HOUSTON – The No. 1 ranked Michigan Wolverines have reached rarified air as they head to the College Football Playoff National Championship, where they will take on the No. 2 ranked Washington Huskies inside NRG Stadium in Houston.
The matchup between Michigan and Washington is a first of its kind as both teams come into the title game sporting 14-0 records, hoping to become 15-0 while achieving their school’s first championship in the BCS and the CFP era.
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The Huskies and their high-powered offense led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and his plethora of weaponry on the outside looks daunting for the Wolverines. But they’ve been groomed for Monday’s (Jan. 8) matchup thanks to their rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
But we will get to that later.
The plethora of weapons that Penix Jr. has consists of wide receivers Rome Odunze Jr., Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, and running back Dillon Johnson, who is coming into the title game hobbled after suffering an injury in the final minute of the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The Huskies average 37.6 ports per game. They’ve scored 527 total points this season while also combining for 68 touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
The margin for error for the men in maize will be different from what it was during their Rose Bowl victory on New Year’s Day over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Pasadena, as Washington’s offense could shoot you out of the building.
Washington has won the 2023 Joe Moore Award for the most outstanding offensive line unit in college football, so Penix has looked pretty while standing in the pocket this season.
But the Wolverines have the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation in yards allowed per game at 243.
Through 14 games, Michigan has kept opponents from surpassing the 400-yard threshold.
Their defense has also held opponents to scoring less than 24 points this season during their week 12 matchup against the Buckeyes, thanks in part to the aggressiveness of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Michigan has been prepared to face Washington since 2021 as their Big 10 rivals in Ohio State have shown them the blueprint for such moments as Monday’s matchup.
During that period, Ohio State had Stroud, who looks like the 2023 NFL rookie of the year, with wide receivers Smith-Njigba, Wilson, and Olave.
During their first matchup in 2021, Stroud threw for 394, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while Wilson, Olave, and Smith-Njigba, during their 2021 matchup in Ann Arbor, combined for 28 catches for 334 yards in defeat.
Although those guys put up huge numbers, the Wolverines have won the last three matchups, including a 30-24 nailbiter against Marvin Harrison Jr. (a freshman on the 2021 team) at the Big House inside Michigan Stadium.
The no-name defense, as head coach Jim Harbaugh likes to call them, does not have a superstar on the defensive side of the ball.
Instead, their defense is led by a multitude of players from the likes of Michael Barrett, Josaiah Stewart, Braiden McGregor, Derrick Moore, Kenneth Grant, Kris Jenkins, Makari Paige, and Mason Graham, who will all be looking to disrupt the high-flying offense of the Huskies.
On the backend, Will Johnson, Keon Sabb, Josh Wallace, Rod Moore, and Mike Sainristil (who will also mix it up in the backfield) will look to slow down the triple threats at wideout.
Offense
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wolverines could have a field day, as the Huskies are allowing 4.0 yards per carry to opposing offenses. Those numbers to a predominately run-heavy team are a king’s feast.
Anticipating with great pleasure will be the Wolverines rushing touchdown leader Blake Corum (25 this season, 56 in his career), Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who they will use for the zone reads.
In their last two matchups, the Huskies have given up five yards per carry to the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl and 5.6 yards per carry to the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship.
With the Wolverines averaging 4.3 yards per attempt, if they keep rushing the ball up and down the field, for one, they will keep Penix on the sideline for the majority of the game while also keeping him and his high-powered offense out of rhythm.
And for two, the play-action pass will get receivers Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, Semaj Morgan, and Tyler Morris plenty of opportunities to shine under the bright lights. Tight ends Colston Loveland and AJ Barner should have plenty of run Monday night as well.
With a victory, the men in maize would become the greatest team in program history as they would have reached the rarefied air of winning the program’s first championship in 26 years.
They’ll need to rush Penix as a collective unit, play keep away with their run game, and hope for some significant plays from their special teams unit to achieve greatness.
Both teams have been fighting for their proper respect all season long, but now they’re on the biggest stage to stake their case as the best in college football.
How do you feel about Michigan? Do you see this game getting out of hand early on either side? Let us know in the comment section.
