Downing one of the most efficient offenses in college football, the 15-0 Michigan Wolverines finish their perfect season by winning their first football national title this century (since 1997).
Dominated by a stellar ground attack and lockdown defense, Michigan picked apart Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies en route to the 34-13 victory. Pressuring the Washington offense with two interceptions, a sack for loss and 59 total tackles, the Michigan defensive line held the Huskies to fewer total yards (301) than Michigan tallied in rushing yards alone (303). Penix, who previously had a 66.7% completion percentage and averaged 332 passing yards per game, completed just over half of his passes in the national final (53%) and finished with an efficiency rating of 93.6 with 255 yards in the air.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy showcased his arm as well as his legs as he tossed for 140 yards and clocked his longest carry all season at 22 yards at a crucial third-and-long in the third quarter.
With his third-quarter interception and four TOTs, defensive back Will Johnson earned Defensive MVP. Donning the same jersey number as Johnson (No. 2), Blake Corum earned Offensive MVP after notching 134 rushing yards. In the game, Corum also added two rushing touchdowns to tally 58 of his career, which is a school record. He concluded during the trophy ceremony, "Business is finished."
In his 9th season at the helm of his alma mater, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has now collected his first national championship with the Wolverines. This game caps off the 10-year stint of the four-team College Football Playoff, as the playoffs will be expanding to 12 teams for the 2024-25 season.
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