Faced with 2nd & 7 on the Washington 12 yard line, leading 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter, Michigan gave the ball to Blake Corum. With three TEs to the bottom of the formation, the Wolverines pulled AJ Barner across, along with left guard Trevor Keegan running to the right. Barner hit his block but Keegan wasn't quick enough to get to Washington LB Alphonzo Tuputala, who had a free run at Corum. The diminutive running back saw Tuputala to his outside and cutback inside. Tuputala whiffed on his tackle attempt and with no proper safety help behind him, Corum had a free run to the end zone. Once free, #2 sprinted into the end zone, snapping a long Michigan offensive drought and giving the Wolverines the 27-13 lead. 

Washington got the football and drove into Michigan territory, but as they had all night, they encountered resistance. Pressure and good coverage slowed the Huskies down, eventually forcing star QB Michael Penix Jr. to attempt a 4th & 13. They got two cracks at it due to offsetting penalties on the first attempt, but the second ball was an interception, sailed into the arms of Mike Sainristil, who returned it 81 yards to the Washington 8 yard line. Two plays later Blake Corum punched it in again. 34-13 and this one was on ice. Bring down the confetti, pop the champagne. 

For the twelfth time in history, the Michigan Wolverines Football team are national champions. 

-----

[AFTER THE JUMP: the narrative]

[Patrick Barron]

The first half felt like one of missed opportunities- for both teams. The Wolverines started hot, running the ball consistently to plod into Washington territory despite poor field position after Semaj Morgan ran out the opening kick. On 1st & 10 from the Washington 37, a rush around LaDarius Henderson forced JJ McCarthy to take a small sack of minus four yards, the first time all drive the Michigan offense was behind the sticks. On 2nd & 14, they gave it to Donovan Edwards, who had a gaping hole paved open for him. Edwards missed it and ran straight into his linemen's backs, before realizing his error and cutting back. Edwards found the hole and hit it, sprinting down the sideline for 41 yards and a TD. 7-0 Michigan. 

Washington's second drive was a good example of what Michigan's defense wanted to do, allowing Washington to drive the field but without any big plays and ultimately slamming the door in the red zone. Washington was allowed to continue the drive after Keon Sabb missed a tackle on Tybo Rogers on 3rd & 5, though Washington probably would've went on 4th down around midfield. The Huskies pushed into Michigan territory but once in a goal-to-go situation, the Wolverine defense stepped up. They stuffed a run on 1st & Goal from the 10 and then hunted down a Ja'Lynn Polk end-around on 2nd & Goal for just two. A crafty coverage switch on 3rd & Goal provided just enough deception to force Michael Penix Jr. to miss Jalen McMillan in the end zone and the Michigan defense held. The Grady Gross field goal from 25 yards away was good and the Huskies were on the board. 7-3 Michigan. 

Michigan's second drive was much quicker. After a three yard run on first down by Blake Corum, JJ McCarthy dropped in his best throw of the first half on play-action to Roman Wilson for 37 yards out to the Washington 46. Two plays later it was Edwards time again, as the junior running back saw a hole created by the right side of the line and ran right through it. No safety over the top and Edwards was gone for a 46 yard TD. 14-3 Wolverines with 2:31 left in the first quarter. 

 

[Barron]

The hits kept coming for Washington, as the Husky offense went three-and-out on their first series. Penix scrambled for five on first down but the second down run was stuffed and his swing pass to McMillan to nerf a 3rd down blitz was expertly tackled by Mike Sainristil short of the sticks. Deep in his own territory, Kalen DeBoer was forced to punt. Michigan took over at the 21 and got right back into UW territory on the final play of the first, Blake Corum breaking a run for 59 yards. Michigan was all the way down to the Washington 20, and felt like they had the chance to turn off the lights early. 

