There have been many who had their headlines and tales written, piling on a third-straight CFP semifinal loss for Jim Harbaugh on high of his misplaced Tremendous Bowl and two misplaced NFC Championship video games. Good units are available in threes and all that. And he nonetheless might add that subsequent Monday.
One drawback, and it’s an odd factor to say a couple of staff enjoying Alabama, because the latter mainly opens its doorways each spring and permits nonetheless many uber-talented recruits can match by means of the door, is that Michigan simply had higher gamers everywhere in the discipline than the Tide. Their line of defense spent many of the first half, and critically on the finish of the sport, sitting on Jalen Milroe’s head. Blake Corum, Roman Wilson and Tyler Morris made simply sufficient performs greater than Alabama’s ability place gamers. Which meant that Michigan may do issues that Harbaugh groups have tended to do on the largest phases – flip the ball over, take dumb penalties, have particular groups items that seemed like they spent the pregame present process experimental medical take a look at trials – and nonetheless come out clear on the opposite aspect.
It looks as if it’s all fallen into place for Michigan this yr. Not solely have they’d the years to construct this monster of a staff, however a barely undercooked Alabama got here out of the SEC as a substitute of the in all probability still-better Georgia that simply had a foul day on the worst time. Usually, any staff popping out of the SEC has a expertise benefit over anybody else, and that’s not the case this yr. Washington in all probability isn’t nearly as good as even Alabama.
It additionally looks like one thing that’s the final of its form. Sure, the expanded model of the CFP will change the tenor of the school soccer playoffs. But it surely’s greater than that. No matter flaws this present iteration of a playoff has, it has the identical form of attract the the Closing 4 has, in that even simply seeing the names of two of essentially the most historic packages within the nation in the identical sport feels particular, totally different, marquee. Michigan and Alabama virtually by no means play and once they have it’s been in second-rate bowl video games which might be merely an excuse for his or her followers and college students to get drunk some other place aside from southeastern Michigan. These sorts of matchups we simply don’t get, and even seeing the 2 units of colours we all know so properly matched up collectively had an unmatchable look and feeling.
Because of all of the convention reshuffling, the CFP goes to look rather a lot just like the Large 10-SEC Problem any further. Perhaps it received’t all the time be Michigan-Alabama or Ohio State-Georgia, but it surely could be. Oh, they’ll throw in Notre Dame simply to maintain their followers from whining each couple of years, and after this season’s wailing, Florida State will merely have to stay upright for the subsequent couple years to get right into a 12-team discipline. However on the enterprise finish, extra possible than not, we all know what groups will likely be there and the place they arrive from. It’ll be extra common, that’s for certain.
The dopes get an early begin in 2024
Sunday was a banner day for right-wing, reactionary dolts to personal themselves on-line, which makes it an excellent begin to 2024.
First, Jason Whitlock, who hasn’t ever taken three consecutive steps earlier than discovering a rake.
One is tempted to say how Mr. Whitlock makes use of his laptop computer in his personal time is his personal enterprise, however he certain appears to need us to know what his enterprise is.
Subsequent to Aubrey Huff:
That is such a cliche script at this level it’s a marvel CBS hasn’t made it a sitcom already.
To consider the issues these two giblets do entails such a degree of self-delusion that it’s a certain wager they’ve misplaced all sight of the handles of actuality. Whitlock may not know the way focused adverts work, or possibly he does, however he’s buried in such a pool of manure of his personal making he’ll by no means make that connection. Huff? The place to even begin? Once you’re complete ethos is ensuring nothing is your fault and everybody else’s rush to name themselves is a sufferer is making your life arduous than after all it might by no means daybreak on you that previous actions would possibly whip round to make you look silly. An individual like that isn’t even conscious that they’ll look silly.
Doesn’t imply we are able to’t take pleasure in it, although.
After which this weirdness . . .
Anyway, let’s wrap up with the strangest aim within the NHL up to now this season that closed out 2023:
Play to the whistle, boys. Even if you’re certain it ought to have already blown.
Observe Sam on Twitter @Felsgate and on Bluesky @Felsgate.bsky.social