Michigan Football shouldn’t apologize for Outback Bowl berth

Michigan State and its head coach are upset that Michigan Football got the Outback Bowl berth instead of them. But the Wolverines, have nothing to be sorry about.

When it comes to bowl games, there is no ideal way to pick teams. And even though Michigan State might not be happy about, Michigan football shouldn’t apologize because the Outback Bowl wanted the Wolverines, not the Spartans.

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In some ways, you can see why the Spartans are angry. Michigan football technically jumped them in the Big Ten pecking order, but the 8-4 Wolverines, were still a deserving team.

Michigan did lose to Michigan State, yes. But the Wolverines still finished 5-4 in the league. They also probably would have finished 9-3 had they not played Wisconsin, which Michigan State didn’t have to do.

When you played an unbalanced schedule, it’s hard to compare teams based solely off of record. Certainly, Northwestern, another 9-3 team, has a better record than the Wolverines, but if the two teams met on the field, Michigan football would be the favorite to win.

Honestly, it’s silly for the Spartans to be mad about their bowl selection. Michigan State is still playing in the Holiday Bowl, against Washington State, a team ranked in the top 20 like the Spartans. That game will be one of the marquee non-New Year’s Six games.

So why does Michigan State care that it got passed over for the Outback Bowl? It really makes no sense. And after the major bowl games, the rest should be about good matchups.

Michigan Wolverines Football

The Outback Bowl wanted Michigan and South Carolina. The idea was leaked a week ago. Had Ohio State made the College Football Playoff, the Spartans would have went to the Capital One Bowl. That didn’t happen and they “fell” to the Holiday Bowl.

But so what? Michigan State gets to play a great team, in a prime time slot. The Wolverines also get a good game against an SEC opponent. It’s a win-win for both teams and for the Big Ten.

Michigan State can battle a top team from the Pac-12, while the Wolverines, play a comparable team from the SEC. Yes, the Spartans won’t get to play on New Years Day, but that’s no reason to be upset.

Yet, no matter how the Spartans feel about it, the Wolverines earned their berth. They are a solid team, with eight wins in one of the country’s top conferences. Michigan also has better name recognition, more star power with Jim Harbaugh and a fan base that will travel. So it’s easy to see why the Outback Bowl made the choice it made.

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Michigan State deserved to be higher in the pecking order. But at the end of the day, does it really matter? Both teams got in good games and as far as Michigan football is concerned, the Wolverines have nothing to be sorry about.