But that was the beginning of Washington flipping momentum in the second quarter. They got a crucial red zone stop on 3rd & 3.5 after a few Michigan runs, a great PBU by corner Jabbar Muhammad on Cornelius Johnson, who was never really open. Michigan put K James Turner on the field, who threaded a 31 yard field goal inside the left upright to make the score 17-3. Huskies still alive. Washington needed to get something going and got out near midfield after some quick throws. However, two false starts in the span of a play set them back on 3rd & 19. Penix threw a quick pass to McMillan to make some of the yardage back and UW went on 4th & 7. Penix dropped back and had a wide open Rome Odunze down the field for a likely TD, but Penix overthrew him and the ball landed incomplete. 

Michigan took over on their own 47 with 10:27 to go in the 2nd quarter, the chance to make it a three-score game and land a knockout blow. They couldn't do it. Corum was stuffed on first down as the Washington defense began to tighten up against the run. Michigan went play-action on second down, McCarthy found little open, rolled to the sideline, and found Loveland. However, the tight end had the ball punched out by Dominique Hampton, incomplete. On 3rd down, McCarthy looked for Cornelius Johnson and sailed the throw over his head. Michigan punted and Tommy Doman blasted it in the end zone, squandering any potential field position edge. 

 

[Bryan Fuller]

The defense was still humming, however. They forced a three-and-out again after Kenneth Grant sacked Michael Penix and the Huskies waved a white flag on 3rd & forever. Michigan again got the ball with decent field position (their own 33) and got some traction this time, using the Alex Orji package to move into Washington territory. However, two stopped runs put them behind the sticks and a run on 3rd & 7 for Donovan Edwards only yielded a modest gain. Jim Harbaugh initially leaned towards punting on 4th & 2.5 from the plus-39, but then called a timeout. He put his offense on the field and Michigan called a quick pass to the sideline for Roman Wilson that was broken up by an exceptional play from Washington LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, blanketing Wilson in coverage. 

Washington took over possession of the ball with their own good field position and proceeded to drive for their first (and ultimately, only) touchdown). The Huskies ran two nice screens, one to Jack Westover and one to Odunze to get them chunks and then picked up a 3rd & 10 from the Michigan 23 via penalty, a wise yank of the jersey by Mike Sainristil, who was beaten by Jalen McMillan. The penalty prevented a likely touchdown, but as it turned out, only delayed it. Washington was set up with 1st & Goal from the 8 and it took them four plays to punch it in, but they ultimately did so. The final was 4th & G from the 3, a Michigan penalty thrown on Will Johnson that was to be called anyway (a hold on Rome Odunze) but didn't matter because Penix fired a dart to McMillan in the end zone. Touchdown Washington, 17-10. 

Michigan got the ball back with only 46 seconds left in the first half and moved the ball a bit, one completion to Colston Loveland in particular working them out near midfield, but a costly decision by Cornelius Johnson not to go out of bounds killed a chunk of time. Michigan had no timeouts and were forced to burn the time and spike the ball. Their 3rd down pass fell incomplete and Michigan punted. Tommy Doman pinned Washington at the two and the Huskies knelt the ball down to head to halftime. 17-10 Wolverines on top. 

 

[Fuller]

The big effect of Washington's strong drive to close the half was that like Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Michigan had been doubled up, giving up a score right before the break and losing a possession because the opposition got the ball to start the second half. As it turned out, that possession wouldn't be much of anything. On the first play from scrimmage, Penix dropped back to throw and as he fired for Tybo Rogers, a strong pass rush by Mason Graham drove a Husky lineman into Penix's arm. The ball popped up in the air along the sideline and was hauled in thanks to an acrobatic effort by Will Johnson, getting his left hand under the football and his body landing juuuuuust in bounds for the interception to count (to make matters worse for UW, Penix's ankle was rolled up on on this play, leaving him temporarily hobbled). 

Michigan now had the ball and a chance to make it a two score lead. Blake Corum ripped off a 13 yard run to get Michigan into the red zone, but like the Texas Longhorns before them, Michigan killed their own drive with incessant pre-snap penalties. Two false starts backed Michigan up into a true passing down and then strong play from the Husky defense forced a FG, one batted ball by Tuli Letuligasenoa and an all-out blitz on 3rd & long prevented JJ McCarthy from hooking up with open receivers. James Turner took the field for a 38-yard FG and put it between the uprights. 20-10 Wolverines. 

Washington got the football and returned the favor. They picked up a quick first down and then a TE screen to Devin Culp broke several tackles and then got 15 yards tacked on after Makari Paige was called for unnecessary roughness on an overzealous tackle out of bounds. The penalty moved Washington to the Michigan 34 but this is when the Michigan defense stepped up. Kenneth Grant batted down Penix's pass on first down, a Tybo Rogers run was quickly stopped, and then pressure on Penix forced a checkdown to the TE Westover on 3rd down. Michigan made a quick stop short of the sticks and DeBoer sent out his field goal team. Gross made the field goal from 45 yards away and Washington had reduced it to a 20-13 deficit. 

 

[Fuller]

This begins the period of the game that can be described as a defensive struggle, the fearsome Wolverine defense continuing to vex the high-powered Washington offense while Michigan's offense struggled to adjust to Washington loading the box against the run. Michigan went three-and-out on their next possession, running three times, including outside zone(!!!) on 3rd & 3, and punted. Washington got the ball and went first-down-and-out, Penix's passes falling incomplete on three straight plays prior to a punt. 

UW shanked the punt off the foot of punter Jack McCallister but it took a bounce and roll of nearly 30 yards in Washington's favor. That pinned Michigan deep inside their own 10 and they looked to be punting from the end zone on 3rd & 8 when McCarthy couldn't find anyone open, but the QB scrambled for 22 yards and a first down. The first QB keeper of the game gained 12 yards and had Michigan out to the 43, but that's when the drive fizzled. Edwards gained a modest amount on first down, a screen to Semaj Morgan was blown up by Kamren Fabiculanan, and then the Husky all-out blitz forced a Michigan screen to Roman Wilson, who gained a few but not enough. Michigan punted and pinned Washington to the 11. 

That's where UW had the ball when the third quarter came to an end, the final play being a 12 yard reception by Westover. Two plays after that was one of the quietly biggest plays of the game, a quick out to Jalen McMillan along the sideline with no safety help. A year ago, on a similar sort of route against TCU, Michigan's DJ Turner blew the tackle and gifted the opposition a TD. This time, Will Johnson wrestled McMillan to the ground for a three yard gain. On 3rd & 4 Michigan brought the heat, which Penix recognized and wisely threw to RB Will Nixon on a wheel route, open for a first down against Michigan LB Junior Colson. Nixon did not make the routine catch and Michigan caught a break. Washington punted. 

 

[Barron]

The next two drives in the fourth quarter were three-and-outs for either team, with high leverage plays that went haywire on both. For Michigan, it was Cornelius Johnson dropping an easy catch from McCarthy on play-action over the middle, one of the few wise playcalls from the Michigan offensive staff during this portion of the game. For Washington, it was a fade to Rome Odunze, completed for 32 yards down the sideline that was negated by a holding call on right tackle Roger Rosengarten. Braiden McGregor had gotten a free rush inside of Rosengarten, who grabbed McGregor briefly around the neck and threw him to the ground, giving Penix time to complete the pass. In both cases the errors forced punts. 

Washington's punt was not McCallister's best (only 37 yards), giving Michigan the ball on their own 29 yard line. The drive began with 9:44 to play in the game, Michigan hunting for the touchdown and potential knockout punch that had eluded them since the early second quarter. After 30 minutes of spinning their tires in the muck on offense, this drive would give Michigan the offensive rhythm they needed. On first down they ran play-action, McCarthy finding an open Colston Loveland streaking over the middle. JJ's pass was a bit high but the leapy Loveland snagged it and then was off and running. He rumbled for 41 yards well into UW territory before the safety Hampton could bring him down. Two plays later Michigan ran another smart play-action pass for Roman Wilson on a crossing route, who picked up a first down and got Michigan to the 15. 

