Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

Please tell me the meaning of those last two games then?

seriously? well they were conference games.
so MSU should've just mailed it in during the regular season in CONFERENCE games?

Well, it's off NYD but the advantage is MSU-WSU is a solid matchup of ranked teams, and the Outback winds up with two unranked teams.  Solid matchup of the 6th place Big Ten team and the 5th place SEC team.

Still like playing on NYD, but I like getting the relevant matchup.

I don't care about the bowl, playing on NYD or the match-up.
I care about the 'crootin. Really think if Michigan did push for the Outback behind the scenes, it would've been for 'crootin purposes. Like I said, there's a 5* OT they are hot after right down the street from the Outback in Tampa.
Harbaugh has been trying to crack into Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas really hard. Last 3 bowls will have all been played in Florida against SEC/ACC teams.
2015 they played Florida in Orlando (SEC), 2016 they played FSU (ACC) in Miami and 2017 they'll play South Carolina (SEC) in Tampa.

Why not?  They were meaningless.  They have the same meaning as bowl games.  They impact your record, but other than that, nothing.  Finishing two games ahead of UM in the standings meant nothing.  How does a Big Ten game mean more than a bowl game then?  Once the conference title is gone.  I can't think of a single reason.

Eh.
Conference games are more important to me than bowl games. Always will be.
Unless that bowl game is the Rose- which I guess that angle is kinda gone now- so unless that bowl game is the playoff- I could give two shiites less about a bowl game. But hey that's just me.

Why not?  They were meaningless.  They have the same meaning as bowl games.  They impact your record, but other than that, nothing.  Finishing two games ahead of UM in the standings meant nothing.  How does a Big Ten game mean more than a bowl game then?  Once the conference title is gone.  I can't think of a single reason.

And this is one of the reasons why Saban left MSU too. That Orange Bowl snub was the last straw.

Finishing two games ahead of UM in the standings meant nothing.  

I don't buy this.  If you really think Harbaugh is a crap coach and you can beat him 7 outa 10 then this doesn't matter, let Jimmy look good and let your fiercest rival keep him as a coach.
I think you ALWAYS want to finish 2 games ahead of your rival regardless of conference championship possibilities 

I don't buy this.  If you really think Harbaugh is a crap coach and you can beat him 7 outa 10 then this doesn't matter, let Jimmy look good and let your fiercest rival keep him as a coach.
I think you ALWAYS want to finish 2 games ahead of your rival regardless of conference championship possibilities

Because?  What is the reward?

The time and channel of the game sucks. Better match up sure. But no denying that both MSU and WSU have significantly better resumes than the two teams playing on NYD.
Players are pretty annoyed on twitter.
 But of course Dantonio says the right thing.

https://twitter.com/Graham_Couch/status/937430157962432512

time and channel. why do you think they picked Michigan? All the bowls care about are tv ratings and dollars. Not the match ups.
When did playing on NYD become such a big deal aside from the 6 major bowl games? Which by the way- don't play on New Years Day if New Years day falls on a Sunday.
Players are annoyed...why exactly? It's just a bowl game. Not like they got snubbed for a playoff spot. OSU players should be annoyed by what happened to them.
Dantonio says the right thing...because it is the right thing. Do you think he cares about playing in the Holiday bowl or the Outback bowl or the Applebees bowl or the Taco Bell Bowl or do you think he cares about beating Michigan? Pretty obvious to me.