The lead up to the college football national championship has been very entertaining. Both teams, Michigan, and Washington, are coming off thrilling semifinal games that were determined by the final play. Michigan made a comeback against Alabama to win in overtime, while Washington held off a determined comeback by Texas.
While Michigan is a school known for their football success, they had yet to make it to the championship of the college football playoff despite numerous appearances in the semifinals. For Michigan, this season has been a rollercoaster, having more ups and downs than any other team in the country. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended not once, but twice. Prior to winning games against Penn State and Ohio State, Harbaugh was suspended for sign stealing allegations. While it seemed unlikely for Michigan to overcome the loss of their head coach when facing two of the best teams in the nation, they won. If anything is for sure, the Michigan Wolverines know how to win football games. While the offense has shown moments of greatness, it has been the defense which has held them in every game. They have allowed 10.2 points per game which is the lowest among every team in college football. The Wolverines showcased their defensive dominance tallying five sacks in the first half alone, then finishing the game with seven sacks. With the offense occasionally being a little shaky, their defense will be critical to win.
Washington is coming off its fifth consecutive one-score win. Although they have struggled to secure wins of larger margins, they are a more complete football team on both sides of the field. Star QB Michael Penix Jr. playing in his sixth year of college football was the Heisman runner up this season. Though Penix did not win the award, he is widely considered the best quarterback in college football. Penix Jr. has 4,648 passing yards, which is the most among all D1 quarterbacks. Along with this, he just had one of the greatest performances in college football history passing for 430 yards in the semifinal win against Texas. Even though Washington tends to pass the ball, running back Dillon Johnson gives them an alternative if the pass game falters. Though Johnson has been one of the top running backs this season, it will be difficult for him to find openings against Michigan’s elite defensive line.
The determining factor in this game will be the battle between the Washington offense and the Michigan defense. If Michigan can replicate the same pressure on Penix that they put on Alabama, it will be a struggle for Washington’s offense. However, Washington is much more reliable than Alabama’s, making it a tougher task for the Michigan defense. Ultimately, the experience and skill of Michael Penix Jr. will be too much to contain for the Michigan defense and will lead to Washington winning the national championship.
Final Score Prediction: Washington 31 Michigan 23
Third Down With Devin 