Two plays after that was the 2nd & 7 mentioned at the start of the piece, Blake Corum's beautiful cutback to shake free of Tuputala and enter the end zone. James Turner's PAT bonked off the left upright but still went through, giving Michigan a 27-13 lead over Washington with 7:13 to play. This leads to the Washington drive also quoted at the top, ending in the Sainristil interception. Michigan looked to slow UW down and make them drive the field, but a coverage bust between Sainristil and Rod Moore allowed Rome Odunze to pick up 44 in one chunk, Washington's only explosive play (that counted) of the game. However, a false start on Rosengarten set UW behind the sticks and Michigan began to get consistent pressure on Penix, forcing an incompletion and a checkdown on 1st and 2nd down, respectively. Penix overthrew a well-covered McMillan and 3rd down, which leads to 4th & 13 with 4:52 left.

 

[Barron]

With the game potentially on the line, Michigan called timeout to get their defense right. The first try at it saw Michigan send seven with a Cover Zero blitz, drawing a holding call in the process and forcing a desperation heave by Penix. The Wolverines had the stop but Will Johnson held Odunze coming back for the flailing prayer. The offsetting penalties forced the two teams to do it again and this time Michigan only sent four. It didn't matter. Jaylen Harrell got decent rush on Penix, who overthrew McMillan and the ball was intercepted by a leaping Sainristil. The Husky players seemed to stop playing for a moment and Sainristil was determined to run it back, despite your author yelling for him to fall down. The 5th-year senior got close to a pick six, but was ultimately tracked down at the eight. As mentioned, Corum rumbled for seven on first down and punched it in on the next play. 34-13 with 3:40 to play. Start the celebration. 

Washington got one last drive, with Michigan continuing to play prevent defense to salt the clock away before the party could officially start. They faced a 4th down and picked it up with Will Nixon plunging for five and a first down. After that Michigan slammed the door, a great PBU by Keon Sabb followed by three straight plays where Michigan got relentless pressure and forced incompletions. Penix took hit after hit from the Michigan defenders during the latter portion of this game and was increasingly ginger each time after he got up. His fourth down attempt for Devin Culp was not on the mark and the Huskies turned it over on downs. Kalen DeBoer, rightly recognizing that it was over, pocketed his timeouts and let Michigan run it once (Corum) and then kneel it down twice. 

The wait was over. After 26 years, Michigan Football are the national champions. 

----

 

[Fuller]

The final box score indicates that the clearly better team won this football game. Mostly because it did. Michigan gained 443 yards to Washington's 301, doing so on 14 fewer plays. On a per-play basis Michigan outgained Washington 7.8 to 4.2. The Michigan run offense won the day, just as was easily foreseeable if you watched the tape of the two teams going in. Against a poor Washington run defense, Michigan ripped off the three long runs early that netted them their first 17 points before the Huskies could breathe. UW eventually adjusted by loading the box, and to your author's great frustration it took Michigan far too long to make their own adjustments (more play-action and more McCarthy runs would've been greatly appreciated), but eventually on the 4th quarter drive they did. Two play-action passes got them into the red zone and then Corum finished it off. His final touchdown was just the cherry on top. 

In totality, Michigan rushed 38 times for 303 yards- 36 for 305 if you take out the kneel downs. That's a cool ~8 YPC clip, by total yardage the most in CFP/BCS National Championship Game history and it produced all four Michigan TDs, two for Edwards and two for Corum. Those four touchdowns showcased the beautiful contrasting styles of the two backs, two being the breakaway speed of Edwards and two featuring the power, vision, and shiftiness of Corum. Michigan's offensive line imposed their will on Washington's defensive front on the ground and the running backs feasted as a result. 

The pass game was not nearly as stellar, but it did enough. McCarthy's rope to Loveland his beautiful dime to Wilson, both on play-action, were the highlights (and showed why Michigan should've run more PA). McCarthy's final line is a blasé 10/18 for 140, maybe unimpressive enough that NFL Draft scouts will convince the junior QB to return for 2024. Loveland, Wilson, and Cornelius Johnson caught three balls each to tie for the team lead. All in all, Michigan's offense won a National Championship tonight in the most Jim Harbaugh way possible, a punishing run game doing the heavy lifting and just enough passing to get the team to the finish line. 

