December 15th, 2018 at 4:23 PM ^
So who wants to join me at the Brown Jug in 2 weeks to watch this game?!?!
December 15th, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^
Coaches who move on usually skip the bowl games, throwing a program into much bigger flux without getting the kind of hate players who sit receive.
Also all these guys were there when Jake Butt's injury happened. Jake had extra insurance his family took out (in addition to the baseline school policy), which is something not everyone has the cash for.
Kids these days tho, amirite?
December 15th, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^
If all of this is true.....yeah, times have changed - ok, I get that. But what I don't get: skip the Bowl game but play in the Senior Bowl. Why risk injury at Senior Bowl?
December 15th, 2018 at 4:36 PM ^
Scouts are at practice every day for the Senior Bowl. Top guys usually skip that one.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
I think your source is making a nondefinite thing sound like a definite thing. Via a couple of people who reached out to me, two of those guys for sure, the rest are still deciding, sometimes loudly.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:30 PM ^
So this list includes guys for whom this is only a consideration.
Thats a pretty bad OP, when simply different wording could be accurate and helpful.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:36 PM ^
Wrong. This list includes guys who have told Coach they’re not playing
December 15th, 2018 at 4:49 PM ^
Listen coach, I appreciate that you want to share information here and I don't want to discourage that. You have not established yourself as an Insider in the past and haven't disclosed your source publicly or privately. The more I have come across information that sounds definitive the more I have learned how often that is not the case. I told you what I know. I could also fill out an entire roster with guys who told Harbaugh they are transferring and did not.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^
Agree with your sentiments, and to quote Edgar Allan Poe, "Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear."
December 15th, 2018 at 5:30 PM ^
All I’m saying is these 5 have told coaches they are sitting. That’s it. I never said they may not change their mind. Nobody could possibly know that. I will also tell you Harbaugh is not happy a Captain is sitting. But if Bush walked in tomorrow and said “I’m playing” then obviously all that changes.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:42 PM ^
well, should be pretty easy to find out. bowl practices have started, so i would assume all of those guys are then not participating. if the premise is not to risk injury, i would assume that they sure as hell don't want to get injured during practice.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
With the new red shirt rules, rather they use their yearly scrimmage with Fla to focus on the future anyway.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
If true, Florida is catching a huge break.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:30 PM ^
This may be understandable in several ways, but it still really detracts from the value of playing the bowl game. Having all those key players not play significantly drops Michigan's chance of winning. At least in my opinion. The Peach Bowl people can't like this situation either. This never used to happen in the old days. Players would play regardless of their draft chances. From a fan's perspective this sucks.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:49 PM ^
Then maybe the Peach Bowl people shouldn't have created the matchup. I bet more of them would play against LSU.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
Actually, I would guess the exact same players would sit for either opponent.
This is an issue of the draft and potential income, not opponent. The Rose Bowl, being what it is, could make a difference; the playoff definitely would. I don’t think anyone who sits for the Peach Bowl does so because Florida isn’t as interesting as LSU.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:11 PM ^
Or give players a financial incentive to play post-season exhibition games.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:41 PM ^
Such as revoking scholarship or a clawback? Sure.
December 15th, 2018 at 7:51 PM ^
No! Like actually paying them for playing in a meaningless exhibition game where everyone makes money but them.
December 15th, 2018 at 11:22 PM ^
Peach bowl people didn’t create it the CFP committee did.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:31 PM ^
This was on another website three days ago and also reportedly on YouTube somewhere. Again, sources other than Gary are uncertain. Surprise is not really large. The way of the landscape now
Go Blue
December 15th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
All these players saw Jake Butt potentially cost himself a chance at a long career by tearing an ACL in a bowl game. I don’t think anyone can blame any of these players. I do believe some of them could raise their stock by playing, but even then, they might not consider it worth the risk. If the games had a significant consequence to them, I think they’d be playing. But unless you’re in the playoffs, this will happen and the frequency will increase.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
Our defense is going to get worked. Harbaugh will go to body blows.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
Who cares beat UF
December 15th, 2018 at 4:49 PM ^
So another game of watching Brandon Watson and Devin Gil getting burned for four quarters.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:21 PM ^
Did it make a difference for them when they were all playing?
December 15th, 2018 at 5:36 PM ^
They got burned even with Bush and Long on the field!
December 15th, 2018 at 4:53 PM ^
I care only to the extent that it indicates who's going pro, if true.
Don't blame them one bit if they're leaving, it makes sense to skip the bowl. Play the young guys and win the game.
This is actually a pretty cool new normal. It's a great preview of.next year's team in spots.
December 15th, 2018 at 4:54 PM ^
Your further comments prove that was a lie
December 15th, 2018 at 5:01 PM ^
Any idea which Florida players are sitting?
