Remember all that talk that Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh couldn’t win the big game???? I remember Michigan Football had great regular seasons but couldn’t beat Ohio State it’s biggest rival. In 2021 Michigan finally beat Ohio State but lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff first game very badly where the Dawgs went on to win the National Championship. In 2022 Michigan beat Ohio State at the Horseshoe in Columbus for the first time since 2000 but once again lost the College Football Playoff first game this time to TCU in a high scoring game 51-45 where the Wolverines committed huge mistakes on both sides of the ball. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan always had good teams where they had good regular seasons, but they couldn’t win in the College Football Playoff. Michigan had key players coming back like quarterback J. J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, a really good offensive line led by guard Zack Zinter while the defense had key players coming back as well like Kris Jenkins the defensive tackle, linebacker Junior Colson and safety Rod Moore.
In 2023 Michigan finally put it all together even though HC Jim Harbaugh had to serve two separate suspensions. For the first three games of the season Michigan suspended Harbaugh for a recruiting violation from 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Michigan cruised without Harbaugh during the first 3 games. The Wolverines were crushing the teams on it’s schedule with a really good offense and defense. On November 10th 1 day before it’s huge game against the Nittany Lions at Penn State, the Big 10 Conference announced that Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh was suspended for the final 3 games of the regular season due to a sign-stealing scandal. I was very disappointed in Big 10 Commissioner Tony Petitti for this decision, where was the evidence of any sign-stealing going on???? I really think Tony Petitti rushed to judgement without real facts about this, but Michigan went 3-0 in Harbaugh’s absence which included winning it’s 3rd straight game against it’s biggest rival the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Wolverines won 3 close games while Harbaugh served his 3-game suspension near the end of the regular season with victories at Maryland and Penn State while beating Ohio State at home. Defensive back Rod Moore got a huge interception to seal the victory for the Wolverines as they advance to Indy for the Big 10 Championship Game for the third year in a row. Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh returned to the sidelines as the Wolverines dispatched Iowa 26-0 in the Big 10 Championship game with ease in Indianapolis. Offensive Coordinator Sherrone Moore did an amazing job while Harbaugh was suspended near the end of the season while Moore was also the head coach during the 3rd and final game of Jim Harbaugh’s first suspension.
In the its third consecutive College Football Playoff appearance the top seeded Michigan Wolverines faced off against the 4th seeded Alabama Crimson Tide led by the GOAT of College Football Head Coaches in the great Nick Saban. In a close Rose Bowl Michigan won a thriller 27-20 in overtime. After Michigan scored first in overtime on a Blake Corum run, the Wolverines were able to stop Alabama from scoring a touchdown as Michigan stopped Crimson Tide QB Jalen Milroe on a quarterback draw from the 2 yard line. In the National Championship Game in Houston Michigan completed the revenge tour with a 34-13 win over Washington to win the National Championship for the first time since the 1997-98 season. In the deciding game for the National Championship Michigan rushed for 303 yards which is a Championship game record in either the CFP or BCS era. How about Michigan Quarterback J. J. McCarthy where he only lost 1 game during his career where he went 27-1 during his time in Ann Arbor???
HC Jim Harbaugh became the 5th HC to win a National Championship at his alma matter joining Kirby Smart for the Georgia Bulldogs, Philip Fulmer for the Tennessee Volunteers, Steve Spurrier for the Florida Gators and Paul Bear Bryant for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Michigan became the first FBS Team since the 1903 Minnesota Golden Gophers where they held 15 different opponents under 25 points a game as the most the Wolverines gave up in one game this season was 24 to both Maryland and Ohio State. The Wolverines held opponents to 10.3 point per game which is the fewest allowed by a Big 10 team since Michigan in 1997-98 where they split the National Championship with Nebraska where they only allowed 9.5 points per game. The Wolverines 10.3 points per game allowed is the fewest for a National Championship team since Alabama during the 2011-12 season when they only allowed 8.8 points per game. Michigan Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter did an outstanding job with that defense. In 1997-98 Michigan split the National Championship with Nebraska, the last time Michigan won the National Championship without splitting it with another team was all the way back in 1948. Michigan went 15-0 along with Georgia from the previous season in 2022-23, LSU in 2019-20 and Clemson in 2018-19 to accomplish that amazing feat during the modern era. This Michigan team was very special where they fought through adversity during the season and became victorious at the end to win the National Championship.