 

[Fuller]

Of course, I say that Michigan's offense "won" a National Championship as if the defense didn't do the real work tonight. The offense was fine, strong early then underwhelming for large portions but did enough. The defense, though, put together an all-time performance as the exclamation point on what will be remembered as an all-time unit. They went up against one of the best offenses in the country and held them to 301 yards and 4.2 YPP. On a per-play basis it was Washington's worst performance of the year, and they couldn't blame this one on the rain or the wind like the ASU and Oregon State outings. 

Michael Penix missed one big throw that may haunt him, and Will Nixon's third down drop helped get Michigan off the field once, but for the most part the Michigan defense earned the macro success they had tonight. The vaunted pass-protecting Washington OL went up against the best defensive line they'd seen all season and while it wasn't an all-out assault on Penix, there was quite a bit of organic pressure. Enough to throw off a QB whose struggles with pressure were documented coming in. Of course, the Michigan coverage was largely excellent as well, the best secondary that Washington had seen all season giving their NFL wideouts plenty to fight through. The tandem combination of pressure and strong coverage rendered the Husky pass game inefficient, passing for 255 yards but on 51 attempts, only 27 of them complete. Penix did throw one TD but was intercepted twice as well. 

The pass defense won the day, but the run defense's dominance played a large role. Star RB Dillon Johnson was limited, as many anticipated after his late-game injury against Texas, but none of the other, healthy backs did any better. Michigan was able to play light boxes and muzzle the Husky rushing game, with non-QB carries going for just 52 yards on 16 carries (3.3 YPC). The longest run Washington had all night was nine yards in length. The dominance of Michigan's front six allowed them to leave their safeties deep, equipping them better to defend the pass. 

Special teams didn't have too many notes. The biggest negative was Michigan's poor decision to have Semaj Morgan return his first two kickoff attempts, as both were brutal decisions that cost Michigan substantial field position when Morgan was tackled well behind the 25. Tommy Doman punted five times for an average of 46.8 yards per punt, though his best was the inconsequential punt at the end of the half. James Turner was perfect on his two field goals, as well as his four extra points, though one was the briefly heart-stopping attempt off the upright and in. 

-----

 

[Fuller]

With this win, Michigan finishes the season 15-0 for the first time in program history. They are one of just four teams in the modern era (2018 Clemson, 2019 LSU, 2022 Georgia the others)- and five overall (add 1897 Princeton)-- to go 15-0 in a college football season (1894 Yale went 16-0). Tonight's win will be Michigan's 12th claimed national championship, joining 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, and 1997. Also with the win, Jim Harbaugh accomplishes something his mentor Bo Schembechler never did at Michigan: winning a national championship. Harbaugh is the 6th coach to win a national title in Ann Arbor, joining Fielding Yost, Harry Kipke, Fritz Crisler, Bennie Oosterbaan, and Lloyd Carr. 

The 2023 Michigan Football team will be remembered as the program's best of the modern era (let's say, post-1950). With all due to respect to the achievements of the 1997 team, it is fundamentally harder to win a national title in today's college football than it was in the pre-CFP, or even pre-BCS era. Even more games, and the prospect of having to win multiple bowl games against the best of the best. The '97 team, existing in a bygone era of CFB, merely had to win the B1G and knock off their regularly scheduled PAC-10 opposition in the Rose Bowl (#8 Washington State that year). The '23 team had to win the B1G, which included a conference title game nonexistent in '97, then defeat #4 Alabama (and the GOAT coach of the modern era) in the Rose Bowl, as well as #2 Washington in the National Championship Game. 

It was a much harder climb but this team conquered it and in the process, won a national title that has no claims from other schools. One or two Georgia slappies will mutter something about the Dawgs through streaming tears into an lukewarm Jack and Coke, but UGA lost to Alabama on a neutral field, a team Michigan defeated on a neutral field. The SP+ post-game win expectancy in their meetings with Alabama were 51.1% for Georgia and 88.3% for Michigan. You can't fully conclude something from one game, but Michigan played Alabama much better than Georgia did and, you know, actually won the game. There is no argument for Georgia over Michigan if you have a functioning brain. Even the pathetic "how would Vegas assess a matchup???" falls flat after tonight. [FSU fans if you want to claim a national title, I will let you have fun. You guys still got jobbed. That claim will be just as real as any other pre-1998 national title]. 