December 15th, 2018 at 5:36 PM ^
None as of yet.
December 15th, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^
I thought the $EC was supposed to be the conference mainly concerned with money over ethics.
December 15th, 2018 at 8:03 PM ^
That's because they don't have any good players. They were just one of the most over-ranked teams in the country.
December 15th, 2018 at 10:37 PM ^
Jachai Polite (DE) and Jawaan Taylor (OT) have both appeared in the 1st of some mock drafts. Florida does have some talent.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:02 PM ^
If true,
I get the first round pick trying to heal up sitting out.
yes, it’s not my life and no, I am not in a position to make this decision so it’s easy for me to say this from the sidelines
BUT
I don’t really get the non first round picks who don’t really have a injury they need to heal sitting out, they are still leaving their team-mates hanging and have to answer to them, the fact so many are willing to do that makes me worry about the program as a whole as it just makes it look like trouble is on the horizon.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
^^^THIS. Also, this could hurt us in recruiting as recruits might think something is wrong internally. Not a good look. I meant Lavert? He wont even sniff the first 3 rounds...
December 15th, 2018 at 5:42 PM ^
Michigan is smart enough to spin it by saying - we have 6 guys going in top 3-4 rounds. Would you like to be able to make that decision son?
December 15th, 2018 at 5:59 PM ^
Ha, cuz thats worked out so well. Recruits arent stupid. Honestly, "stars dont matter" but we need to pull a 5 star. The same old tired narrative will still exist if Harbaugh and company miss on all the 5 stars that they once led by a large margin. This class is good but man the potential it had with Dax, Zach, and possibly Crouch. Disappointing.
December 15th, 2018 at 6:23 PM ^
This is a team. They have been playing together awhile now.
I do not think the players who are going to sit out a meaningless SHIT bowl game played ob December 29th are leaving their team mates hanging.
And I suspect their team mates support their decision--because team mates know if they were in that position, they'd probably make the same decision.
But yeah, go ahead and judge them by thinking they think like a message board guy.
December 15th, 2018 at 6:46 PM ^
Message board guy? That's cute. You mention "if they were in that position, bla bla bla" Really? Bc im pretty sure most draft boards do not have long or hill or higdon in the first 3 rounds. So what position are you speaking of? That they'll just simply just get drafted?
You mention "SHIT" bowl game. Really? If it is such a shit bowl game why did michigan accept its invitation and why are most of the players playing? If its such a shit bowl game, why will you and I and millions of other people be watching that game?
You mention in your opening statement "This is a team. They have been playing together awhile now." That is exactly the point! THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM, right? Those players sitting out is the exact definition of "leaving your team mates hanging". You're a sure fire first round pick, then whatver sit out. But the players that i mentioned have no business sitting out bc they would do more good actually playing since they're so low on draft boards now. When team mates and fans see that, Yes you are leaving you team hangin. It's simply the truth whether it comes from a message board guy or not.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:07 PM ^
This thread is a mess. No source. Who is the OP anyways? And “no comment” (which is a dumb self-aggrandizing comment) then begins to comment several times.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:15 PM ^
December 15th, 2018 at 6:06 PM ^
Who said the playoffs are the end-all, be-all? UCF didn't have that option last year, yet it didn't seem to influence their motivation.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:20 PM ^
Ridiculous, imo.
If you received a scholarship for a year, in addition to the 60-70K in value you received for the academic side, you received specialized training, coaching, nutrition, etc. that costs well over 100K per year. Some claim well over 200K in certain conferences. That training and coaching has put players into a position where the NFL is an option.
If you don't fulfill your part of the bargain by playing, then pay the fucking money back. Did people play easy in the OSU game to protect themselves? Or Indiana? Where does it end?
If this is where we are heading, maybe being known as a basketball school isn't such a bad thing after all.
December 15th, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^
Maybe the idea of receiving a scholarship to an academic institution on the basis of non-academic criteria isn't such a good idea after all...
December 15th, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^
I think somebody just won the thread.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:25 PM ^
So if they don’t fulfill their commitment (whatever that means) can the school charge them tuition or revoke the scholarship? Not being a jerk here, just wondering the parameters.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:31 PM ^
There could be pitfalls, i.e., players faking injuries, but without a doctor's note saying you are injured to the point where playing/practicing should not be done, you are talking about a contract and contracts are easy to put together. I'm sure there is a contract of sorts that is signed by every scholarship player.
You could pro rate games by the number of games played or value bowl/playoff games differently.
December 15th, 2018 at 5:57 PM ^
People complain that this is just an exhibition game - half the entire MBB is simply exhibition in these sponsored "classic" games. If just seems a bad faith on the part of a player to sit out when you were expected to participate.