SMQ: Why Florida State vs Alabama football was the most meaningless game of 2017
By Zach Bigalke
2. No. 2 Alabama vs No. 8 Michigan in Arlington, TX (2012)
After finishing the 2011 season with a win in the Sugar Bowl in overtime over Virginia Tech, Michigan entered the 2012 campaign ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2007. They took on defending BCS national champion Alabama, who opened 2012 ranked No. 2 behind USC.
The two teams met for the first time since the 2000 Orange Bowl, and they did so on neutral turf. Squaring off at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the Crimson Tide were up 21-0 by the end of the first quarter. Nick Saban’s team widened the lead to 31-7 by halftime. Defense prevailed in the second half, as Alabama rolled on to a 41-14 season-opening win.
What happened next for both teams?
Alabama vaulted up to No. 1 in the nation in both polls after taking down Michigan. But the voters seemed less impressed by the fact that the Wolverines lost to the new top team in the country. The 27-point loss resulted in an 11-point drop in both major polls to No. 19.
The Wolverines bounced in and out of the AP Top 25 and finished No. 18 in the final BCS rankings prior to the postseason. Alabama lost to Texas A&M at home 29-24 in early November, but by then they had built up enough of a body of work that they fell to just No. 4 in the BCS standings.
By the following week, as No. 1 Kansas State and No. 2 Oregon both suffered losses on the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Tide rose back up to No. 2.
Related Story: 5 takeaways from Michigan's big win over Florida
What did it mean by the end of the year?
Honestly, probably jack squat. Alabama could have knocked off a non-AQ opponent in a paycheck game and ended up in the same No. 2 spot they occupied at the end of 2012. The Crimson Tide won a second straight national title as they defeated No. 1 Notre Dame in the BCS Championship Game. As long as they won the SEC, it was nearly inevitable that the Tide would get a shot to defend their crown.
Michigan went on to lose three more regular-season games. They finished the year ranked No. 19 in the final BCS standings after going 8-4. They finished second in the Legends Division after a two-touchdown loss to Nebraska in Lincoln. Brady Hoke‘s team still got invited to a New Year’s Day bowl in Florida. Against No. 11 South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, Michigan was far better known for a porous line that allowed Jadeveon Clowney to become a star than their season-opening loss to the BCS champs.