The Athletic has live coverage of Michigan vs. Washington in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
College football’s last two undefeated teams will face off for the ultimate prize when Washington and Michigan meet on Monday night in Houston for the national title. The top-ranked Wolverines are favored to claim their first national championship in nearly 30 years but the Huskies have thrived as the underdog this season.
The College Football Playoff National Championship will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 8 from NRG Stadium. ESPN will handle the broadcast with additional coverage of the game spread across the network’s platforms.
After disappointing playoff performances the previous two seasons, Jim Harbaugh has Michigan (14-0) on the cusp of winning a national title. The Wolverines powered their way through an undefeated regular season that wasn’t without adversity or controversy. Harbaugh served two separate suspensions for recruiting violations and sign-stealing allegations, but his team continued to take care of business on the field, winning a third-straight Big Ten championship and earning the No. 1 seed in the playoff.
Washington (14-0) relied on its high-powered offense to post impressive victories while navigating a challenging Pac-12 slate. The Huskies were the only team to defeat Oregon, and did so twice with the second time coming in the Pac-12 Championship Game to secure their spot behind Michigan in the final playoff rankings.
Michigan’s formula for success – suffocating defense combined with a punishing running game – was fully on display in the semifinal against Alabama. The Wolverines harassed Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe all game, sacking him six times and limiting him to five yards per pass attempt. They did give up a season-high 172 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but Alabama needed 43 carries to get there.
The defense’s steadiness helped the team overcome some atypical sloppy play early and kept things close before the offense scored late to send the game into overtime. From there, running back Blake Corum needed just two carries to give his team the lead and then one last defensive stop sealed the milestone 27-20 victory.
Michigan’s defense will need to come up big one more time on Monday night against Washington, especially if coach Kalen DeBoer and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continue their successful partnership. Penix showed Texas why he was a Heisman Trophy finalist this season. He lit up Texas for 430 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Huskies outlasted the favored Longhorns in a 37-31 thriller. Washington’s defense gave up 498 total yards, but forced two turnovers and kept Texas out of the end zone when it counted the most, on the last play of the game.
This bend-but-don’t-break approach may not be as successful against Michigan, however. Not only do the Wolverines offer a much stiffer challenge on defense for Penix and company, but the productive Michigan running game is a tough matchup for any defense to stop. Blake Corum is a two-time All-American and leads the country with 25 rushing touchdowns.
It will be critical for the Huskies to get some stops behind the line of scrimmage. Two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection Bralen Trice had two sacks and three tackles for a loss in the semifinal and will need to make his presence known once again. That could be easier said than done against a Michigan offense that doesn’t give up many sacks (19 in 14 games) or turn the ball over much (eight total).
The flip side of this matchup is that Michigan’s defense has yet to face an offense like Washington’s. Yes, the Wolverines held Ohio State to 24 points but this season’s Buckeyes offense was not typical of the Ryan Day era, certainly not statistically speaking. Penix is the nation’s top passer with 4,648 yards to go along with 35 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.
Michigan’s defense is No. 2 against the pass (152.6 yards per game) in the country. Ohio State was the only opponent to throw more than one touchdown pass against the Wolverines. Meanwhile, Penix has 11 games with multiple scoring strikes.
Michigan’s aforementioned pass rush will no doubt play a huge role, but Washington’s offensive line has done an outstanding job of giving Penix the time needed to find his targets downfield and he also gets rid of the ball quickly. Despite averaging more than 37 pass attempts per game, the Huskies have surrendered a total of 11 sacks in 14 contests.
And outside of the Buckeyes, the Wolverines haven’t faced a receiving corps as gifted and talented as Washington’s. It starts with Rome Odunze, a consensus All-American and projected first-round NFL Draft pick. He and fellow wideout Ja’Lynn Polk have combined for 152 catches, 2,675 yards and 22 touchdowns. That’s 575 yards and 15 scores more than Michigan’s defense has allowed through the air all season. And don’t forget about Jalen McMillan, who’s been hampered by injuries but led the team with nine touchdown catches in 2022.
Washington could be without leading rusher Dillon Johnson. Johnson went down on Washington’s last offensive play and was carted off the field. He has 1,162 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Losing him would be a blow to the Washington attack, but for now he is expected to play.
All odds from BetMGM. Looking for college football tickets? Find them here.
What is the spread for Michigan vs. Washington?
Expert picks against the spread
Model projection
Austin Mock’s college football favors Michigan by 5.5 points and projects the point total to be 55.5 points. That puts the predicted score at Michigan 30.5, Washington 25.
Pregame reading
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(Photo of JJ McCarthy and Tyler Morris: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
2024-01-09 00:45:13
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