The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2024 had some protection issues and things that we'll work on, and definitely [se- nior guard] Zak [Zinter] was missed [af- ter breaking his leg against Ohio State]. J.J. never hung his head … never got on anybody. He has just got this demeanor, and the more you hit him, the more he is just motivated to come back, which is amazing." Michigan finished with only 213 total yards with its vanilla game plan against a tough Iowa defense, 64 coming from grad receiver Cornelius Johnson on 9 catches. Corum ran for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns, and junior Donovan Ed- wards had 28 yards on only 4 carries. The defense, though, was the dif- ference. Championship MVP and grad defensive back Mike Sainristil forced 2 fumbles, one deep in Iowa territory that led to a Corum touchdown on the next play and another on third down to pre- vent a field goal attempt. The former, early in the third quarter, gave Michigan a 17-0 lead with 9:09 remaining and all but iced the game. "He's just a playmaker," Harbaugh said. "When a play has to be made, when the magic needs to happen, Mikey makes it happen. It's been game after game. Es- pecially down the stretch here these final four games, he has been a stalwart. He in- tercepts. He makes the big hit. He makes the big hit on the fumble, causes a fumble. Just an incredible player. "He does it by always being in the right place where he's supposed to be, playing the right technique at all times, leading other guys to do the exact same thing. But he also does it as a superior athlete. That combination comes together, supe- rior athlete and a guy that does everything right. It's fun to watch." Not lost in the blowout was the con- tinued outstanding play of Turner, the kicker. A week after winning Big Ten spe- cial teams player of the week honors with 3 huge field goals against the Buckeyes, the grad transfer from Louisville made 4 against the Hawkeyes, including kicks of 46 and 50 yards. Zinter, on crutches following surgery to repair a broken leg, accepted the trophy from Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti upon Harbaugh's request and lifted it over his head for the thousands of Michigan fans in attendance to appreciate. UNFINISHED BUSINESS After that, though, and several min- utes at the podium, the Wolverines set their sights on something they had yet to accomplish — winning a College Football Playoff semifinal game. Georgia ham- mered them 34-11 in 2021, and TCU got them 51-45 last year in a significant up- set, but the Wolverines appeared deter- mined to take the next step this season. "It feels great … to have three back- to-back-to-back Big Ten champion- ships, it's a wonderful feeling," Corum said. "We've kind of changed the nar- rative how people look at Michigan. So, back-to-back-to-back feels great, but like Kobe Bryant always said, 'The job is not finished.' "We set these goals at the beginning of the season, and we hold ourselves to such a high standard, we must accomplish those goals. Today was a great stepping- stone, but like Coach said, we're going to enjoy this one. We're going to enjoy this one, and then we'll get back to the draw- ing board." "It just feels great," Sainristil added. "Guys like me and Blake, this is what we came back for, to have the success with this team. The brotherhood that this team has is one that I wouldn't give up for anything in the world, and this team is going down in history. "The way we go about our goals is you put everything into the next goal, and there's work … there's more work to put in and more ways to get better. Coach is probably going to say it, but I'm going to say it first before he says it. The worm has turned around here." No longer is it living in the past or, as it was before 2021, getting close but com- ing up short against the Buckeyes. This has been arguably the best three-year run in Michigan football history, in fact — one Big Ten loss in three years, the first time ever with three outright titles, and three straight years of being in the national championship hunt in the bowl season. Still, they know they have to improve, especially offensively. The Wolverines have the talent to win it all, and there's no "superteam" like Georgia two years ago, but there are three other teams — Alabama, Washington and Texas — that are all very capable of capturing the CFP title. The Wolverines were relatively sub- dued at the team hotel the morning after the Big Ten Championship Game when it was announced they'd play Alabama in- Grad student defensive back Mike Sainristil earned the Grange-Griffin MVP award in the Big Ten Championship Game, forcing 2 fumbles against the Hawkeyes (including this one against Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill) while the U-M defense pitched a shutout. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER