CFP Title Game: Michigan vs Washington

Who wins?

  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .
AEW Champion

AEW Champion

Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
After two semifinal games that had drama but also a lot of sloppy play, this is what we’re left with. Discuss.
 
 
Michigan will win unless Penix throws for 400 yards.

Washington probably won't be able to run the ball very effectively regardless, but one of the many bonehead coaching decisions they made late in tonight's game probably lost them an 1,100+ yard RB for the title game.
 
Besides Michigan, and Washington fans, nobody else in Houston is going to give a crap about these teams. Lol. I would think the ratings will be very low for this game also. I honestly have no interest in these two teams.
 
Michigan’s cheating scandal still plagued everything from the last three years. I hope Pennix and company humiliate the maze and boo.
 
UM should win as they should control lines and TOP. Only Wash chance is if Penix goes off. I still think UM secondary might be vulnerable, but, they have yet to face a QB who can test that
 
Penix is the real deal, but Texas didn't lay a single finger on him last night.

Michigan's ability to pressure him will certainly be an x-factor.

As for offense, Michigan can move the ball against anybody when they're in a groove, but their play-calling can easily get complacent/stagnant as we saw last night and across several other games over the second half of the season.

My guess is Michigan opens as 4-point favorites.
 
Sykotyk said:
It is wild that Michigan and Washington will play twice in 2024 (at least). Once in the National Championship and then in a conference game on 10/5 in Seattle.
Click to expand...
I love it honestly. Order has been restored in the universe and the Big Ten is at the top once again.
 
I will say this, it's refreshing to see some new blood in the championship game. I'm sure the networks would much rather seen Texas win last night. The Washington fan base is tiny compared to the other 3 in last night's games. But this is good for college football. We need to see some of the obscure programs get into the playoffs and make it to the championship games. Fans are fatigued of Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State always being there. As much as I dislike the transfer portal, it will allow for more talent to be distributed among the schools.

And I will say this about the game, we'll see how good Michigan's defense really is. Michael Penix was incredible last night. Is he one of the most accurate passers at the college level we've seen in awhile? Now one issue with Washington that's followed them all year is they have a really hard time putting teams away. Seems like they play alot of close games. I just don't know that Michigan can score with Washington.
 
14Red said:
I will say this, it's refreshing to see some new blood in the championship game. I'm sure the networks would much rather seen Texas win last night. The Washington fan base is tiny compared to the other 3 in last night's games. But this is good for college football. We need to see some of the obscure programs get into the playoffs and make it to the championship games. Fans are fatigued of Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State always being there. As much as I dislike the transfer portal, it will allow for more talent to be distributed among the schools.

And I will say this about the game, we'll see how good Michigan's defense really is. Michael Penix was incredible last night. Is he one of the most accurate passers at the college level we've seen in awhile? Now one issue with Washington that's followed them all year is they have a really hard time putting teams away. Seems like they play alot of close games. I just don't know that Michigan can score with Washington.
Click to expand...
Hear, hear! The networks would rather have had Alabama vs Texas, so that ruins it for them ( sob,sob). So good to see the newbies.
 
tom 48 said:
Hear, hear! The networks would rather have had Alabama vs Texas, so that ruins it for them ( sob,sob). So good to see the newbies.
Click to expand...
I'll push back on that, Michigan is a BIG name and the midwest market is alive. I think an Alabama/ Washington final would had been worse for the networks than Michigan.
 
Michigan did not in any way play their best game vs. Bama. But that defense, which is the best in the country, saved the day and kept them in it despite Michigan's special teams blunders, JJ not playing up to his capability, and the offense struggling for much of the game. The other costly component was Michigan dominating the entire first half, and only having a 3 point lead. But in the end, all the factors I have been acknowledging about the Wolverines appeared. The veteran team experience, the never say die attitude, the tight knit bond this team has, their physicality, their belief, their - the TEAM, the TEAM, the TEAM attitude, the adversity the kids have over come and battled through, how galvanized they are, best team Harbaugh has ever had, etc.... And they got that playoff monkey and pressure off of their back. That is huge. With that being said, I was really confident Michigan was going to beat Bama due to they matched up very well with them. Washington scares me more than Bama. Washington is no joke. But DC Jesse Minter and his Baltimore Raven style defense is what Michigan will need to rely on. It does feel awesome that Michigan didn't have their "A" game and still beat Bama. Now they can reboot again. If Michigan plays their game, they will win the Natty. Anyone that is a non Michigan fan, does not realize the "IT" factor/intangable this Wolverine TEAM 144 has. But the Natty is on it's way to Ann Arbor. Go Blue!
 
