think Texas would want to play Georgia over Washington? What about Ohio State?
I mean, if you were going by order of teams opponents don't want to play it would probably be some version of:
Georgia
Alabama
Ohio State
Michigan
So why not just throw out all the results?
Joined: 10/24/2023
MGoPoints: 3801
RibbleMcDibble
December 7th, 2023 at 11:06 AM ^
I think FSU should be in 100%. What sucks for them is that this year broke perfectly for them to be left out for the SEC champ (because barring two losses, there's no way they would have left Alabama out).
In 2015, you couldn't leave Michigan State out because the only conceivable teams you could put in were Iowa and Ohio State, both already beaten by MSU.
In 2021, the only team you could put in instead of Cincinnati was Notre Dame, who lost to Cincy earlier in the year at home.
This year, the committee absolutely would have left Texas out because the Big 12 isn't viewed on the same level as the SEC...except they couldn't because Texas beat Alabama earlier in the year.
If Texas had played and beaten Georgia by 10 at Georgia and the rest of their season went the same way, they would be out.
Joined: 10/24/2023
MGoPoints: 3801
MGolem
December 7th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Georgia is going to beat FSU. Kirby Smart is not the type of coach to see this as a