Did they choose the correct Offense/Defense MVP in NC game?

On rewatch I also thought Sainristil could/should have been DMVP.  Some of his solo tackles were outstanding, and if he whiffs on them Washington is going to have a huge gain.

DE had the two big runs in the first quarter which set the tone for the whole game.  Outstanding performance.  

It was a team effort on both sides of the ball.  They are all legends and champions and I don’t know how you can pick one undeniable MVP on either side of the ball.

Just because the kids been through a tidal wave of emotion this season, I’d have picked Donovan. But I can’t argue with Blake. I do think Sanristil deserved defensive. But Will had a quiet night playing which is exactly what we needed. No announcers saying he had good coverage…but. Which is a great thing given their receiving crew. IMO they should have rewarded Minter with a brinks truck post game. The guy is hand down the best D coordinator in college bar none!

Yes, Blake had a much better game than Edwards. Will or Mike could have gotten it and it would have been fine. Will's pick in the 3rd was probably more impactful for momentum and setting the tone in the second half than Mike's (which sealed the game with an already two score lead). 

It's difficult to pick an individual because it is a team sport and each player has a different assignment and each assignment must be handled correctly for the team to perform.

They have to give it to someone and I think Blake and Will are worthy honorees.  Both represented the team and the university well in the press conferences which is also important.

THE TEAM

THE TEAM

THE TEAM

All snark aside, I think they got it right.  Blake was the engine that kept Penix off the field and WJ kept all-world Odunze in check.

As others pointed out, what Donovan was doing was not sustainable. Washington fixed their issues. Giving Blake the ball was the correct move, as was giving him player of the game.

It would be interesting if Mikey had gotten in the end zone on his pick, meaning Blake would end up with just one TD. Would he still have gotten it over Donovan? I don't know.

Defense is always hard when it's not super obvious. I do think Mikey had the cleaner game and would have given it to him but I completely understand it going to Will. Yeah, Rome ended up with 80 yards or so but Will was a shutdown corner overall.

Also, even though I get why Will's pick was more critical, I will always remember Mikey's pick more fondly. One, the run back, and two, that 100% ended the game.

As for the Rose Bowl, I didn't understand giving it to JJ over Blake.

Yes and with zero knock or degradation to others that also had terrific games. 

IMO, they got it wrong and also got it wrong in the Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl offensive MVP should have been Blake, certainly not JJ

Championship game offensive MVP again agree with Blake but especially after rewatching the game defensive MVP should have been Mikey or one of the D-lineman. 

I was also surprised that it was Will Johnson over Mikey, but I understand their reasoning, even if I disagree with it.

Donovan Edwards' main skill has always been running fast in a straight line. His two big runs couldn't have been done by anyone else because no one else has his speed, but the bulk of the work was done by the blockers who opened those holes. This is nothing against him: it's not unreasonable to think we don't win this game if he doesn't break those huge runs, so he's absolutely a valuable member of the team. But we also don't win this game without Blake Corum, and his contributions were much more about putting the team on his back and making something out of nothing. It's one thing to execute your role as a cog in the machine to perfection, it's another to throw out the machine and do it yourself when the whole machine breaks down.

Im fine with Blake winning Offensive MVP.  But Mike should definitely have won defensive MVP.  His WR screen tackle was one of the best tackles i seen in quite some time for a DB.  And if he does not make that tackle, Washington may score - there was a ton of open real estate.  AMAZING tackle.

I don't have a problem with Blake getting it, as these as mostly ceremonial, but I did think Donovan should have gotten some more shout outs from the team/coaches in the post game.

Both #2s. Greatness 

I'm guessing that people had already voted by the time Mikey got his INT

D MVP = The entire defensive unit. Anyone who touched the field.

O MVP = The OL

Honestly, I would have like to see Edwards get it over Blake.... but you can make a very solid argument for all four of the.   

Edwards 2 TD put us up 2 scores early, which undoubtedly contributed to the pressure Penix felt in addition to what the defense put on him.   Plus The Don being the good soldier he has been for the past two seasons.... it would have been a fitting and justifiable.   

Sainristil's int and return were obviously huge but he also had two huge, drive stopping tackles. 

Johnson got it because his interception was at a critical point in the game. Up by 7, start off the second half and Washington’s ball with an opportunity to tie up the game. The int. there set the tone immediately for the defense and stopped any momentum Washington had from the end of the first half and into the second. 
 

Mikey’s int. was at an important time, and killed any chance Washington had to win the game, but Michigan was already up by 2tds with just under 3 minutes to play. Without that int Michigan still likely wins the game. Without Johnson’s though the game was still up in the air and if Washington had scored a TD the momentum they had might’ve been too much for Michigan to break at that point.

Even with Edwards great start to the game, Corum was undoubtedly the offensive MVP. His 2 tds essentially put the game out of reach and the first one, the 12 yarder, was at a time that although Michigan had driven most of the field, they still were kind of struggling somewhat on offense. It was at a more critical time in the game where a fg was only making it a 10 point lead (although there was less than 3 minutes left). Either RB winning that MVP award would have been understandable though. 

