Michigan Vs Washington: National Championship Game Preview

The college football playoff will reach its crescendo on tonight as the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines square off for the national championship. Both teams were able to survive their semifinal matchups to qualify for the final game. We’ll take a look at players and storylines heading into the pivotal contest.

Michigan has been fortunate enough to have great running backs in their storied history, but it’s possible that Blake Corum might be the best of the bunch. He set the school record for career touchdowns, which is impressive considering he’s passed names like Anthony Thomas, Tim Biakabutuka and Tyrone Wheatley.

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, conversation about franchise quarterbacks has mostly centered around USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. LSU’s Jayden Daniels has also entered the discussion. However, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. is on the precipice of achieving something none of those players have in their college careers, and might vault him up draft boards.

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The Huskies are uncertain whether or not running back Dillon Johnson will be able to suit up for the national title game. He got hurt last week against Texas, and his absence would be a huge loss for Washington. Johnson has run for 1,162 yards so far this season, and would give Michigan’s defense another weapon to worry about.

While their familiarity with Penix is a few years removed, Michigan has seen Washington’s quarterback live before. Penix used to play for the Indiana Hoosiers, who are in the same conference as Michigan. As a Hoosier, Penix defeated the Wolverines in 2020, throwing for three touchdowns and 342 yards.

The Pac-12 conference as college sports fans know it is breaking up, and Washington is looking to give the conference one last shining moment. Their inclusion in the college football playoff shows that the Pac-12 isn’t heading for defunct status because of a lack of talent, but instead for the lack of resources other conferences possess.

Penix has had the good fortune of teaming up with wide receiver Rome Odunze during this magical ride to the title game. Odunze is one of the premier wideouts in college football, and could be a top 10 pick in April’s NFL Draft. It’ll be interesting to see how Michigan’s secondary elects to cover him.

The argument can be made that Washington has more individual talent across their roster than Michigan does, even thought the Wolverines are favored to win the game. Michigan played in the historically tougher conference, while college football fans aren’t used to seeing the Huskies advance this far.

If Michigan wins the national championship, the narrative surrounding the sign stealing scandal that was a story earlier in the season may resurface. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the end of the Big 10 schedule because of it. Naysayers may wonder if the Wolverines deployed any underhanded tactics during the college football playoff as well.