Most underrated play of the season?
Generally to win a National Title, a team needs some luck or fortuitous penalties or bounces over the course of a season, most specifically in games of equal talent and coaching. UM was consistently the best team over the course of the CFB season so high leverage plays really only seemed to exist in 3-5 games. Can argue PSU, Maryland, OSU, Bama, and Washington for some swing plays - with the OSU and Bama games being the most competitive or "in doubt" games.
That said, most the high leverage plays can come to mind in a moment - like Corum's TD to go up 24-17 on OSU, or Moore's pick to seal The Game, and obviously McCarthy to Corum on 4th and 2 against Bama or the final stop of Milroe in over time.
One play that stands out to me that doesn't get much attention, but looking back was huge and very overlooked...
For me, it's Rod Moore's overtime tackle of Jalen Milroe on the QB keeper. Yes, Milroe picked up the first down and set up Bama with a first and goal, but if you look back, Moore took a perfect angle to keep Milroe from scoring there - a great play from the safety, the last line of defense. This is not a play many will remember from this magical season, but looking back, it was huge and led to the defensive stand that sent UM to the Championship Game.
Your votes?
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:14 PM ^
Thaw's nearly season ending gaffe was in the semifinal game (Rose Bowl).
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:05 PM ^
So many freaking clutch plays by Team 144! One that stood out for me was Mikey in the endzone, I believe it was against osu (I'm old and forgetful). It was surely a TD catch but Mikey didn't give up and knocked the ball out of the receiver's hands. It also was another example how this guy never stopped fighting in every game. Number 0 forever!! GO BLUE!!
January 24th, 2024 at 1:41 AM ^
That was on Cade Stover in 2022, yes?
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:11 PM ^
I'll throw up one from the Maryland game since JJ was super banged up and I have no idea how that game goes if Maryland takes the lead late. The safety on the intentional grounding - definitely fortunate since it doesn't get called enough, although I still argue it was 100% the right call and gave us the full one score cushion in case something crazy happened. Corum also got that last 4th and one by a very small margin - could have given Maryland one last chance if short.
You could argue we were eventually going to put them away no matter what, but Jenkins' interception against BGSU seemed to put the JJ interceptions firmly in the past and get that game under control.
Semaj Morgan's end around against Purdue - Purdue annoyingly hanging around even though their offense couldn't do much and that play slammed the door shut.
Sticking with Morgan, the punt return against Iowa to help open that 10-0 lead lifted just about any doubt of victory...I'll also throw in the weird forward fumble recovery after the whistle plus the unsportsmanlike flag against Brian Ferentz that really ended that game.
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^
KG tracking down Singleton is up there for me. That was shocking.
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^
JJ's first pass of the Rose Bowl that was intercepted then overturned by the refs correctly. No way to start the game against an opponent like Bama.
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:27 PM ^
The play after Thaw's punt muff-and-recover in the Rose Bowl.
Michigan was on the 1 foot line and handed it off from the shotgun against just about the entire Alabama defense charging the end zone.
I almost had a heart attack, but Blake did his Blake thing and nobody remembers the play.
But I do.
January 23rd, 2024 at 2:54 PM ^
Keon Sabb coming down to cover the Will Johnson blitz in the second half of Bama game. He rotates with perfect timing and he is the last man. If Burton beats him quickly, it’s a touchdown we likely can’t come back from. Instead Sabb makes a stop for no gain.
January 23rd, 2024 at 4:42 PM ^
I scrolled through all the posts looking for this one. This is the most underrated. Kenneth Grant tackled keytron allen from behind is my favorite
January 23rd, 2024 at 10:17 PM ^
Orji’s 4th quarter rushing TD vs State. Largest home blowout in EL
January 23rd, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^
Choose the totality of hometown boy James Turner's field goals and PATs and you're not wrong. Turner was money in about the same way as Jake Money Moody over the previous seasons. One of the most truly valuable transfer pickups ever for Michigan Football, and so unheralded.
January 23rd, 2024 at 3:11 PM ^
Many great examples. A fantastic team. Effort from every player - on every play. I can't think of a "specific" play - but, am very gladd they all took place - making the difference they did.
Go Team 144. Go Blue!
January 23rd, 2024 at 3:58 PM ^
This thread is why national championships are so hard to come by. You need multiple 50/50 situations to break your way. Whatever the opposite of "snake-bitten" is, this team was that. Charmed, blessed, fortunate, talented, etc. I do believe you make your own luck, but that doesn't explain everything. Some events are just random and we seemed to have many that worked out in our favor this season.
You could also include in this the relative health of the team. Obviously Zinter going down was a loss, but overall we were really fortunate on the injury front this season.
January 23rd, 2024 at 4:34 PM ^
But it also helps that they were so much better than everyone that they didn't have these moments in more than 2 games that would actively have changed the outcome. The BGSU, RU and even PSU examples take games that were blowouts or won by 9 and make them temporarily 1-score games. In Bama and OSU we had things break our way, but we also had quite a few not break our way (Semaj, missed FGs, weird fumble/incomplete decision).
Also, most of these things were clutch plays by players making plays too - not really lucky, just the guy getting it done where if he hadn't the game goes different. That's not luck, that's just winning.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:07 PM ^
Whatever the opposite of "snake-bitten" is, this team was that. Charmed, blessed, fortunate, talented, etc.
Eh, is that an appropriate description of a team whose head coach was suspended twice for trivial reasons?
January 23rd, 2024 at 4:18 PM ^
The crucial 3rd and 10 play kneel-down in the 4th quarter of the championship.
They don’t win right there without that key play.
January 23rd, 2024 at 4:42 PM ^
Will johnson pick vs Harrison jr.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:03 PM ^
Q Johnson’s PBU against Ohio State. Huge play.
January 23rd, 2024 at 5:51 PM ^
Don't know how underrated they are, but another nod to:
Tyler Morris accelerating by all that SEC speed (and stay inbounds over the pylon) to guarantee a go-ahead TD
Corum breaking the Alabama tackles inside the 5 in OT to avoid any potential goalline stand
Harrell's hit on McCord that led to the game-sealing INT
January 23rd, 2024 at 7:50 PM ^
Havent posted in a couple of years, but the solo tackling down the stretch amazed me over and over. So many times I thought offenders were going to "get away" for YAC but the defenders hung on and either put them on the ground or bottled up long enough for help to arrive. I thought that distributed effort won the championship.
As far as a "fortuitous bounce of the football" I feel that would have to rest with Jake Thaw.
January 23rd, 2024 at 10:15 PM ^
There are a lot of key plays mentioned above. Surprised no one mentioned Romans 4th quarter grab in the Rose Bowl. If he does not snag that ball, it goes into an Alabama DBs hands and game over.
January 24th, 2024 at 8:14 AM ^
JJ’s first pass in the Rose Bowl being out of bounds… phew 😅
January 24th, 2024 at 8:38 AM ^
I don’t think it has been underrated but worth calling out because it’ll be the added to the Alan Branch Penn State slideshow. Kenneth Grant chasing down the RB