Despite Orange Bowl loss, Michigan fans beat Ohio State and have a lot to be proud of
By John Buhler
It wasn’t the ending Michigan football fans wanted, but tehy should proudly celebrate the Wolverines’ best season in years.
While the Michigan football team was no match for Georgia in the Orange Bowl, at least the Wolverines won the Big Ten, made the College Football Playoff and above all, beat Ohio State.
A year removed from not winning a single game in The Big House, Michigan proved so many doubters wrong. Many people wondered why Jim Harbaugh got to keep his job. Instead, what the college football world got out of Michigan was something it had not seen in a very long time: A Wolverines team with an undeniable identity and one it can absolutely build around going forward.
Even if they were Dawg food vs. Georgia, the Michigan program finds itself is in a fantastic spot.
The Michigan football team is absolutely trending up heading into next season
Even if the Wolverines lose to the Buckeyes in The Horseshoe next November, what this year did for the Michigan football program cannot be understated. It showed the world, and more importantly, top high school recruits, that Michigan can play with the big boys. For those who doubt it after the Georgia game, look at how well Georgia has recruited under Kirby Smart.
That is exactly what this is all about. When a blue-blood program like Michigan makes it into the College Football Playoff, it pays out in dividends when it comes to recruiting. Top flight talent across the Midwest will side with the Wolverines over rival teams like the Buckeyes, Spartans and Nittany Lions. All that does is give Michigan more time to build an elite program under Harbaugh.
While some Michigan fans will be salty heading into the new year, the Wolverines were in a group of four teams that were still in contention for a national title heading into New Year’s Eve. Any program would die to be in that position. What this year showed us is Michigan deserved to be on this stage and will do so with greater regularity if they can harness this momentum in recruiting.
The Wolverines provided a proud and passionate fanbase a product worth being totally all-in on.
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