To close out an undefeated season, the Michigan Wolverines beat the Washington Huskies 34 – 13 in Houston, Texas at the College Football Playoff National Championship. The Wolverines put together a monstrous season; marking 1,000 program wins, beating the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Big House, taking the Big Ten Conference Title and wrapping up the season by beating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, all before taking home the National Championship title.
At the start of the 2023 college football season, the Michigan Wolverines were ranked No. 2, falling behind the Georgia Bulldogs. The team was more than confident heading into the season, building what most considered to be the strongest defense in college football.
Coining the phrase, “championship or bust”, the Wolverines started putting in the work right off the bat.
“For me, I have high standards – so yeah, it’s win or bust. I think the guys know that, but we don’t have to say anything…we know what it is,” Blake Corum, 2022’s Big Ten running back of the year, shared with Sports Illustrated last August.
The Wolverines plowed through the start of the season – feats coming in left and right. The stellar offense, including highly regarded J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum, averaged 35.87 points per game. Michigan’s assertive defense held their opponents to an average of 10.40 points per game.
Heading into the famed OSU versus Michigan game, the Wolverines were expected victors, favored with 3.5 points. Michigan pulled through, winning 30–24 at the Big House, a show of strength in the face of head coach Jim Harbaugh serving suspension following a sign-stealing investigation.
After defeating formerly undefeated Ohio State, Michigan proceeded to the Big Ten Football Championship game, taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Harbaugh’s first appearance on the sidelines following suspension was a success, as a 26–0 win over Iowa put the Wolverines in top seed in national college ranks.
The next stop for Michigan was the Rose Bowl, where the team would face the Crimson Tide. With less than four minutes on the clock, Coach Harbaugh put his faith in quarterback McCarthy, their CFP National Championship run on the line. Bringing the score to a tie with just over a minute left in the game, Alabama and Michigan headed into overtime, where Michigan running back Corum pulled off the final touchdown.
With a feat of 27–0 in the Rose Bowl, and a season record of 14–0, the Wolverines headed to Houston, Texas where they faced off against the Washington Huskies. Michigan’s defense locked in to take the championship title, cleaning up their act from their previous game. The Wolverines pulled through to deliver a strong finish, claiming the National Championship title with a 34–13 victory, led by McCarthy and Corum.
“Business is finished,” Corum said during the trophy ceremony.
Following the CFP National Championship win, Harbaugh accepted a five year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he will act as head coach. With Harbaugh off to the NFL, Sherrone Moore, the Michigan offensive coordinator and offensive line coach of the ’23 season, will step up to the head coaching position after acting as such during Harbaugh’s mid-season suspension.
Looking towards prospective professional careers, Corum and McCarthy declared for the 2024 NFL draft just days after their big win in Texas. The 2024 NFL draft will kick off on April 25 and will be held in Detroit, Michigan.
Hail to the victors.
julia • Feb 13, 2024 at 1:14 pm
great article!!!!!