Seidel: Michigan football finishes 5 points from being truly special

2016 Michigan Football Highlights at MSU

Free Press sports writers Mark Snyder and Jeff Seidel recap U-M"s 33-32 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Video by Mark Snyder/DFP

Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis gives up the game-winning touchdown against Florida State receiver Nyqwan Murray during the second half of U-M"s 33-32 loss in Orange Bowl to Florida State Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier DFP)Buy Photo

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. You had to figure this gamewas going to be strange when Renegade, Florida State"s mascot horse, took a tumble during the pregame festivities.

After that?

It got even crazier.

There were injuries and collapses and comebacks and then some more collapses and comebacks sometimes, it seemed to happen in the same breath -- and then came the blocked extra point and the kickoff and the final collapse. All in all, it was enough to make your head spin, as the Orange Bowl turned into a wild crazy drama on fast forward that Florida State pulled out with a 33-32 victory over Michigan.

The way I feel about it is it was a heck of a game, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said.

And now that the season over, what are we to make of this Michigan team? This team that had so much potential but ended the season by losing three of its last four games?

To be fair, it should be pointed out that this team lost those three games by a total of five points. Change a few plays here and there and everything would have been far different. In this game. In this season.

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But ultimately, that didnt happen. This team fell short of its potential. It failed to get to the College Football Playoff. It failed to win the Big Ten championship. It failed to win the Orange Bowl.

It was a season of unfulfilled potential. Close but five points short.

I love them, love these guys, Harbaugh said. Great group of competitors, great group of workers, and a great group of guys that find a way. They"ve got a will to win. Not just they want to win; I mean, they must win. I love them for it.

For most of this game, Michigan was stuck between a Hard Rock and a hard place.

All-AmericalinebackerJabrill Peppers sat out of the Orange Bowl with a leg injury. Tight end Jake b**t was lost to a knee injury. Quarterback Wilton Speight was getting beat up. He was sacked and whacked and looked genuinely frustrated, while missing wide-open receivers in the end zone. The Wolverines couldnt run the ball and michigans stifling defense looked out of whack.

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Thats a pretty hard place, as Florida State built a 20-6 halftime lead at the Orange Bowl in Hard Rock Stadium.

But Michigan punter Kenny Allen kept pinning FSU deep. Where would this team have been without his punting?

And then Michigan linebacker Mike McCray picked off a pass and plunged into the end zone for a touchdown hey, if the offense cant score a touchdown, the defense has to pick up the slack.

I"ve got to give credit to Ben Gedeon, McCray said. He called it out and I was going on the blitz and he asked me to help him out, and I did. I guess I just caught the ball and scored.

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Suddenly, Michigan had life.

Suddenly, Michigan had a chance.

The Wolverines defense was pushing FSU backward.

Then, Dalvin Cook took over. The Wolverines were doing a good job of containing Cook until whoops there he goes. He broke two tackles, outran everybody else and ripped off a 71-yarder. Four plays later, FSU quarterback Deondre Francois strolled into the end zone, giving FSU a 27-15 lead.

I think he"s a great player, Harbaugh said. It was a heck of an effort on his part and our part, I thought, from where I was standing.

Just like that, the Wolverines were back in a familiar place.

Stuck between that Hard Rock and a Hard Place.

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But Michigan wouldnt fold.

There was Speight, hitting Khalid Hill on a touchdown, as FSU held a 27-22 lead.

Basically I had an under route, and I saw that it was zone, and I saw Wilton escaping to the right, and I just stopped, and he saw me and he hit me, Hill said.

Again, Michigan had life, in this wild, crazy, Orange Bowl.

Then, it looked like Michigan was going to win after Chris Evans dived into the end zone.

You keep pounding away at it, Harbaugh said, and keep chipping away at it and then you start making the four-yard gains and then the six-yard gains and then the 10-yard gains, and then finally we popped one there with Chris Evans.

Then, the unthinkable. Keith Gavin returned the kickoff 66 yards. Four playslater, Francois hit Nyqwan Murray on a 12-yard touchdown that gave FSU the win.

What a crazy night.

It all started with Peppers.

Before the game, the hot scuttlebutt was that Peppers was hurt and wasnt going to play. But Peppers came out during warmups, catching punts. He moved gingerly and appeared to have trouble with his left leg.

Jabrill had his hamstring grab on him yesterday, and he was jumping for a ball, it was very unfortunate, Harbaugh said. He wasn"t able to run, could see it on the film yesterday, and couldn"t get to where he could run and be effective out there, so we didn"t play him.

It sucked, Peppers said, adding that he hasnt decided if he will turn pro.

At halftime, Florida State had a 20-6 lead and the Wolverines were all out of whack.

The Wolverines had no answer for DeMarcus Walker, a 6-foot-3 and 280-pound defensive lineman who dominated. This came as no surprise to Harbaugh. Before the game, the U-M coach called Walker FSUs best player.

And still, Michigan couldnt block him.

