Authors: Lauren Merola, Max Olson, Austin Meeker, Jim Trotter, and Nicole Auerbach
It’s been 26 years, but ultimately no one is better off than Michigan.
The Wolverines enter Championship City ranked second in passing yards allowed per game with 150.0, but they face their toughest task yet in taming Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ) flamethrower. Michigan answered the bell, holding Penix to 255 yards and a touchdown – the only Washington touchdown of the night – and intercepted 27 of 51 passes, matching the national leader’s passing average. There’s a huge difference between usual performance in yards (332.0) and passing yards (4,648).
Combined with the Badgers’ run, they defeated the Huskies 34-13 on Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston to become the 2023 College Football Playoff national champions. It’s Michigan’s first championship since 1997 under coach Jim Harbaugh.
Trailing 27-13 with less than five minutes left in the game, Penix attempted a pass to wide receiver Jalen McMillan but was blocked on double coverage. Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil ran the ball back 80 yards before running back Blake Corum knocked it to the point of freezing.
Colum rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while his counterpart, Donovan Edwards, rushed for 104 yards and two other touchdowns.
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Trailing 17-10 after halftime, Penix was gobbled up by the Wolverines’ defensive line on the first possession. He threw an interception to Michigan defensive back Will Johnson, giving up the ball at Washington’s 32, and Penix limped to the sideline after a teammate stepped on his ankle on the play. . The Huskies defense then performed well, allowing only one field goal, aided by two Michigan penalties, to make it 20-10. It wasn’t enough, as Michigan State regained swing momentum and maintained its wire-to-wire lead.
“I just think it comes down to execution,” Penix said after the game. “I missed a couple throws and just read some routes and stuff like that. Just little details in our system that we’ve always done well.”
Penix had obvious difficulty leaving the court after the game, but said “no matter what, I’m going to make sure I finish the game for the guys.”
“I’m not well, but I’ll be there. I’m fine. It’s no big deal. I’m sure of that,” he said. “I talked to the doctor about something like that. It’s not a big deal. If I have to play tomorrow, I will.”
41 yards from the house 🏠
Michigan’s Donovan Edwards scores first #nationalchampionship
🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/SCuRDbtWRV
— The Athlete (@TheAthletic) January 9, 2024
Michigan set the tone early, scoring five first downs in eight plays and taking a 7-0 lead on its first touch of the ball. Michigan had rushed for 115 yards when it led 14-3 with 2:23 left in the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, Edwards had 87 yards and two touchdowns after scoring just three touchdowns this season. It was an out-of-character job for Washington, which had allowed just two rushes of 40-plus yards all season before Monday and gave up three such rushes in the first half.
In the air, a fairly forgettable part of Michigan’s first half, quarterback JJ McCarthy completed the game’s first three passes but only completed two of his next nine. He went 0-for-4 on third and fourth downs of the half. He was 10-of-18 for 140 yards.
On the day, Washington had 301 total yards and Michigan State had 444 yards. Nearly 85% of Washington’s yards came through the air, while Michigan State did the opposite with nearly 68% of its yards coming on the ground.
“I’m very proud of this team and the progress we’ve made, we were always the underdog,” Penix said. “This is the only time you’ve all been right, but we were able to overcome and overcome so much adversity, and all season long people doubted us and didn’t believe in us. It’s been a blessing to get to this point.”
What this title means for Michigan
Michigan State finally broke through and won the national championship in a year that at times felt more like a wild season of reality TV. This team has the right talent to get the job done after back-to-back CFP semifinal losses in 2022 and 2023, winning its third straight Big Ten title with gritty wins over Penn State and Ohio State championship, went on to push for an overtime win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl and, in their biggest test yet, shut down Washington and its prolific offense. This is a special team on the road to destiny.
It’s been a road filled with drama, from Harbaugh’s three-game suspension to start the season, to the in-season investigation into Connor Stallion’s unsanctioned sign-stealing, to Harbaugh’s foul play on his ball. Team lands in State College with another three-game suspension After it all, no matter who is coaching or who they are playing, these Wolverines are undeterred. They have the No. 1 defense in college football, veteran leadership that refuses to fail, and the ability to be at their best in the games that matter most. — Max Olson, senior college football writer
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Edwards shines when spotlight shines brightest
Edwards is known for being there for the big moments. He hasn’t had much of an impact for much of the season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry in a limited role. But in the national championship game, big name Edwards resurfaced in spectacular fashion.
Edwards opened the game with a 41-yard burst for a touchdown and scored again with a 46-yard run on Michigan’s next drive. Edwards set up Michigan’s victory, and Colum completed the job, rushing in for a touchdown from 12 yards out to give the Wolverines a two-touchdown lead.
The two-headed rush of Colum and Edwards that Michigan envisioned didn’t materialize for much of the season, but it showed up in the biggest game of the year. Both players reached 100 yards, with Edwards rushing for 104 yards and Colum rushing for 134 yards. When the Wolverines run the ball this way, no one can stop them. — austin michigan beat writer
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What happened to Penix?
Statistically speaking, this wasn’t Penix’s worst performance in a stellar season. But given what’s at stake, it feels that way.
A week after his stellar performance in a College Football Playoff victory over Texas, Penix took a beating as he and his Washington teammates lost to Michigan State in the national championship game. The pinpoint accuracy and explosive play that wowed observers were nowhere to be seen Monday night against the Longhorns.
By the end, his body appeared to be in pain, although the loss of a perfect season could have caused a more serious injury. There were some chances for big plays, but Penix uncharacteristically missed a few opportunities. He was injured on an errant pass as he was on target. — Jim Trotter, Senior Writer
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Thanks for Washington’s defense
Michigan looked like it was going to lose the game early after Edwards rushed for two touchdowns of over 40 yards. But Washington’s defense showed toughness and tenacity that allowed the Huskies to hang on in this game, even if Penix wasn’t as mobile as he was in the Sugar Bowl a week ago.
After a stellar first 17 minutes of play, Michigan punted, fumbled, punted, field goal, punt, punt, punt; the Badgers’ longest rush was just 41 yards…until the fourth quarter. On a touchdown rush at midway point, Colum scored a touchdown to give Michigan a two-point lead. — Nicole Auerbach, senior college football writer
Pac-12’s swan song
Monday night’s game was a bittersweet moment for the Pac-12 Conference. The Huskies finally broke through to the CFP, ending a seven-year drought in the league, and they won an exciting semifinal game to advance to the national championship game… which, as we know, was the final game for the Pac-12, whose 12 Ten of these teams will travel to other power conferences next season. This Washington team has been one to watch all season, as has the entire Pac-12 conference, with the rise of teams like Oregon State, OSU and Arizona State, and the national phenomenon Colorado has become. It’s a tough pill to swallow because it feels like if the Pac-12 had a season like this a year or two ago this fall, its demise would never have happened. well.
But the Big Ten is excited, and with the addition of conference members in August, they will have two championship game participants. A rematch of the national championship game will be a Big Ten Conference game on Oct. 5. — Auerbach
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
