The Washington Huskies have held the Unofficial College Football Championship since November 12, 2022, when they defeated Oregon 37 to 34. Since then, they have defended the U.C.F.C. on 17 different occasions, including back-to-back bowl wins over Texas (last year in the Alamo Bowl and this year in the Sugar Bowl). They've also beaten Oregon twice this year (36-33 in the regular season and 34-31 in the Pac 12 Title Game). They survived a 15-7 game with Arizona State, a 22-20 battle at Oregon State, and a 24-21 game with Washington State. It's the longest run in the U.C.F.C. since Ohio State defended the crown 18 times before losing to Clemson in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.
Of course, tonight is the last college football game of the season, which means that whoever wins the U.C.F.C. tonight gets to keep it until at least the last day of August. If Washington wins, the Huskies will next defend the title on August 31, 2024 at home against Weber State. If Michigan wins, they will next defend the title on August 31, 2024 at home against Fresno State.
This is the first season since 2014 where a team from the Classic SEC didn't play for the national title, and that's a disappointment to a lot of us. But on the whole, it's been an entertaining season, and whoever wins tonight is certainly a worthy champion.
Michigan jumped out to an early 17-3 lead, and it looked like we were in for a typical national championship blowout. But U-Dub rallied, and Michigan's lead is only 17-10 at the half. Michigan may really regret letting Washington hang around.
ReplyDeleteWashington starts the second half by throwing an interception, but Michigan only gets a field goal out of it. Wolverines lead 20-10 with 11:55 left in the 3d.
ReplyDeleteThe never-say-die Huskies kick a field goal, trimming Michigan's lead to 20-13 with 6:58 left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteMichigan still leads 20-13 with 5:11 left in the third. Feels like Washington needs Michigan to make a mistake. Last week, Alabama needed Michigan to make a mistake, but they never did.
ReplyDeleteWashington's defense holds, and the Huskies start from their own 11 with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
ReplyDeleteThe Huskies have to punt, and Michigan gets the ball back with 13:29 left in the 2023 college football season. Wolverines still lead 20-13.
ReplyDeleteNow it feels like Michigan is going to score and put the game away.
ReplyDeleteBut they don't. They go three and out. Washington gets the ball back at its own 33 with 11:52 left.
ReplyDeleteNow the Huskies go three and out and punt back.
ReplyDeleteAnd there it is! I was one possession too soon. Michigan does drive the length of the field, they do get a game-clinching touchdown, and the celebrations can begin in Ann Arbor. For the first time since 1997, the National Championship is going to Michigan. And, of course, Michigan also gets the Unofficial College Football Championship (for the first time since 2003). Wolverines lead 27-13 with 7 minutes left.
ReplyDeleteMichigan has the best college defense I've seen in a very long time -- possibly the best since the early 2000's.
ReplyDeleteSo Jim Harbaugh's dad won the I-AA championship at Western, and how Jim Harbaugh has won the I-A championship at Michigan. Who has it better than the Harbaughs?
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for them.
DeleteAnd if the Dolphins get eliminated from the playoffs, I will be rooting for John Harbaugh to win another Super Bowl.
DeleteThe Wolverines roll, 34 to 13. Michigan lost the National Championship game in basketball in 2013, lost it again in 2018, and lost the final of the College World Series in 2019, but they got it done today. And my guess is that Michigan fans would rather have this title than two basketball titles and a baseball title.
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot about last night's game. I was still leveled by Sunday night's Miami loss to the Bills, and we started watching Jen Psaki and then Rachel Maddow and finally Ted Lasso in my house, and I absolutely forgot about the national championship. So given this fact and the second-straight blowout, I would like to concede that me and all of the other liberals were totally wrong about college football. I now vote for everything to roll back to the old bowl system, with Donald Trump serving as full-time NCAA president.
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