Michigan won its first national championship in the College Football Playoff era on Monday night in Houston, fending off feisty Washington, 34-13.
The Wolverines took a 17-3 lead in the battle of the unbeatens in the second quarter, thanks to an all-out assault on the Huskies’ run defense. In the first quarter alone, Michigan ran for two scores and 100-plus yards.
Washington fought back as QB Michael Penix Jr. led two scoring drives to make it a one-score game, even as he was hindered by an ankle injury. But Michigan wore the Huskies down as QB J.J. McCarthy heated up and the run game finished what it started.
Jim Harbaugh returned to Michigan, where he played his college ball, in 2015 after four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and this was why he wanted to come back: to lead UM back to the top. This Wolverines team might not be loaded with household names, but it’s full of NFL talent.
Now the question turns to Harbaugh’s future and whether he might consider a return to the NFL this offseason, as speculation swirls around some coach-needy teams.
Here are four NFL draft-related takeaways from Monday night’s championship game:
1) Michael Penix Jr. caps brilliant season with frustrating game.
There’s no question that Penix’s arrow is pointing up as an NFL prospect, but Monday wasn’t his night.
Penix was intercepted twice -- both on bad decisions -- and couldn’t rally the Huskies back. He suffered an ankle injury on the first of the two picks early in the third quarter and just wasn’t the same after that.
Medical exams figure to play a significant role in Penix’s draft evaluation. He’s had multiple season-ending injuries, dating back to his time at Indiana. But the Heisman Trophy runner-up has helped his cause immensely since the start of the season, even if the durability questions will persist.
Penix found some rhythm early Monday but looked frustrated at the lack of deep-shot opportunities, with Michigan often playing with two deep, rangy safeties. He had his shot on fourth-and-7 early in the second quarter, with Washington down 17-3. Michigan suffered a rare coverage bust, but Penix was hurried just enough that he missed a streaking Rome Odunze on what could have been a giant gain, if not a TD. Perhaps that was on Odunze, but I still felt the throw could have been better.
On his next snap the following series, Penix was thrown down hard for a rare sack -- just his 12th taken this season -- after guard Nate Kalepo was bulldozed by Michigan’s absurdly athletic 340-pound sophomore DT Kenneth Grant. It was tough sledding early, especially as RB Dillon Johnson was gutting through injuries.
A TD drive before the half, capped by a brilliant fourth-and-goal throw from Penix to Jalen McMillan, gave Washington the spark it needed. But on the first play of the second half, right when all the momentum had swung back Washington’s way, Penix made a horrible decision on an interception he never should have thrown. His ankle was stepped on during the throw, and Penix limped off the field.
After that, he overthrew Ja’Lynn Polk on a deep shot late in the third, and Penix’s forced-throw interception in the red zone down two scores effectively ended the game.
Washington’s offensive line also had a tough night. It allowed only one sack but was called for a handful of penalties, none bigger than the 32-yard Penix-to-Odunze catch wiped out by Roger Rosengarten’s hold. Michigan got a few big shots on Penix, who looked like he was in serious pain by game’s end.
2) Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards lead dominant rushing attack.
Corum was unquestionably Michigan’s most effective runner this season, as he was for most of the 2022 season, even as Corum had to recover from offseason knee surgery.
But Edwards, his understudy, has just as many NFL-caliber traits as his backfield mate does. The production hasn’t been there much this season, but it certainly was on Monday.
Corum led the way with 134 yards on 21 carries and the final two rushing scores of the evening. But Edwards was the guy who gave them the lead. He ran for 104 yards and two TDs on only six carries.
Edwards’ NFL stock started simmering one year ago when he finished last season on a tear, roasting Ohio State for 216 yards and two TDs and then adding 304 rush yards combined against Purdue in the Big Ten title game and the semifinal playoff loss to TCU.
But the 2023 regular season took a strange turn for Edwards, who never really got unlocked. He entered Monday night with 393 rush yards and three TDs on 113 carries, including a paltry 11 yards against Alabama last week.
Edwards surpassed his Bama total on his first touch of the game, ripping off a 41-yard TD for Michigan’s first score of the game. On Edwards’ second touch, he scored the Wolverines’ second touchdown, this time running from 46 yards out. Less than five minutes into Monday’s game, he’d already notched his season high in rush yards.
Amazingly, he had only one other first-half touch and finished the night with just those six touches. Corum is the more trusted back for Harbaugh, and he has a chance to be a Kyren Williams-type of back in the NFL. But whenever Edwards chooses to enter the NFL, he has a bright future, too.
3) J.J. McCarthy flashes ability, but ups and downs remain.
If you were a J.J. McCarthy fan entering Monday, you certainly left it as one. As is typical, his stats (10 for 18 passing, 140 yards; four rushes, 31 yards) didn’t pop the eyes. But McCarthy -- uneven as he was -- had just enough big plays to keep you interested.
McCarthy opened the game well (3 for 4, 55 yards) and threw one excellent deep comeback that was dropped. Then he suddenly went cold again, missing four straight passes at one stretch with a bad overthrow on third down right before half.
This is his biggest problem: the series-to-series inconsistencies. Michigan kept the door open for most of the game because they punted on four of five possessions and couldn’t convert a gift INT to open the second half into a touchdown.
McCarthy was missing some contested throws, plus a few more that were batted down, although there were two clear drops that weren’t on him. But right when you thought that was it, McCarthy ripped off back-to-back runs of 22 and 12 yards. He made enough throws to finish off two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. That’s two clutch fourths he’s had, against Alabama and Washington. Not bad.
Now we wait to see whether the junior moves on to the NFL or stays at Michigan for another season. Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to submit for special eligibility.
4) Rome Odunze came alive in the second half, but Michigan’s secondary mostly held up.
The Washington receivers never quite got going Monday night, as Odunze had a strange first half and was held in check until late. In addition to the early fourth-down miss, Odunze also slipped on a route when the Huskies started gaining some momentum that could have been a great opportunity in one-on-one coverage.
He ripped off a big catch and run for a first down early in the third quarter and added a 44-yarder late when Michigan got a little turned around in coverage. But Michigan CB Will Johnson had a great game, often matched up with Odunze, and had the game-changing interception in the third quarter.
Michigan’s Mike Sainristil also helped his cause. Despite a few tough plays early in the game, he was competitive all night in the run game (eight tackles) and made the game-sealing interception on a Penix overthrow late. Sainristil is a highly competitive battler who has come a long way since converting from wide receiver.
McMillan’s stock might quietly be on the rise for Washington. He’s flown below the radar, with Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk getting more ink this season. Injuries slowed McMillan this season, but he was productive whenever he was out there, including Monday night, drawing a pass interference call late in the second quarter and then snagging the fourth-down TD catch on a pretty route. He can fly when he’s healthy and is a graceful mover, even if McMillan lost a few physical battles later in the game.