MI earns spot in Orange Bowl

11 in the College Football Playoff final rankings – remained ahead of Louisville to take the ACC’s spot in the Orange Bowl, against No. 6 MI.

So both of Michigan’s losses this season came down to the last play of the game. Ohio State was still selected to be one of the four teams to compete for the National Championship.

MI is 0-4 ATS in its last four games after an ATS win.

FSU finished two spots ahead of No. 13 Louisville, which was the Seminoles’ top competition for an Orange Bowl bid.

MI will also lose their top three receivers in Jehu Chesson, Amara Darboh, and tight end Jake Butt.

“I’ve never been to a game at Florida State”, Harbaugh said, via the Tallahassee Democrat.

Harbaugh got chills describing FSU’s tradition of Osceola and Renegade planting the spear midfield before kickoff, and asked Jimbo Fisher if the sequence could be performed before their Orange Bowl matchup.

MI has lost 13 of the last 14 games to the Buckeyes and haven’t won in Columbus since 2000.

Before those losses, Florida State had won six straight bowl games dating back to 2008.

So while the CFP final four remains with No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Washington – the only four major-conference teams with zero or one loss – Michigan’s reward is warm weather and a spotlight game.

MI (10-2) of the Big Ten Conference and FSU of the Atlantic Coast Conference have faced each other twice in the regular season, both times in Ann Arbor – in 1991 when the top-ranked Seminoles defeated the No. 3 Wolverines 51-31 and in 1986 when No. 5 MI beat No. 21 FSU 20-18. 20 Florida State, 20-18, under legendary head coach Bo Schembechler. Those hiccups cost MI a flawless 12-0 regular season, too.

FSU will try to test MI with quarterback Deondre Francois and running back Dalvin Cook. He ranks sixth in the country in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Focusing during the week like past year, U-M should win comfortably.

MI led the Buckeyes in the third quarter 17-7 but allowed OSU to force overtime on a field goal at the buzzer.

Florida State (9-3) closed much stronger and should enter the matuch with more momentum. He’s also caught 30 passes for 426 yards and a score.

The freshman will have to be equally efficient against a MI defense that’s built to give opposing quarterbacks nightmares. The defense has had its share of letdowns, allowing 34 points or more five times, but that only happened once – to ACC champ Clemson – in the second half of the season. The Wolverines will battle 11th-ranked Florida State with a chance to achieve plenty. DeMarcus Walker is perhaps the most feared defensive end in college football, racking up 15 sacks during the regular season. He will look for help from sophomore Tarvarus McFadden, who now is tied for the nation lead in interceptions with eight. The sophomore wasn’t on his game in the regular-season finale against the Buckeyes as he rushed his way back on to the field and he tossed two of his six interceptions in that game.

But Michigan (10-2) had higher aspirations and being upset at Iowa was the first defeat that torpedoed its campaign. Michigan, who spent most of the season ranked within the top four and likely expected a playoff berth up until recently, might see themselves as having to settle for this game and will arrive ready to defend themselves.

Peppers went on to congratulate Big Ten-champion Penn State – which lost to MI 49-10 early in the year and rallied for a 38-31 win this past Saturday over Wisconsin in Indy – and to further explain his feelings on the Wolverines’ postseason fate.

The current MI coach also has a connection to the first Orange Bowl appearance by the Wolverines and was on the sidelines for that game when his father, Jack, served as Bo Schembechler’s secondary coach.