Practice? We talkin’ 'bout practice?

Well … yes.

The word “practice” has sort of defined the Michigan football team over the past year and change, due to a thorough NCAA investigation that followed from allegations that the team violated limits on mandatory practice, among other offenses.

At the conclusion of its own investigation last May, the University instituted self-imposed practice limitations: 130 fewer hours than the allotted time over two years. During a Nov. 4 press conference following public release of the NCAA's sanctions — one more year of probation, bringing the total to three, and no additional practice time cuts — Rodriguez said the team had thus far cut 32 hours.

That’s a lot of talk about practice.

There’s also been buzz around campus about this little thing we call bowl eligibility. For the first time in three years, Michigan is going to have a postseason.

“We talked about it and thought about it,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said after the Wolverines' sixth win of the season. “That was important for us, and it’s important for us now to understand that every game after this is even more important.”

But the bowl appearance itself is not the most important part of the bowl-eligibility package. This season will be Rodriguez’s first chance to run practices past November, as Michigan will get 15 extra practices to prepare for its bowl game.

Each week, Rodriguez says he sees improvement from his young players in practice. He better — eight freshmen and sophomores played last Saturday.

And each game gives these young players experience, but so does each practice — more time to learn schemes, understand the playbook, work on fundamentals, all that good stuff. And, of course, more bonding for what already appears to be a close-knit team.

“That bond you have with your team is pretty tight, and being able to extend that another month for a bowl game I think is really important for our seniors,” Rodriguez said Monday.

But while everybody’s talking about how great it is for the seniors and coaches that Michigan will be going to a bowl, don’t forget about the freshmen and sophomores.

They receive something invaluable from the extra time on the practice field — the potential to improve. After all, isn’t that what the coaching staff has said all season? That it’s painful to play with youth now, but man, next year they’ll be good?

Throw in extra practices and a high-profile (or maybe not so high-profile) bowl game, and that can only help. This is especially important as the team looks to cut back on regular practice time this year and next.

Why do some freshmen (like quarterbacks Tate Forcier and Devin Gardner) enroll early? It’s not because they’re sick of high school or want to miss prom.

It’s for those extra 15 spring practices at Michigan. The extra time to learn the system. The opportunity to develop chemistry with teammates. That kind of practice is invaluable when, especially for a team so young.

Forcier earned the starting job last year in large part because of that extra practice time. He knew the playbook best, and he’d worked with the running backs and wide receivers more than Denard Robinson did when he arrived in August.

Fifteen practices makes a huge difference.

That’s why the bowl game is important — for those December practices, not just the game itself.

— Auerbach can be reached at naauer@umich.edu.