Brett McMurphy: Michigan-South Carolina in Outback

This time can our #1 rated recruit annihilate their RB and replay endlessly on Sportscenter?

Was really hoping for the Holiday Bowl as San Diego would make it easier to attend...Oh well, I expect us to beat whoever they put in front of us.

GO BLUE!!

We won't have a team in the CFP and the Rose Bowl is one of the semifinal spots.  OSU would go to the Fiesta Bowl and Penn State would probably go to the Orange Bowl.  I would think the Citrus Bowl, if they take a B1G team, would prefer Wisconsin over MSU.

I’m literally eating at Outback tomorrow for a business lunch

This South Carolina team is poop. Like Michigan this year if Michigan had lost to Indiana and Purdue. If Peters is healthy Michigan will win in a landslide.

It seems premature/strange to call any Big Ten team a lock to any bowl since it's very much up in the air whether the conference will have a CFP rep. This assumes they will. If that falls through, Michigan (like every team) is likely to get slotted down by one.

In florida every year. Something new would be nice.

South Carolina got their nice record by narrowly beating a ton of crappy SEC East teams. This is a 'my how the tables have turned' moment for us and the SEC because it used to be the BIg Ten got a bunch of bad match-ups with SEC #3 and #4 because that conference used to be so good. Now it's their turn to get the crappy match up

I'm good with this being an easier match up too. With all the ninnies harping on "Harbaugh 1-5 vs rivals", a bowl win will keep some people quiet

It's tough to imagine a more uninspiring match up. 

This game isn't going to be a cakewalk. They have major issues...so does UM. I am hopeful with this UM defense and a healthy Peters it's a good showing. 

I actually like the matchup as it's a game Michigan should win but will certainly have to play well. This team needs a win and I'd love to see this young team beat USC and then propel into the offseason. 

I don't know how anyone can think UM is going to smash USC. This UM team needs to do a lot of growing on offense before they smash anyone with a pulse. 

I prefer the Outback against a SEC team. If we play Stanford or Arizona, the media will only either talk about his old team/protege or a former Michigan coach. If we don't win the game, it will be "Harbaugh loses to protege" or "Harabugh loses to former Michigan coach." 

Would prefer a game against a team that wont create media distractions. This upcoming bowl game should be about kickng off next season on a positive note. Lets hope they have a great month of practice and Peters is let loose. 

I like the matchup, mostly because we have a good shot at winning.  Also for purely selfish / petty reasons I am rooting against the Holliday Bowl - 9pm Eastern time start is too late plus I don't have FS1.

So much for the Big Ten saying M would not go to a Florida bowl game this year?

and selling tickets as well as on-air advertising. And because Michigan is a huge TV draw anytime it plays, regardless of opponent, bowl organizers in Southwest Florida obviously would grab at the opportunity to lock in Michigan ahead of the Holiday Bowl, which, if it had the first pick in the rotation, would do likewise.

The game is also played on New Year's Day or has been and would be on before the playoff games are played in the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. And because ESPN is broadcasting those games, it would also get the chance to show Michigan as either a noon lead-in on the network or on its flagship channel. In either case, you can understand why the Outback would want Michigan ahead of others.

I would prefer Michigan play out West in San Diego and play Stanford. The storyline is great with the Harbaugh connection to both Stanford and San Diego as a coach.

That is all.

Could get ugly for me if this is the case, I live near Columbia in the heart of Gamecock country. Win or lose I'm the only Michigan fan I know so I will get piled on but I can take it.

That said, this is a good matchup for UM. Don't be concerned about looking at opponents, blah-blah-blah. Carolina is even more one dimensional than we are, they have a good but not great defense and a horrible offense. Their QB is not accurate, I can see UM's defense absolutely blowing this team up. If Peters is healthy we can beat them handily, if JOK is behind center we still beat them but it oculd be a major defensive struggle. 

That said I see a score of something like 24-10.

Disappointing if true. 

 

I'm not sold this guy knows what he's talking about yet. He also projects Iowa to the Holiday bowl.

Iowa's own athletic director very publicly let fans know that the Holiday bowl was exceedingly unlikely and they were between New York and Nashville. 

to show how well M travels in the backyard of a top recruit, Petit-Frere? Plus IMG is less than an hour away. I look at this matchup as a huge positive for recruiting exposure in an area with loads of talent and two teams that struggled badly this year.

Outback bowl is fine and at least South Carolina is a team I think we can beat. We need some momentum going into 2018

First game of the year: destroying a (now former) Florida coach.

Penultimate game of the year: Close loss to former Florida coach.

Bowl game: playing another former Florida coach.

 

Gainesville must have some beef with us this year.

Bloomin onions!

Time to fry up some nuggets. Or get the rotisserie going. Insert poultry-as-tasty-food-item reference here...

Hate the matchup from a viewing perspective. I've never in my life thought "Oh South Carolina is playing, I'll have to watch that game". Revenge is a pretty meh reason for me. Hope it is someone else.