(Photo: Opta Analyst)
College Football Playoff
National Championship
(2) Washington Huskies at (1) Michigan Wolverines
Washington: They must love keep me on the edge of my seat because that’s exactly what they did once again last Monday night. For most of that game, they were in control and were up by as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter. Then, Texas chipped away at the lead and almost came back to win the game, but fell short. This seems to be the apparent theme with this group. Live on the edge. Say what you want, but it may not look pretty as I’ve been saying throughout the year with them, but they win and most importantly, a zero is in that loss column at the end of the day. What makes this Huskies team so special? Three words: Michael Penix Jr and this young man has truly come a long way dating back to his days with the Indiana Hoosiers. Back then, he was a mobile Quarterback and as a defense, the goal was to load up and crowd the box, then dare him to throw the ball. Nowadays, Michael can pick apart your defense from the pocket so consistently. Of course, that’s a typical answer, the Quarterback is the guy that ignites the offense. What truly stands out to me is their Offensive Line. This is hands down the best group in the country and if you’ve watched as many of their games as I have, Penix leaves the game with the cleanest jersey meaning he doesn’t get hit much and I always go by the saying, you play as well as those five guys up front and they give him more than enough time to create from the pocket. Then of course, I can’t forget about Wide Receiver, Rome Odunze. He’s the Quarterback’s top target for a reason meaning anytime his number is called, he answers and makes a play. This is quite the group Kalen DeBour has in Seattle. They have passed each test thrown in their direction. Their defense may not be as strong this year, but when you need them to make a stop, they deliver. Look at how the Sugar Bowl ended. Texas may have marched down the field, but Washington found a way to make a play when it mattered the most. In football, that’s what we call a “bend, don’t break defense” meaning you can move the ball down the field on us, but once we get in that red area of the field, we will clamp down. Tonight, they will play in their first College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Michigan: This has been the most dominant team in the country and I don’t even think it’s close at this point. This team has grown up so much over the years. People can talk about they didn’t have the greatest schedule and they played cupcakes early in the year, but I always look at it as you play who’s in front of you and they handled their business. I can say this though: If this is 2016 or around that time, I can guarantee you they lose at least one of those games. However, the page has turned and they’re a more mentally focused football team now than what they were then. Their game against the Alabama Crimson Tide was one of the best I’ve seen this year. It was a dream matchup and the game absolutely lived up to the hype! Football is a game that comes down to adjustments and they found a way to do just that in the second half along with Jim Harbaugh simply outcoaching Nick Saban. These last few years have been special in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Wolverines have won the last three Big Ten conference titles and have established themselves as the best team in the conference. During the regular season, they found ways to win games in different ways and that’s what makes a football team great. A perfect example of this is the showdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions. That game is memorable because in the second half, they didn’t complete a single pass and J.J. McCarthy finished the game throwing the ball a total of eight times. Also, they’ve shown they can win the high scoring contest as they needed 30 points to beat Ohio State for the third consecutive season. Michigan is balanced offensively with weapons on the permitter in Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson and Colston Loveland and don’t forget the tandem out the backfield in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. On the other side of the ball, they lead the nation in scoring defense. They will play in the biggest game of the season tonight hoping to bring a title back to the Midwest.
Washington X-Factor: Jalen McMillan– The Huskies have three Wide Receivers who will all be playing on Sundays in the near future. I’m talking about Odunze (of course) along with Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan here. Jalen knows his role within this offense and he’s their number three receiver on the depth chart. If he were playing for Alabama or many other teams across the nation, he’d be the number one receiving option. His season has been cut short due to injuries this year, but in Washington’s last two games, he’s shown how important he can be. Jalen had 131 yards receiving against Oregon in the Pac-12 title game and in the Sugar Bowl, he caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Michigan X-Factor: Donovan Edwards– I see him playing a significant role tonight. Donovan’s rushing yards maybe down this year as he’s averaging only 3.5 yards per carry. The Wolverines have been using him more as a receiver and it’s paying off. When Blake Corum went down last season, Donovan stepped up and thrived in big time games. A perfect example of this is the game in Columbus against the Ohio State Buckeyes. They fed him the ball and didn’t look back. Tonight, Michigan will be facing a Washington defense that gives up 4.4 yards per carry on 31 carries. If Donovan has a big game here tonight, you read it here first. Get him involved early.
Final Thoughts: It all comes down to this! The top two seeds in the College Football Playoff and both teams are undefeated. This is the first Natty since the 2014-15 season where no team from the SEC is playing on this Monday night. There are two matchups I’m looking forward to watching in this game tonight. The first is the Washington Offensive Line against the Michigan Defensive Front. As I’ve mentioned all week, Washington has the best Offensive Line in the country and they find ways to neutralize strong pass rushes. Look what they were able to do against the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns didn’t record a sack in the game and when pressure was applied up the middle, Penix was able to show just how strong he is moving in the pocket. Michigan’s defense reminds me so much of the Baltimore Ravens unit and I say that because you just never know who they will throw in your direction. They record 38 sacks this year and their performance against Alabama was beautiful. Tonight, the Huskies will face a tougher secondary in Michigan and that’s the other matchup I’m watching. The Wolverines secondary against these Huskies receivers. Rome will be the best receiver Michigan will have faced since Marvin Harrison Jr. How healthy will Dillon Johnson be tonight for Washington? He’s a key cog for this offense. Michigan must control the tempo with the running game, pressure Penix and limit the explosive plays. For Washington, they must withstand the run which is easier said than done. Take a page out of TCU’s book last year when they played Michigan and attack with the Linebackers and Safeties. Next, spread the Secondary and if Penix can take a shot or two down the field, it changes things and lastly, the Huskies must communicate defensively. Most importantly, keeping Penix protected at all costs is essential. This will be a fun one. Hail to the Victors. I like Michigan tonight.
Prediction: Michigan 31, Washington 27
