The Wolverines started the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, making them the third college football team since 1991 to be ranked worse than seventh in the preseason poll after winning a national title. Michigan (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) failed to meet those modest expectations, barely becoming eligible to play in a bowl and putting the program in danger of losing six or seven games for the first time since the Brady Hoke era ended a decade ago. The Wolverines potentially can ease some of the pain with a win against rival and second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1, No. 2 CFP) on Saturday in the Horseshoe, but that would be a stunning upset. Ohio State is a 21 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, and that marks just the third time this century that there has been a spread of at least 20 1/2 points in what is known as "The Game." Michigan coach Sherrone Moore doesn't sound like someone who is motivating players with an underdog mentality. "I don't think none of that matters in this game," Moore said Monday. "It doesn't matter the records. It doesn't matter anything. The spread, that doesn't matter." How did Michigan end up with a relative mess of a season on the field, coming off its first national title since 1997? Winning it all with a coach and star player contemplating being in the NFL for the 2024 season seemed to have unintended consequences for the current squad. The Wolverines closed the College Football Playoff with a win over Washington on Jan. 8; several days later quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he was skipping his senior season; and it took more than another week for Jim Harbaugh to bolt to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. In the meantime, most quality quarterbacks wanting to transfer had already enrolled at other schools and Moore was left with lackluster options. Davis Warren beat out Alex Orji to be the team's quarterback for the opener and later lost the job to Orji only to get it back again. No matter who was under center, however, would've likely struggled this year behind an offensive line that sent six players to the NFL. The Wolverines lost one of their top players on defense, safety Rod Moore, to a season-ending injury last spring and another one, preseason All-America cornerback Will Johnson, hasn't played in more than a month because of an injury. The Buckeyes are not planning to show any mercy after losing three straight in the series. "We're going to attack them," Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer said. "We know they're going to come in here swinging, too, and they've still got a good team even though the record doesn't indicate it. This game, it never matters what the records are." While a win would not suddenly make the Wolverines' season a success, it could help Moore build some momentum a week after top-rated freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. "You come to Michigan to beat Ohio," said defensive back Quinten Johnson, intentionally leaving the word State out when referring to the rival. "That's one of the pillars of the Michigan football program. "It doesn't necessarily change the fact of where we are in the season, but it definitely is one of the defining moments of your career here at Michigan." AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
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About ten years ago, while working at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in the Swiss town of St Moritz, I was shocked to learn a guest once requested an elephant be brought in to deliver a birthday gift to his wife. And the hotel made it happen, squeezing the elephant into the lobby. This over-the-top gesture symbolised what luxury travel once meant: wealth and power, expressed through grand displays. Think millionaires and billionaires in lavish suites and on private yachts, enjoying exclusive services most of us would never dream of, let alone actually ask for. Consulting group McKinsey defines the luxury traveller as someone prepared to spend US$500 or more per night on accommodation. But luxury tourism is evolving. Thanks to demographic shifts, sustainability concerns, and a post-pandemic desire for connection, luxury travel has become more personal and meaningful. And luxury travellers these days aren’t always the super rich elites. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, luxury travel is booming . So, what’s driving this growth and how is luxury travel changing? A trillion dollar industry The luxury travel sector has shown remarkable resilience, even during economic downturns and the COVID pandemic. Globally, it is projected to grow from US$1.4 trillion in 2024 to $2.2 trillion by 2030. The Asia-Pacific region is leading the surge at a compound annual growth rate of 8.6% (a way of measuring growth that assumes profits are reinvested) from 2024 to 2030. In Australia, the trend is similar: the luxury travel market generated US$37.4 billion in 2023 and is forecast to reach US$70 billion by 2032. This growth is driven not just by affluence among the wealthy but by younger travellers. As Forbes magazine points out, these travellers are often non-millionaires who may not earn enormous salaries or even own their own homes – but are willing to pay top dollar for meaningful experiences. And some are splurging on trips to make up for time and opportunities lost due to the pandemic – a trend industry experts sometimes refer to as “revenge” and “ revelry ” travel. As one luxury travel industry observer put it: We’re seeing travel at all costs, where people are determined to have the experience they want, regardless of what that price is. Many consumers are prioritising luxury travel experiences over other discretionary items, including luxury goods. Luxury can have many meanings Today’s luxury travel isn’t just about extravagance; it can also include forking out for meaningful experiences. Luxury travellers are willing to pay up for holidays that promise authenticity, wellness and connection with people and places. It can mean access to something rare, like an uncrowded natural environment or an authentic cultural experience that feels deeply personal. It can also come from expertise – like appreciating the nuances of a rare bottle of wine, or touring a place with an expert or celebrity guide who has been there many times before. Where it was once defined by price and status symbols, luxury travel today is about stories worth sharing (on social media and in real life) and experiences that align with personal values. Wellness, adventure and the digital detox In my 17 years of working in and researching luxury travel, I have seen a lot of different luxury holidaymakers. Everything from humble retirees relishing the rewards of their hard work to VIP celebrities who send 32 pages of requests before even stepping foot in the hotel. While older high-net-worth individuals from North America and Europe remain a significant demographic, a growing proportion of luxury travellers are millennials, Gen Z, and tourists from emerging markets like Asia and the Middle East. Traditional hallmarks of luxury travel – like presidential suites and private islands – are still popular among high-net-worth individuals. But a growing number of travellers seek cultural experiences, adventure, and small, intimate group trips. These travellers are opting for off-peak seasons and less-visited destinations to avoid crowds, and may be more vocal about sustainable tourism. The future of luxury travel lies in its ability to adapt to evolving consumer values. Wellness retreats, slow travel (including by train), and sustainability-focused experiences are becoming central to the luxury travel narrative. In a hyper-connected world, luxury travel marketing is now often linked with the idea of a digital detox . The chance to disconnect and fully immerse in the moment has become a modern indulgence. Luxury travellers today use their trips to explore and learn , and to reconnect with the world , their relationships, and themselves.It comes amid uncertainty about the future of the United States' own sixth-generation fighter initiative – known as the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Programme. Projected costs for each of the future US aircraft are estimated to reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and the Air Force in November decided to defer key decisions about the project's direction to the incoming Trump administration. CHINESE 6TH-GEN AIRCRAFT SOARS IN HISTORIC MAIDEN FLIGHT The cutting-edge aircraft model is named "White Emperor" (Baidi in Chinese) and has been developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of #China (AVIC) . As of now, no country has an operational... pic.twitter.com/OMQFlLKeKv — NexDef (@nex_def) December 26, 2024 The Chinese display of new military technology also follows criticism from Elon Musk – whom President-elect Donald Trump has tasked with advising on budget cuts – regarding the F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet programme, which has been saddled with faulty technology and cost overruns. Musk called the F-35 builders, Lockheed Martin, "idiots" and suggested that manned fighter jets should be replaced with drones. "It seems quite intentional that [the Chinese military] wanted us to see this aircraft flying. I would think personally that the timing on this is really curious because they're aware of this debate and it almost seems designed to influence that debate," said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center. Amid uncertainty over the manned fighter project, Pentagon officials have said they want to create an unmanned "hellscape" of drones to defend Taiwan. "[China] might be more worried about the United States Air Force going in that direction," Grieco said. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the... Cate Cadell
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