There were many who had their headlines and stories written, piling on a third-straight CFP semifinal loss for Jim Harbaugh on top of his lost Super Bowl and two lost NFC Championship games. Nice sets come in threes and all that. And he still may add that next Monday.

One problem, and it’s a strange thing to say about a team playing Alabama, as the latter basically opens its doors every spring and lets in however many uber-talented recruits can fit through the door, is that Michigan just had better players all over the field than the Tide. Their defensive line spent most of the first half, and critically at the end of the game, sitting on Jalen Milroe’s head. Blake Corum, Roman Wilson and Tyler Morris made just enough plays more than Alabama’s skill position players. Which meant that Michigan could do things that Harbaugh teams have tended to do on the biggest stages – turn the ball over, take dumb penalties, have special teams units that looked like they spent the pregame undergoing experimental medical test trials – and still come out clean on the other side.

It seems like it’s all fallen into place for Michigan this year. Not only have they had the years to build this monster of a team, but a slightly undercooked Alabama came out of the SEC instead of the probably still-better Georgia that just had a bad day at the worst time. Normally, any team coming out of the SEC has a talent advantage over anyone else, and that’s not the case this year. Washington probably isn’t as good as even Alabama.

It also feels like something that is the last of its kind. Yes, the expanded version of the CFP will change the tenor of the college football playoffs. But it’s more than that. Whatever flaws this current iteration of a playoff has, it has the same sort of allure the the Final Four has, in that even just seeing the names of two of the most historic programs in the country in the same game feels special, different, marquee. Michigan and Alabama almost never play and when they have it’s been in second-rate bowl games that are merely an excuse for their fans and students to get drunk somewhere else other than southeastern Michigan. These kinds of matchups we just don’t get, and even seeing the two sets of colors we know so well matched up together had an unmatchable look and feeling.

Thanks to all the conference reshuffling, the CFP is going to look a lot like the Big 10-SEC Challenge from now on. Maybe it won’t always be Michigan-Alabama or Ohio State-Georgia, but it might be. Oh, they’ll throw in Notre Dame just to keep their fans from whining every couple of years, and after this season’s wailing, Florida State will merely have to remain upright for the next couple years to get into a 12-team field. But at the business end, more likely than not, we know what teams will be there and where they come from. It’ll be more regular, that’s for sure.

The dopes get an early start in 2024

Sunday was a banner day for right-wing, reactionary dolts to own themselves online, which makes it a good start to 2024.

First, Jason Whitlock, who hasn’t ever taken three consecutive steps before finding a rake.

One is tempted to say how Mr. Whitlock uses his laptop in his own time is his own business, but he sure seems to want us to know what his business is.

Next to Aubrey Huff:

This is such a cliche script at this point it’s a wonder CBS hasn’t made it a sitcom already.

To believe the things these two giblets do involves such a level of self-delusion that it’s a sure bet they’ve lost all sight of the handles of reality. Whitlock might not know how targeted ads work, or maybe he does, but he’s buried in such a pool of manure of his own making he’ll never make that connection. Huff? Where to even start? When you’re whole ethos is making sure nothing is your fault and everyone else’s rush to call themselves is a victim is making your life hard than of course it would never dawn on you that past actions might whip around to make you look stupid. A person like that isn’t even aware that they can look stupid.

Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, though.

And then this weirdness . . .

Anyway, let’s wrap up with the strangest goal in the NHL so far this season that closed out 2023:

Play to the whistle, boys. Even when you’re sure it should have already blown.

Follow Sam on Twitter @Felsgate and on Bluesky @Felsgate.bsky.social