14Red said:
I'll push back on that, Michigan is a BIG name and the midwest market is alive. I think an Alabama/ Washington final would had been worse for the networks than Michigan.
Click to expand...
Michigan is a big name and will draw viewers' interest, especially since the media will overplay the "scandalous" Harbaugh part. And I don't think that the viewership will be down.; not at all. I do think that the networks hate the fact that Washington is playing and would rather have Alabama ( tried and true) against Texas, so I'm very happy that they are not getting their wish. The thing that would help ratings is if Taylor Swift ( in another strictly PR move) suddenly started dating J.J. McCarthy :).
 
tom 48 said:
Michigan is a big name and will draw viewers' interest, especially since the media will overplay the "scandalous" Harbaugh part. And I don't think that the viewership will be down.; not at all. I do think that the networks hate the fact that Washington is playing and would rather have Alabama ( tried and true) against Texas, so I'm very happy that they are not getting their wish. The thing that would help ratings is if Taylor Swift ( in another strictly PR move) suddenly started dating J.J. McCarthy :).
Click to expand...
I think one thing that we underestimate is the "show" part of these games. Nearly everything leading up to the game is about some kind of show part. It's the part I get real nervous about because gambling is such a big part of the sports now and no one hides from it.

Now onto the "scandalous" Harbaugh. I really get frustrated when it's brought up that Michigan is overcoming adversity? It's not adversity if you create the chaos. It's an absolute shame that a head coach of a major D1 program gets suspended not once, but twice and is still standing here at the end. Michigan proved then can win without him so he should had been suspended for the season or canned. College sports has little integrity today and you know the guy I think of with Harbaugh is the old UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanain. I would not believe a thing that Harbaugh says or does anymore. He's a crook and Michigan and the NCAA just enables him. It's really hard to believe that John Harbaugh is his brother, he's such a class act and then there's Jim.

the game should sell itself, we don't need the other noise. And for what it's worth the Michigan team in general seems to be a good group to root for.
 
Well, one thing is evident: Michigan wins the battle of fight songs. " Bow down to Washington" is kind of strange.


Sorry for this, Buckeye fans.

 
14Red said:
I think one thing that we underestimate is the "show" part of these games. Nearly everything leading up to the game is about some kind of show part. It's the part I get real nervous about because gambling is such a big part of the sports now and no one hides from it.

Now onto the "scandalous" Harbaugh. I really get frustrated when it's brought up that Michigan is overcoming adversity? It's not adversity if you create the chaos. It's an absolute shame that a head coach of a major D1 program gets suspended not once, but twice and is still standing here at the end. Michigan proved then can win without him so he should had been suspended for the season or canned. College sports has little integrity today and you know the guy I think of with Harbaugh is the old UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanain. I would not believe a thing that Harbaugh says or does anymore. He's a crook and Michigan and the NCAA just enables him. It's really hard to believe that John Harbaugh is his brother, he's such a class act and then there's Jim.

the game should sell itself, we don't need the other noise. And for what it's worth the Michigan team in general seems to be a good group to root for.
Click to expand...
It is adversity for the players, especially since they DID NOT create the "scandal/chaos".
 
14Red said:
I think one thing that we underestimate is the "show" part of these games. Nearly everything leading up to the game is about some kind of show part. It's the part I get real nervous about because gambling is such a big part of the sports now and no one hides from it.

Now onto the "scandalous" Harbaugh. I really get frustrated when it's brought up that Michigan is overcoming adversity? It's not adversity if you create the chaos. It's an absolute shame that a head coach of a major D1 program gets suspended not once, but twice and is still standing here at the end. Michigan proved then can win without him so he should had been suspended for the season or canned. College sports has little integrity today and you know the guy I think of with Harbaugh is the old UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanain. I would not believe a thing that Harbaugh says or does anymore. He's a crook and Michigan and the NCAA just enables him. It's really hard to believe that John Harbaugh is his brother, he's such a class act and then there's Jim.

the game should sell itself, we don't need the other noise. And for what it's worth the Michigan team in general seems to be a good group to root for.
Click to expand...
Continue to throw stones. But your boy Urban was no saint. Knowingly protecting a wife beater, amongst other things.
 
tom 48 said:
Well, one thing is evident: Michigan wins the battle of fight songs. " Bow down to Washington" is kind of strange.


Sorry for this, Buckeye fans.

Click to expand...
Best fight song in the country. "Hail to the Victors". Go Blue!!
 
bkmk1 said:
Continue to throw stones. But your boy Urban was no saint. Knowingly protecting a wife beater, amongst other things.
Click to expand...
That's the ironic part, I'm not a Buckeye fan. Harbaugh was fine as a player, at Stanford and San Fran and even early on at Michigan, but he's become very creepy. His interviews are awful, he talks and says nothing. Maybe he'll go into politics??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top