Bobak Ha’Eri and Shehan Jeyarajah continue breaking down each CFP team, this time talking about the other team in the Rose Bowl. Wolverines beat writer Aaron McMann from MLive joins them to talk about what Michigan has learned from the past two CFPs, what’s different about this year’s team, how it shapes up against Alabama and much more.
Hello everybody. This is the College Football Survivor Show, where we are all about the race for the College Football Playoff Championship. I’m Bob Akayeri and I’m joined by the infinitely informed Shahan Jayaraja, National College Football writer for CBS Sports. You can find us on X and TikTok at CFB Survivor Show, where we have video highlights of the show, run polls and you can always send us feedback. As a podcast, we always appreciate it when you take a moment to like, rate and subscribe to our show wherever you find us. Good reviews.
Help people find more. We’re on a mission to find the ultimate survivor in the college football playoff race with a pair of playoff games coming up on January 1st. We continue our series going through each playoff team with those who cover them in depth. Today we’re gonna be looking at the number one college football playoff ranked team, Michigan. Jihan, I don’t know about you, but I have a notice of level one excitement for this matchup. How about you?
I do too, I do too. You know, obviously Michigan, I think this year and a lot of the year has been the, I don’t wanna say like least challenging, but they’ve been the most perfect team. I think that you can say for most of the season, they haven’t played very many close games, they’ve handled their business every single week. I’m really curious to kind of get into the weeds because, you know, obviously this is Michigan’s third time in the playoff and certainly it would be great if there was their first time to win a playoff game.
absolutely there’s so many stories going on here but let me go and introduce our guest we are joined again by erin mcmahon the chief beat writer for the university of michigan football program at and live media group where he’s worked since twenty fourteen he took the michigan football beat in twenty seventeen and is served as an authority voice on jim harbaugh’s wolverines garnering several awards were happy to have them back last time we spoke was ahead of the game with penn state when we thought we’d finally get to see what these wolverines
were made of the head coach or not. And this time with the head coach going into this game. Aaron, thanks for joining us again.
Guys, it’s good to be back. As you guys said, third straight year for Michigan. I think they’re eager to finally get over the hump and win a game. It’s gonna be back with you.
You know, one thing I wanted to mention, and I know I said this right before we went on the air, but pound for pound, the most adventurous beat this season in college football has to have been covering the Michigan Wolverines. Like the story never ends. We thought there was a bit of a calm, and then the NCAA comes out with, you know, something about a cheeseburger during the COVID years. But I mean, you know, it’s just, it’s constant, this churn. And it’s funny too, because I was thinking we were getting a playoff run, even though they’re not in the college football playoff, by Florida State in terms of off season news, or just news in general that was going to make up this gap.
Man, Michigan just does not give. I mean, they hot. You know, we were talking about. I mean, you just wrote a story about Alabama hiring, of course, a former Michigan assistant coach, you know, that there’s just so much of an adventure going around there, but at the same time, they’re trying to focus on getting into the playoff and finally winning at least one round. It’s it’s absolutely a fascinating thing for you. What’s been what is the tone of the program right now?
Well, I think, I hesitate to say this, but maybe cautious optimism. I mean, as I just said, this is their third straight playoff appearance and they haven’t been able to win a semifinal game. And I think there’s a need and desire to do that. As you said, this team’s been through a lot this year. They’ve lost assistant coaches, they’re head coach with Sialine for six games. They’ve dealt with injuries and everything else. It seems like every obstacle has been put in front of them.
they’ve been able to overcome. And so far, I mean, you can’t write them off. I mean, the 13 and 0 Big Ten champions again, they are the number one seed for the first time. So the college football world, at least the playoff committee has respected them and the job that they’ve done on the field. So, I think they’re eager to prove folks wrong. I think that’s kind of been the tenor of the program all season long, right? Like they came into the year knowing Jim Harbaugh is gonna be sidelined and they’re under NCAA investigation.
They lose assistant coaches, they lose Harbaugh again, and they’re under the Big 10 probe. It just seems like it’s one thing after another, and still they’ve come on the right side every single time.