FSU came into this game with the most sacks in the country and it only continued in this game, whacking Speight. He was sacked three times in the first three quarters.

Speight was not sharp early, completing just three of his first nine passes. He missed Jehu Chesson in the right corner of the end zone and later he missed Amara Darboh in the end zone.

He bent over, clearly frustrated.

But the Wolverines came back.

Give Michigan credit for how it fought back.

There was no quit in this team.

But in the end, it was five points from being truly special.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go tofreep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/.

Source: http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2016/12/31/michigan-wolverines-football-orange-bowl-florida-state-seminoles/96019762/

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Michigan football weekend rooting guide -- Nov. 10-12

Maryland vs Michigan football 2016

As long as the Michigan Wolverines are in contention for the College Football Playoff, ClickOnDetroit.com will list each weekend"s games that could help U of M"s quest to reach the Final Four.

The pool of college football teams still in contention for the playoff continues to dwindle, with only seven Power 5 teams with one or no losses remaining.

Michigan, the lone unbeaten team in the Big Ten, is right in the thick of the race.

This weekend"s games are extremely important to the playoff landscape. Only three weeks stand between the remaining contenders and their conference championship games, so each Saturday is either an opportunity to move up or a hurdle to survive.

READ:Big Ten football power rankings

Michigan controls its own destiny, but with Ohio State rounding into form, the showdown in Columbus is shaping up to be a incredibly difficult challenge. Here are some of the games that would improve Michigan"s playoff chances, even if it slips up before the end of the season.

For a more in-depth explanation about why we post these rooting guides,click here. To see how last weekend went for the Wolverines,click here.

Must-haves

These are the games that absolutely have to go Michigan"s way to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Michigan over Iowa (8 p.m. Saturday): This is Michigan"s toughest road test of the season before the trip to Columbus. Iowa has lost two straight games, but always seems to give Michigan a challenge at KinnickStadium. If Michigan wins, its playoff hopes stay on track.

Toss-ups

These are the games that would help Michigan"s playoff chances and have a realistic chance of happening.

Duke over North Carolina (Duke 28, North Carolina 27): North Carolina is shaping up to be one of the top two-loss teams in the country, which could create a tricky situation if the Tarheels somehow win the ACC title and finish 11-2. With a loss to Duke, one of the ACC"s four potential contenders would be erased.

Arizona State over Utah (Utah 49, Arizona State 26): This is a very big under-the-radar game, and it"s not because Utah is a legitimate playoff contender. If the Utes fall to Arizona State and tumble out of the rankings, Washington will lose its only win over a ranked team. That would greatly damage Washington"s chance to make the playoffs as a one-loss conference champion.

Baylor over Oklahoma (Noon Saturday): Baylor"s season ended last weekend with it losing by 40 points to an average TCU team. The Bears have a chance this weekend to take down one of the Big 12"s final, desperate hopes for a playoff bid.

South Carolina over Florida (Noon Saturday): Like Baylor, Florida picked up its second loss of the season last Saturday in embarrassing fashion, watching its playoff hopes die. But a third loss would further crush the image of the SEC East and widen the Big Ten"s lead as the best conference in college football.

UCF over Cincinnati (Noon Saturday): One year after going 0-12, UCF is a win away from bowl eligibility. If the Knights can take down Cincinnati and pull off an upset in one of their final two games, that would give Michigan another nonconference win over a team with a winning record. In fact, UCF is even stronger than its 5-4 record, as three losses came by one possession.

Texas over West Virginia (Noon Saturday): Barring absolute mayhem over the final three weeks (which is a distinct possibility, as college football has shown us in the past), West Virginia is the last Big 12 team that would have a chance to get into the playoff over a one-loss Michigan team. Texas could take care of that this weekend.

Penn State over Indiana (Noon Saturday): Penn State really needs to be careful against an Indiana team on the brink of bowl eligibility. If the Nittany Lions continue to win, they"ll continue to move up in the top 10 of the rankings, strengthening Michigan"s resume.

Northwestern over Purdue (Noon Saturday): No matter what the committee says, I believe that the Big Ten teams would have an advantage if the conference as a whole continues to succeed. Northwestern has a chance to be a 10thteam in the conference to qualify for a bowl game, but it needs this win over Purdue.

Georgia over Auburn (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Auburn is one of the few teams in the country that controls its own destiny en route to the College Football Playoff. The Tigers would definitely made the field of four with a win at Alabama and an SEC title, unless they lose to Georgia first.

Georgia Tech over Virginia Tech (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Virginia Tech is in a very similar position to North Carolina, except Virginia Tech already won the head-to-head meeting. The Hokies have the inside track to the ACC Coastal Division title, so a loss in the final three weeks would be devastating.

Appalachian State over Troy (3:30 p.m. Saturday): it"s truly incredible that this game has any bearing on the top four, but Clemson"s win over Troy is really helping its resume, as the Trojans are undefeated since their game against the Tigers. If Michigan and Clemson both lost a game, the Wolverines don"t want Clemson to have a win over a 12-1 Troy team.

