The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 9 Not with any help at all, save their own grit, talent and tenacity. When it ended, and Harbaugh hoisted the na- tional championship trophy following his team's decisive 34-13 takedown of the high-flying Huskies, the message came through loud and clear: We're the best there is. Try to take that away from us. "We just stood together as brothers," proclaimed senior tailback Blake Co- rum, the offensive player of the game, with 134 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries. "We have something spe- cial. We've built a strong culture at the University of Michigan, and especially inside Schembechler Hall. "It started in our locker room. When we faced adversity, we just looked to our right, looked to our left, and knew we couldn't let our brothers down. We just locked arms, and just kept going forward. Now we're national champs." A RAGING BEGINNING At first, it looked like the Wolverines would crush any hint of adversity out of this grand finale in Michigan's win- ningest season ever. As it turned out, Harbaugh's crew scored all the points it would need to win in its opening two possessions, covering the first 12:37 of the game. But that doesn't tell the story of this one. U-M faced one more titanic battle, in which it once again proved the iceberg. The Wolverines did it their way, for certain. They unwrapped junior tail- back Donovan Edwards (6 carries for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns) in a fash- ion that left Buckeye fans looking on through barely parted fingers, con- vulsing in uncontrollable flashbacks. Edwards scored those first two touch- downs on bolts of 41 and 46 yards, leaving the Huskies looking like pups in knee-deep snow and shocking Wash- ington with a 14-3 deficit. Harbaugh's crew never relented on the ground, rushing for a champion- ship-game-record 303 yards on 38 tries, to Washington's 46. Sure, UW superhero quarterback Mi- chael Penix Jr. threw for 255 yards to ju- nior QB J.J. McCarthy's 140, and clawed the Huskies back within seven at the half, 17-10. But Penix, and Washington, paid a heavy price for hoping to treat Michigan's defense like they had every- one else's on their road to 14-0 entering the College Football Playoff title game. PENIX PASSES WHILE PULVERIZED In the end, Michael Penix became Michael Piñata, a folded-up physical wreck by the end — clutching his side, but clutching no hardware. Sophomore cornerback Will John- son — the defensive player of the game — picked off Penix's first throw of the second half, sending a message. These Wolverines don't wilt when the first 30 minutes roll to the second 30. Grad defensive back Mikey Sainristil inter- cepted one of the last of Penix's throws, returning it 81 yards to set up Michi- gan's final touchdown. In between, U-M's defense beat the Husky right out of Penix. He bravely continued, but came away with more bruises than points, in Washington's least-productive scoring game of the year. After a 45-yard field goal pulled Washington within seven, 20-13, with 8:58 left in the third quarter, the Hus- kies never scored again. Against the other undefeated team in the nation, under the brightest lights, on college football's biggest stage, the Wolverines treated their new Big Ten comrades like they treated everyone else in the second half this season. Like dirt. With no paydirt. "It's glorious," McCarthy said amid the on-field celebration. "That's all I can say. I love my teammates so much. I love my coaches. It's bittersweet, be- cause this is the last time we get to play together. I love those guys so much. It's such a special group. There's no better way to end it — no better way." MICHIGAN LIVES THE DREAM It's the way so many of them dreamed of ending it. It's the way they talked about ending it, from the start of fall camp in August, and some even before. National championship or bust. If we don't win it all, it's not a successful sea- son. Talk about setting yourself up for a massive fall. And when your league conspires to put you on a cliff and the commish gives a shove, it's not easy to keep your balance. But they did. Make no mistake. This national championship stands unlike any other in the Wolverines' hallowed history. They didn't stand alone at the end by an election, rigged or otherwise. They didn't win it by becoming media darlings. They didn't win it by mak- ing their bowl victory look better than anyone else's. They went on the road to conquer Penn State, without a single second- half pass. The much-maligned Manball, now hoisting a trophy. They physically battered the Buckeyes for a third straight year, knowing well OSU's new Michigan playbook — scold then fold. They played the extra obligatory rout to win the Big Ten title, then faced the best 2023 had to offer, in terms of competition. Alabama, the invincible team from the unbeatable league. And Washing- ton, which surely would pass Michigan into submission. In the end, Washington passed out. In the end, Michigan ran away with it. EMBRACING THEIR FINEST MOMENT Where does it all go from here? Does Harbaugh come back, determined to remain the scourge of the league and play in the expanded playoff for another decade? Does he look to add a Lombardi Trophy to his newly hoisted golden col- lege football hardware? Can Michigan hold onto the magic that propelled them to the greatest on-field example of Those Who Stay Will Be Champions in their illustrious 144 seasons of football? For one night, it doesn't matter. For one night, just enjoy the dominance. "This is everything I imagined," Co- rum said, beaming. "When we decided to come back, it was a lot of us. We said we had unfinished business. So, I'll leave you all with this — BUSINESS IS FINISHED!" "15-0," Harbaugh reiterated. "This was a spectacular team. I would just say, there are over 100 Michigan Men on this team in uniform tonight. What they've done for the last 372 days is amazing. They're champions. Simply known as national champions." ❑ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolver ine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolver ine.com and f ollow him on X (Twitter) @JB_Wolverine.