 

[Fuller]

There is no dispute on this national title, as there was with Nebraska in 1997. Michigan was plainly the best team in college football this season. They owned that distinction wire-to-wire, certainly so once Georgia was felled by Alabama in Atlanta. They are the first national champion since legendary 2001 Miami to lead every game at halftime. Even SignGate, in all its bluster and infamy was proven by this group of players to be complete nonsense insofar as it came to explaining Michigan's run of success over the past three years.

If you continue to buy that explanation after Michigan defeated #10 Penn State (on the road) and #2 Ohio State without their head coach, as well as #4 Alabama and #2 Washington, all without the omnipotent Connor Stalions, you also do not have a functioning brain. To what degree Michigan may have committed infractions and more importantly, to what degree any of that matters in the hive of scum and villainy known as college football, can be debated some day in the future but let us be clear- there is no debate Michigan was the best team in college football in 2023, and the rightful national champion. 

Michigan's 2023 defense will be one remembered in the history books of this program. No opponent scored 25 points in a single game on them and they allowed just 10.2 PPG on the season, one of the lowest marks of the past decade for any team. That they got that mark despite playing Washington's dazzling offense tonight just reinforces it. Many spent much of the year wondering how real Michigan's defense was as they smothered incompetent B1G offense after incompetent B1G offense, but when it came time to win games against better QBs and elite skill position talent, Michigan's defense answered the call. They made Jalen Milroe's life hell in Pasadena and did the same to Michael Penix Jr. in Houston. 

It may have been a "no star" defense in the way that there was no singular Ndamukong Suh or Charles Woodson on the defense, but there were also no bad players. And plenty of great ones all over. They had four EDGE defenders who could start at most all programs in the country and one of the country's best DTs in Mason Graham on a positional group that went five names deep with quality players (when healthy). They boasted two stand-out LBs and a solid third option, an elite outside corner with an NFL future at one spot and a trusty veteran with a ton of NCAA experience at the other. Their nickel was a versatile superstar and the heart of the defense, and their safeties also went four deep with quality players. No holes, immense depth, and outstanding coaching from Jesse Minter and his whole staff. It was a defense designed to destroy NFL passing attacks and it did just that to win it all. 

 

[Fuller]

The offense was not as sexy, but often just as effective. The greatness of the offense was often lost in the shuffle because its starters were out of the game by the fourth quarter over much of the season and then it went up against some of the best and most NFL-rich defenses in the country later in the season, but this was the best offense of the Harbaugh era. Not as dominant a rushing attack as 2021-22, but still a very good one that slammed the door in Happy Valley and carried the load tonight. When opponents loaded up against the run (as they did much of the year) JJ McCarthy was happy to pick apart those defenses and make some high level throws. It had two high-level TEs, a very good NCAA QB, a Michigan legend at RB (among several solid backs), Roman Wilson having a career year, young speed out of the slot, and a sturdy offensive line. They were 12th in SP+ offense coming into tonight and will likely finish the season ranked a bit higher. When you pair that sort of offense with an all-time defense, you get a 15-0 national championship team. 

This team was a triumph of a unique kind of roster building in this era of college football. Michigan did not have the gaudy recruiting classes normally necessary to win the sport's ultimate crown, but they amassed the necessary talent by developing players better than anyone else, coaching them up better than anyone else, and finding undervalued recruits who were woefully under-ranked by the supposed scouting gurus (the efforts of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant stand out as two players the recruiting industry badly whiffed on). They also did not go crazy with portal and NIL shopping. Michigan instead added high-quality, veteran pieces to fill holes on the roster (on the OL, DL, and secondary) out of the portal and kicked the requisite money to keep their own players around. With a more veteran and cohesive roster, one without the sort of locker room tension that free-flying NIL has seen to be fostering, Michigan dug deeper than their opposition and won through talent, skill, coaching, brotherhood, and overwhelming depth. 