Appears they spread out the MVP's through the Big 10 Championship, Rose Bowl, and NC games.

Big 10 Championship - Mikey

Rose Bowl - JJ and Graham

NC - Corum and Will

For the Rose Bowl, I personally think Blake had a better game than JJ.  Same can be said for Mikey vs. Will in the NC.  It does not bother me in the slightest though.  This team was all about "the team" and pretty sure they do not mind either.

Go f'ing Blue!  National Champs!  My liver needs this offseason.

This game could have given game mvp, offense, defense to different players because this was a great team game!  Oline and Dline could have been given the mvp's for their side of the ball.  Heck, I nearly gave Jake Thaw an mvp for letting the punt fly over his head...  one play. 

Blake also got a lot of tough yards after the 1st qtr.  Mikey had a great reason as well.  The int's yes for both.  Mikey had a couple solo stops that prevented 3rd down conversions that were massive effort plays!  Will Johnson locked up with Rome for much of the game tells a story too.  Imo Penix went to other receivers because of this. 

Single game MVP awards are dumb and they're especially dumb for teams like this one, built around having about 20 starter-level contributors on either side of the ball 

I was surprised when it wasn't Mike myself, but when I think about it, Will makes the most sense still. Both of them had errors, so we can't really compare that. Both had an interception. Mike had more tackles, but Will plays a different position that doesn't get as many tackles anyway. Hard to overstate how huge the first interception was for this team. Totally flipped momentum 180 degrees. Mike's was huge as well, not only because of the big return, but it put us in a position to completely ice the game. Two TDs is technically possible to come back from in 5 minutes. 3 TDs is basically impossible, especially with how our D was playing.

But we were still winning by two TDs with 5 minutes left and all the momentum in the world when Mike got his. Will's was when we were up a TD but had no momentum at all. Will's changed the game, Mike's sealed it, but Mike's never would have been as important if Will's doesn't happen first. Thus, I think the defensive MVP was more vibes-based than numbers-based. Also Will basically shut down one of the best receivers in the land, so there's that.

Did they get it right?   Good question - you could have awarded a piece of it to every player on the squad - the practice squad - every player who stepped onto the practice field - who worked with others during S&C - who pushed another to go just a bit further.

I can't disagree with the selections.  Both Blake and Will were instrumental in the team's success on Monday evening and throughout the season.  The lines - OL and DL - did what they needed to do - and, IMO, especially the DL with a game plan to primarily use the front four to apply pressure.

Monday night, IMO, personified Team 144 - the team, The Team, THE TEAM.

Go Blue!

I was fine with either Johnson or Mikey, but for some reason I was surprised that it wasn't Mason Graham. He may not have had the stats, but he seemed the most disruptive player on the field from play to play. Before they made the presentation I was thinking it would be a foregone conclusion that he would win defensive player of the game.

I agree with you on Edwards. 2 long run TDs that 14 pts.   On defense it's tough to say.  I thought Grant maybe.

Donovan was the reason we won the first half. Negated Washington's small advantage in winning the coin toss and deferring. Forced Washington to play from behind the pretty much whole game from the first TD, and even more so from the second TD.

Remember that Michigan's offense was pretty bad in the middle segments, so having the lead gifted us from Donovan was huge.

Blake did a great job especially at the end in sealing the game, he is as automatic as a rushing TD  inside the red zone gets, but we aren't guaranteed to get to that point without Donovan. JJ was not playing as well as he should have and Blake was grinding out tough yards.

For defense, tossup between Will and Mikey, but the DL should collectively get it, they were consistently so good all game.

yes.

Edwards and Sainristil would have been legit and surprised no one.  But all four were very good.

Braiden McGregor deserved to be both the offensive and defensive MVP for that devastating pancake block he laid on that dude during Mikey's interception.

I think I would have given Offensive MVP to Edwards. His 2 TDs set the tone early, and set up the rest of the night.

On Defense, could give it to just abt any Lineman, Mike or Will. I would go Will because his work on Rome was huge, and that interception and 3 points was a high leverage moment.

Those were team awards, imo, and I do believe everyone on Team 144 felt that way, but were congratulatory nonetheless. 

Still, so damn great to see Edwards do what we all know he can do. 

I think total yardage plus Blake's 2 TDs sealed it for him. That said, if Donovan or JJ (passing or throwing) had scored to make it 27-13 I could have seen it going to Donovan.

I was at the game, and maybe it's just recurring BPONE, but it felt like our running game was stuck in the mud for so much of the 2nd/3rd quarters that I was surprised at the end by Blake's total yardage and average yards per play.

"Both he and Will had had an interception but Mike's was returned for 84 yards which led to 7 points. Will's led to three."

Mike and Will don't play offense so how is it relevant how many points followed their interceptions? They don't have any control over that. Also, Will's interception was a much more difficult, acrobatic catch, and probably more impactful.

This reminds me of Mel Brooks "it's good to be the king" line from History of the World Part I.

When you have two or more legit players on each side of the ball who could have earned the MVP in any other game, it's good (make that GREAT) to be a Michigan Wolverine!