When a team’s not in the College Football Playoff, some of the football players with intentions to head to the NFL sit out bowl games. It doesn’t sound like Michigan football will have any of that.
For five years now under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan football has missed out on an appearance in the College Football Playoff, and they’ve usually had several players sit out the assigned bowl game due to injury or for preparation for the NFL. That’s not the case this year as the Michigan men are following their leader’s rule of thumb.
“Those are individual conversations,” Harbaugh told reporters earlier this month. “’Finish what you started’ has always kind of been the general rule, that I’ve personally thought of it as.”
Unlike last year, there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the roster who’s guaranteed a selection in the early rounds of the NFL draft, which may weigh on the decision to play one last game to raise their draft stock.
Guys like Donovan Peoples-Jones, whose decline in reception yards can partially be negated with an outstanding performance in the Citrus Bowl. Or Nick Eubanks, who has vocally expressed interest in going pro, but might stick around for another year depending on how things go on New Years Day. Nick’s return would surely help him, but he also understands the game against Alabama is just as important.
“It’s huge for everyone on this team,” said Nick Eubanks. “I think everyone should play in the game. That’s how we’ve been approaching it. I don’t see or hear anything about anyone sitting out, so that’s our goal, to play.”
Alabama, on the other hand, is experiencing the opposite; their players have already stated they’re not going to participate. Linebacker Terrell Lewis and cornerback Trevon Diggs will be heading to the NFL without finishing what they started, which is understandable considering what the Crimson Tide are accustomed to as habitual playoff contenders.
The junior Lewis skipping out is odd considering his limited stats, but that’s mostly due to the injuries he sustained throughout the three years at Alabama. Diggs, on the other hand, recorded three interceptions, eight pass deflections, and 37 tackles during his senior campaign and is considered a top prospect at his position.
Michigan also has its fair share of future professionals, and one of them is Jon Runyan. The Michigan legacy will not miss the chance to get dirty in the trenches against a group of guys considered by many to be much more talented than him and his fellow linemen.
“It was never a big topic when I was around,” Jon Runyan said. “For me, there’s no doubts that I’m going to play this game. They got a lot of really good players on their defense, so it’s just another game for me and my teammates to put some good film out there and put on the winged helmet one more time.”
From all accounts, the Wolverines aren’t even considering sitting out of the Citrus Bowl, no matter what their future holds; it’s simply not a topic of conversation.
“We didn’t really talk about it,” Khaleke Hudson said. “Just everyone’s going to play.”