The finale of the 2023 college football season will feature a matchup of two unbeatens that have traveled very different paths along opposite ends of the country.
For the Washington Huskies, it’s finally reaching the door of championship dreams while simultaneously singing a swan song for the PAC-12.
For the Michigan Wolverines, it’s a revenge tour to make up for a quarter-century of heartbreak and vilification, perhaps mostly loudly felt within their own conference, which the Huskies will soon call home as well.
One thing that can’t be questioned is this: these are the two best teams in college football this year. The Wolverines and Huskies have, respectively, boasted defensive and offensive units that show flashes of high-end, NFL-level play.
On New Year’s Day, Michigan and Alabama, the two winningest programs in college football, met for only the sixth time in their history. Arguably the faces of the sport’s two preeminent conferences, the matchup promised bragging rights for either the SEC or Big Ten, with the winning side primed to plant their flag at the summit of what many have begun calling ‘The Power Two’.
Despite several miscues on special teams and offense, Michigan proved the more formidable side in the first half, with seemingly every drop back by Jalen Milroe resulting in a sack or negative play for the Bama offense. However, the Crimson Tide made the needed adjustments, leaning into a more favorable, run-heavy offense that put them back in front.
Down 20-13 late in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines rallied with a touchdown drive, kept alive by a 4th-and-2 connection from JJ McCarthy to Blake Corum that went for 27 yards, and capped with a 4-yard completion to Roman Wilson that took their Rose Bowl matchup with Alabama to overtime. In the opening series of the extra period, Michigan would stamp their first and only drive with a masterful 17-yard touchdown run by Corum, setting up the Wolverines’ top-rated defense to shut down Milroe and the Crimson Tide offense to claim a 27-20 victory.
Immediately following the ratings smash that was Michigan v. Alabama, the Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns delivered a worthy nightcap. A thrilling shootout that saw both sides produce 500-plus yards of offense (well, 498 for the Longhorns), Heisman finalist and redshirt senior Michael Penix Jr. threw for 430 yards in the Sugar Bowl – only going to further raise his stock on NFL draft boards.
However, despite claiming a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Huskies defense struggled late on a series of big plays, and an injury to Washington running back Dillion Johnson would effectively give the Longhorns a touchdown they didn’t have in the final minute of the game – providing Texas with one last possession down 31-37. With one second left, Quinn Ewers found Adonai Mitchell in the endzone, but Huskies corner Elijah Jackson would break up the 13 yard pass, giving Washington the win.
When the committee announced, for the last time ever, the four teams that would be competing in the playoff, these were the two sides that had become forgone conclusions, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Michigan and Washington have reached the championship game. Moreover, you would be hard-pressed to find two coaches who have earned more respect and admiration from their players than Jim Harbaugh and Kalen DeBoer. And, as if the stakes needed to be raised any higher than securing the first national title in a generation for either of these programs – assuming neither coach leaves for the NFL, they’ll cross paths next season during Big Ten conference play.
On January 8, 2024 in Houston, TX, two programs will complete the last chapter in their storybook seasons. But only one team will raise the championship trophy and leave an unforgettable mark on their legacy. For the winner and the loser, the long, winding and unpredictable road will reach its end on Monday night.
No. 1 Michigan v. No. 2 Washington at NRG Stadium in the College Football Championship. Kickoff at 7:30 EST.
