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Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t faced a defense like Michigan’s, and the Wolverines certainly haven’t faced a quarterback like the Heisman Trophy runner-up from Washington.
That matchup will be the most intriguing in Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston. That was assured after the performances of Penix and Michigan’s best-in-the-nation defense in the CFP semifinals Monday.
Penix threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the Huskies’ dramatic 37-31 win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl. Michigan harassed Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe most of the afternoon and stopped him short on fourth-and-goal at the Wolverines 3 to finish a 27-20 overtime win in the Rose Bowl.
Michigan-Washington will be the third all-time meeting between 14-0 teams. The Wolverines are listed as early 4 1/2-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Washington will give the disintegrating Pac-12 a chance to go out in a blaze of glory. Ten of the Pac-12 programs are dispersing to three of the four remaining power conferences next season. The Huskies will join Michigan in the Big Ten.
Penix, who suffered major knee injuries at Indiana before transferring to Washington last season, became the first quarterback since Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes in 2015-16 to pass for 4,500 yards in back-to-back seasons.
“I said it before the season started: Our goal is to win the national championship,” Penix said. “Now we’ve got the shot to do it. Husky Nation, stand up. We’re going to the natty. Let’s go!”
The most recent Pac-12 national champion was USC in 2004. The Huskies’ only championship was split with Miami in 1991. That was Washington’s last unbeaten team. College Football Hall of Famer Don James was the coach, Mark Brunell was the quarterback and Steve Emtman was one of the most dominant defensive players of the era.
The Huskies will carry a 21-game winning streak — the longest in the nation — to Houston. Each of the last 10 were decided by 10 points or fewer.
The Wolverines will play for their first national championship since they shared the title with Nebraska in 1997, the year team leader Charles Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and Tom Brady was the backup to Brian Griese.
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Chicago Tribune Sports
This year’s Wolverines are built around a defense allowing FBS lows of 243 yards and 10.2 points per game. Their pass defense gives up just 150 yards per game and has surrendered just seven touchdowns, the fewest in the country.
Michigan is the only Big Ten team besides Ohio State to reach the CFP championship game.
The Wolverines are 8-5 all time against Washington and most recently won 31-10 in 2021 in Ann Arbor.
Michigan turned in disappointing semifinal performances against TCU and Georgia the past two years. The Wolverines’ breakthrough came after a tumultuous regular season. Coach Jim Harbaugh missed six games because of suspensions: three for recruiting violations and three in connection to a sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan’s strength of schedule also was questioned until it knocked off a top-10 Penn State team and beat Ohio State for a third year in a row.
“The fight started Week 1,” quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “Everything we’ve been through, all that adversity ... a team that goes through that adversity, it can’t get to the heights we’re trying to reach.
“We did a tremendous job of responding through all that and pushing through. We’ve got one more game, so the job’s not finished yet.”