Wisconsin over Illinois (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Wisconsin finally controls its own destiny in the Big Ten West Division. The CFP committee chairman said this week that the Badgers have separated themselves from the other one-loss teams in the country. That means that Michigan"s win over Wisconsin will continue to be one of the best wins in the country as long as the Badgers continue to win.

Texas Tech over Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Teams rarely go from irrelevant to top 15 as quickly as Oklahoma State did, and the Cowboys still have a chance to make another big jump against rival Oklahoma later in the year.

Ole Miss over Texas A&M (7:30 p.m. Saturday): Texas A&M somehow fell only four spots after being dominated by a 3-5 team. If the Aggies fall to 4-5 Ole Miss, maybe they"ll drop out of the top 10.

USC over Washington (7:30 p.m. Saturday): This is one of the biggest remaining games of the college football season. If USC can top Washington, it will throw the Pac-12 into a complete tailspin. If Washington wins, it will pick up a much-needed second big win.

Colorado over Arizona (10 p.m. Saturday): Colorado is 7-2 with a chance to play in the Pac-12 championship game. What a huge nonconference win that has turned out to be for Michigan. The more Colorado wins, the better Michigan"s body of work looks.

Get greedy

These are games that would help Michigan"s playoff chances but probably won"t happen.

Boston College over Florida State (7:30 p.m. Friday): Florida State is an overrated team based on its resume, but that doesn"t change the fact that the Seminoles are a huge boost to both Clemson"s and Louisville"s resumes. Boston College is awful, so an upset here would throw an enormous wrench into the ACC"s image.

Pittsburgh over Clemson (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Clemson is obviously one of Michigan"s top competitors outside the Big Ten. Any undefeated teams that lose and improve Michigan"s standing would be a win for the Wolverines.

Maryland over Ohio State (3:30 p.m. Saturday): Remember what Ohio State did to Nebraska last week? Poor Maryland.

Hawaii over Boise State (7 p.m. Saturday): Michigan hopes every week that Hawaii will pick up a big win and help its resume. Hawaii always seems to falls short.

Wake Forest over Louisville (7 p.m. Saturday): Nobody was happier than Louisville to see Texas A&M fall last weekend. The Cardinals are lurking in the weeds, just waiting for teams in the top five to drop off. They should be in line for another blowout win Saturday.

Copyright 2016 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/michigan-football-weekend-rooting-guide-nov-10-12

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Rashan Gary picks Michigan football: "A day of excitement, a day of joy"

2016 Michigan Football: Dignity Restored

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Denard Robinson was there as an NFL player and as a Michigan graduate. So was New York Yankees great Derek Jeter. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, too.

Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, singer Mayer Hawthorne and WWE superstar Ric Flair were also in attendance -- to welcome the Michigan football program"s incoming freshman class for 2016.

Michigan introduced its freshman class of 2016 in a unique, star-studded and unprecedented fashion: the "Signing of the Stars," Wednesday at Michigan"s Hill Auditorium, produced in conjunction with The Players" Tribune, a new media outlet founded by Jeter.

"A day of excitement, a day of joy," Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "That"s what we want this to be."

Or, as master of ceremonies and comedian Randy Sklar called it, "one big welcoming party." And Sklar made a joke about one of Harbaugh"s more noted recruiting visits, a sleepover at a recruit"s house.

"I was supposed to be at USC," Sklar said. "Harbaugh found out, slept over at my house. Climbed a tree, took his shirt off ... and he flipped me."

Michigan expects to have an incoming class of up to 29 scholarship signees, and two committed Wednesday morning, when Lavert Hill, a cornerback from Detroit"s King High School, and Quinn Nordin, a kicker from Rockford, Mich., announced they would go to Michigan.

The big fish came towards the end of the signing day celebration, when Rashan Gary, the nation"s top-rated recruit, announced on ESPN that he would attend Michigan.

"We got some really good news backstage," Harbaugh told the capacity crowd at Hill Auditorium.

Coaches are not allowed to comment on recruits until after receipt of their national letters of intent, per NCAA rules. However, Harbaugh could not comment when asked if he had received Gary"s national letter of intent after the signing show.

"We are so excited about all of our signees," Harbaugh said. "We are tremendously happy. From top to bottom, this recruiting class, the youngsters have a real heart for competing, a heart for football, they have football faces, they"re competitive in the classroom and as we said before, they have worked so hard to put themselves in a position to be here."

None of the recruits in attendance expected that level of hype surrounding Wednesday"s signing day extravaganza.

"I was not expecting this," said Brandon Peters, a quarterback from Avon, Ind. "When I stepped into the auditorium and kind of looked around at all the people, it was just kind of breathtaking. It"s just an awesome experience."

Harbaugh also said when the Wolverines begin spring practices, they will spend a week at IMG Academy in Florida.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2016/02/03/Rashan-Gary-picks-Michigan-football-A-day-of-excitement-a-day-of-joy/9451454533400/

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