The end of 2023 college football season It has come as two undefeated teams compete for the national championship.
Michigan and Washington are seeking to become the sixth team in major college football history to finish a season 15-0.
The College Football Playoff National Championship trophy is displayed on January 4, 2024 in Houston. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The matchup at NRG Stadium in Houston is between two teams that will play each other as conference foes next season. Washington leaves the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024.
Both programs are looking to break their long national championship drought and will play in their first CFP title game.
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Michigan last won the national title in 1997 (shared with Nebraska), while Washington’s last championship was in 1991 (shared with Miami).
It will be a showdown of opposing forces as Michigan’s dominant defense takes on Washington’s powerful offense.
Let’s break down what to expect as Michigan and Washington play for the final trophy of the four-team playoffs.
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 2 Washington – 7:30 pm ET
Washington Huskies: 14-0
He Washington Huskies They will re-enter the championship game as underdogs after being underdogs in their last two games against Oregon and Texas.
It has been a close season for Washington, winning its last 10 games by 10 points or less.
Despite not winning enough to end the regular season, the Huskies continued to win with the best passing offense in the country.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. celebrates with fans after beating Texas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2024. (Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports)
Directed by Heisman Trophy Runner-up Michael Penix Jr., Washington leads the country in passing yards (350.0) and has two wide receivers who have surpassed the 1,000 mark in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Their offensive line was voted the Joe Moore Award winner as the best group in the country and has allowed Penix to be sacked just 11 times this season, tied for the fourth-fewest in the country.
“The key will be our protection because Michigan can really get after the quarterback,” Washington legend Warren Moon told Fox News Digital. “But we have what was voted the best offensive line in the country, so I think that’s in our favor as well.”
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“If we can block them up front and handle the pressure they’ll bring, I think we’ll do very well in the secondary as far as throwing the ball because we have three really talented receivers. Two of them [are] more than 1,000 yards. They are all good after the catch and drop very, very few balls. And we have a very underrated tight end in Jack Westover.”
The Huskies will face a michigan defense who allowed the fewest points (9.5) in the country and the second-fewest yards (239.7) while chasing the quarterback.
Washington’s Rome Odunze (1) congratulates fellow receiver Jalen McMillan after his touchdown reception during the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Wolverines rank 19th in the country with 38 sacks on the season and got to the Alabama quarterback. Jalen Milroe six times in the Rose Bowl.
On the back end, Michigan’s secondary allows just 152.6 passing yards per game, but will face its toughest challenge of the season in Washington’s offense.
“Michigan is an elite defense, but they’ve feasted on horrible, horrible offenses in the Big Ten,” Fox Sports analyst Brock Huard told the Associated Press. “So, based on a stress test, Michigan hasn’t seen anything like Washington’s offense.”
Michigan Wolverines: 14-0
Michigan’s calling card all season has been its defense, which has stifled opponents all year.
The offense is often overlooked due to the defense’s prowess, but the matchup with Washington could give it a chance. Michigan offense It’s time to shine.
The Wolverines want to run the ball and will try to do so against a Washington defense that allows 138.8 yards per game. Washington allows 4.40 yards per carry (86th in the country) according to the AP.
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Michigan running back Blake Corum (2) scores on a 17-yard run in overtime of the Rose Bowl playoff game against Alabama in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2024. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Senior running back Blake Corum was spectacular against Alabama in the semifinals, gaining 118 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns. He leads the nation with 26 rushing touchdowns.
“I feel like he, in my opinion, is the most valuable player on our team. There are a lot of them that live up to his caliber, but especially from an offensive perspective, I feel like he’s one of the guys that makes our offense.” , quarterback JJ McCarthy said last week, according to Fox Sports. “Everything that he’s been through, all the adversity that he’s been through, from his upbringing to last year, everything about who he is and his character, how he attacks every day, we are infects everyone.” “.
“[He’s] “Just one of the most valuable players on our team, if not the most.”
McCarthy made a career-defining trip in the end against the crimson tide, converting a crucial fourth down deep in Alabama territory to send the game to overtime. He is 25-1 since taking over as the starter in 2022 and will face a Washington defense that allows 263.2 passing yards per game.
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Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy (9), head coach Jim Harbaugh and running back Blake Corum (2) celebrate on the podium after a victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl playoff game, Jan. 1, 2024, in Pasadena, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the best quarterback in the history of college football at the University of Michigan,” Jim Harbaugh told media members after beating Alabama. “We have a long way to go to get to where Tom Brady I finally arrived, which is the GOAT.”
“But in a college career there’s been no one at Michigan better than JJ. I know we’re talking about a quarterback fusion. He’s that guy.”
McCarthy will become a legend in Ann Arbor if he can take home the title.
Scott Thompson of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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