The set-up: No. 6 Michigan is hoping to take out the disappointment of missing out on the College Football Playoff when it faces No. 10 Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 in Miami. The Wolverines were in position to make their first appearance in the CFP but they lost two of their last three games down the stretch, including a controversial 30-27 double-overtime loss at No. 2 Ohio State. The Seminoles were picked fourth in the preseason AP poll but failed to live up to the hype, suffering losses to Louisville (60-23), North Carolina (37-35) and second-ranked Clemson (37-34) during a six-week span and at 9-3, failed to advance to the ACC title game for the second time in as many seasons.

Michigan: John Harbaugh has wasted little time in making Michigan relevant again, as he's gone 10-3 and now 10-2 (pending this result) in his first two years at Ann Arbor, after the school had suffered through three losing seasons in its previous seven, along with two other seasons of going just 7-6. Sophomore hybrid linebacker Jabrill Peppers, a Heisman finalist who has played in 11 different positions, leads a defense which ranks second in points allowed (12.5) and total yards (252.7 YPG). QB Wilton Speight, who threw for 2,375 yards and 17 TDs and just six INTs in his first year as a starter, was hampered by a shoulder injury down the stretch but is expected to be back to 100 percent health against Florida State. "Wilton had a phenomenal year and improved game by game," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. "I truly think he will go into next year as one of the top quarterbacks in the country." The running game averages 223.2 YPG (30th) without a real star, as four palyers have over 400 yards on the year. On the season, Michigan has averaged 41.0 PPG to rank 11th in scoring.

Florida State: The Seminoles have a true star at RB in Dalvin Cook, who has rushed for 4,319 yards and 45 TDs in his Florida State career, and like Peppers, is are likely playing his last collegiate games. Cook rewrote the record book with the Seminoles after running for 1,620 yards (6.0 YPC) and 18 TDs this season to break Warrick Dunn's career mark for rushing yards (3,959) and eclipse Greg Allen's 32-year old record for most TDs (44). Deondre Francois took over at QB when starter Sean Maguire was hurt prior to the start of the season. He didn't play well in the games FSU lost (a key here?) but overall, the redshirt freshman completed 60.6% of his passes for 3.128 yards (18 TDs / 6 INTs) and added four rushing TDs. The defense had its bad moments (allowed 45.7 PPG in FSU's three losses!) but overall, comes in allowing 24.4 PPG (40th) on 357.2 YPG (29th).

The pick: Harbaugh's Michigan team opened 3-1 ATS with that pointspred loss coming by a half-point. However, Michigan was 3-5 ATS its last eight games. Meanwhile, the Seminoles indeed ahd that early embarrassment vs. Louisville (see above) but came on strong late, taking Clemson to the wire ina 37-34 home loss (but cover) and then winning their last four, including the last three (3-0 ATS) by a combined 87 points! Cook has rushed for at least 100 yards in eight of his last nine games and is coming off an 153-yard performance in the 31-13 win over No. 18 Florida in the regular season finale, to become the first player since Sammie Smith in 1988 to notch three straight 100-yard games against the Gators. No way FSU should be a TD underdog in this game. FSU is a 10* play.