-----

 

[Barron]

Going into this game, tonight felt like the ending of some kind. What that ending was of wasn't quite clear, but despite all the uncertainty surrounding the program and its future, we knew coming in that tonight would be the ending for a few players for sure. Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, Trevor Keegan, Cornelius Johnson, and Michael Barrett almost certainly all played their final games as Wolverines tonight and who knows how many other players could join that list. Those players were some of the bedrocks of the 2021 team that began the march towards this moment and now they will be moving on. Next year's team may still be an excellent football team, but it will have few vestiges left of the 2021 squad that restarted the tradition and culture. 

That's the nature of the passage of time, but it's also why tonight felt like the end of a three year epic. All the players, all the miles, all the months, all the memories... it all led to tonight. The win in Wisconsin, the escape in Nebraska, the collapse in East Lansing, Erick All's scamper down the sideline in State College, ending the Buckeye curse in the snow, finally winning a B1G Title, the beatdown by Georgia, the paving of PSU, the revenge on MSU and the tunnel incident, the first win in Columbus, the heartbreak at the hands of TCU, BurgerGate, SignGate, shutting out MSU, 30 straight runs in Happy Valley, Sherrone's triumph over OSU, and then the Rose Bowl win over Alabama (*deep breath*)... all of it led to this moment. The players who forged that now belong to the ages and it's hard to say goodbye. 

In other ways, for many, including many Michigan fans online, tonight was the seeming final chapter of a lifelong journey of Michigan fandom. Michigan made the National Championship Game for the first time in its 26 season history dating back to the BCS era and who knows when, if ever, that will happen again. It was an opportunity to actually win a national championship, something that I never really ever felt was possible. Michigan had to take this opportunity and thankfully for all of us, they did. They are the national champions of college football and for once, they were the superior coached team with elite talent in the trenches that bullied teams to victory the way so many southern powers have, from Alabama to Clemson to Georgia, in the past. 

 

[Barron]

Winning this national championship finally quenches the thirst of this fanbase and completes the three-year epic. As someone who has gotten to cover this team for the entirety of that epic for this website, I can say nothing but it has been an absolute joy. There were hard hours on this journey; writing up recaps after the 2021 MSU and 2022 TCU games were certainly no fun. But the high highs and the fun made it worth it. Tonight was worth it. As we bid adieu to the 2023 Michigan Football season I want to thank everyone who has made this journey special, (in no particular order): Brian, who gave me this opportunity; Seth, my FFFF chart-making maestro; our phenomenal football photographers Patrick, Bryan Fuller, and David Wilcomes; David Nasternak, the best Michigan football (and hockey) bantering buddy I have; Craig, whose existence made me stipulate this is the best Michigan team of the modern era so as not to begin debates about Fielding Yost; Bry-Mac (BiSB) and Raj, two brilliant writers whose work is a joy to Michigan fans everywhere; and my old friends at WCBN Sports who suffered through the 2017-20 seasons with me and have brought me much laughter and joy over the years.  

Of course I also want to thank two other groups. The first are the readers of this site, and those Michigan fans I have gotten to interact with on Twitter broadly. I'd get paid for doing this regardless, but it feels a little more special to have friends online to chat with and people in these comment sections reminding you that someone does value what you think. The second group of course are the players, especially those who have been around since 2021. That group of guys, Corum and Sainristil chief among them, gave us this great Michigan team, led us to this moment, and made me fall in love with college football again after the misery of 2019 and 2020. I will cheer for them and want the best for them in the NFL, even if they (god forbid) should be drafted by the Packers or Cowboys. 

And now we come to an end. The 2023 storybook is closed and I'm not sure what comes next. Will Jim Harbaugh be here in 2024 or will he jump to the NFL? How about JJ McCarthy or Junior Colson or several other key players with decisions? I don't know and for tonight, it doesn't matter. Tonight we got this. There will be bad times again in the future. Ohio State will beat Michigan again at some point and will almost certainly win a national title again one day. That is fine because we got this. This lasts forever. 

Go Blue. We'll meet again in late August.