Michigan Wolverines win Big Ten again, now hunt for bigger game(s)
Indianapolis — They plowed straight forward, paving the following path they longed for. There have been no surprises within the playoff matchups revealed Sunday, simply as there weren’t many surprises within the Wolverines’ Big Ten Championship win over Purdue.
Michigan (13-0) held its No. 2 seed and faces No. 3 TCU (12-1) within the playoffs on New Year’s Eve in Glendale, Arizona. The Wolverines’ acquainted opponents — No. 1 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State — will face off within the different semifinal sport later tonight in Atlanta.
If Michigan will get a rematch towards Georgia or Ohio State, it will not occur earlier than the nationwide championship prefer it ought to. The Buckeyes (11-1) slipped to No. 4 regardless of their 45-23 loss to the Wolverines, however there actually wasn’t something controversy about it. When USC was overwhelmed, it was just about settled. Alabama with two losses or anybody else did not deserve it.
With back-to-back Big Ten championships, the Wolverines seem well-armed for the most important prize. Their 43-22 win over Purdue on Saturday evening was largely a formality, one other confetti crown, and it is official: Michigan at present owns the Big Ten.
As is so usually the case, it was shut at halftime, after which, as is commonly the case, Michigan crushed the opposition. Purdue did not pull any punches or miss numerous passes and it was a stable battle. The Wolverines catered to the second by donning their championship hats, then rapidly turned their consideration to searching bigger sport. And video games.
Now all the pieces is on the agenda for Jim Harbaugh’s group and all the pieces is feasible. With a pair of dynamic runners-up JJ McCarthy and Donovan Edwards and robust offense and protection, they’ve a greater probability within the playoffs than they did a 12 months in the past. They’ve struggled via the Big Ten, fueled by unfinished enterprise after final 12 months’s 34-11 playoff loss to Georgia.
What’s completely different this 12 months? Not a lot. Georgia seems simply as spectacular, however TCU has been a shock all season. The Horned Frogs grew to become solely the second workforce to make the playoffs unranked within the preseason. The first workforce to make it? Michigan a 12 months in the past.
“We really didn’t shoot for that national championship last year,” McCarthy stated Sunday. “Beating OSU and winning the Big Ten championship was kind of easy. This year we’re shooting at it and we’re going to get it.”
There the Wolverines are determined to go where Harbaugh always wanted to take them, and they don’t have many weaknesses. At least not many that they can’t overcome. The day after star Blake Corum’s knee surgery, Edwards kept things going. He rushed for 185 yards, 148 in the second half as the Wolverines pulled from a 14-13 lead. McCarthy threw for three touchdowns, and the Wolverines’ balance between pounding runs and sizzling passes makes them dangerous.
They’ve won 25-2 the last two seasons, dominating a stretch unlike anything modern Michigan football has seen and winning back-to-back Big Ten titles for the first time since 1991-92. That shouldn’t be brushed aside, but it’s the Wolverines themselves who yearn for greater fulfillment. Last December, several players stayed in Miami and watched Georgia celebrate on the field after their semifinal win. McCarthy and Edwards stood and watched everything. They like it much better where they are now.
“I love our chances,” McCarthy said Saturday night. “Personally, I feel like[losing to Georgia]pushed me so much that tonight’s win doesn’t really feel like anything. … Last year it was kind of a bright light, everything was new. We knew we could come back. Ultimately, this entire offseason has been about winning it. The job is not finished yet, we have bigger plans in mind.”
Just earlier than receiving his MVP trophy on Saturday evening, Edwards was blunt.
“It’s sort of self-explanatory as to what our targets are,” he said. “I feel we have talked about all of it 12 months. You do not must say extra.”
Same old Harbaugh
It’s going to be a challenge, and anyone who overlooks TCU is making a mistake. The Horned Frogs are averaging 40 points per game and continue to be a strong team in the second half, led by Heisman’s quarterback candidate Max Duggan. They were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 and lost to Kansas State in overtime in the championship game, which partly explains the big point spread – Michigan is favored by nine.
The Wolverines didn’t overlook the Boilermakers either, and quarterback Aidan O’Connell excelled, completing 32 of 47 passes for 366 yards. Receiver Charlie Jones caught 13 for 162 yards and Purdue kept pressing.
The Wolverines did what they do, weathering the heat and then unleashing a devastating response. They beat opponents 280-74 points in the second half (29-9 v Purdue), a testament to composure and physicality. Her style hasn’t changed, but there’s no doubt McCarthy’s athleticism is a dynamic new element. Most touchdown drives in Michigan were established by McCarthy scrambles, or throws on the run. He was 11 for 17 for 161 yards with three touchdowns, one interception and zero sacks.
He is a symbol of the New Age spiritual wave of the Wolverines. So did Harbaugh, who spent most of his post-game interview praising the players’ parents and talking about love and brotherhood. The embattled Harbaugh of a few years ago is gone, replaced by a guy who does credit to his players. He complied and abandoned his press conference after three questions, including one about how much he’d changed.
“I do not assume I’ve modified a bit,” Harbaugh said. “I imply, I’m the identical as earlier than, am now. I feel whenever you get to that age you will not change. But I actually assume it is the gamers. For us it was concerning the boys within the workforce, about getting good at soccer.”
“Made for great moments”
Oh, they’re good at soccer, 13-0 for the primary time in UM historical past, with 11 wins in double digits. They do not at all times unfold dominantly, however you then search for they usually have 225 yards towards Purdue and a three-touchdown lead. The protection is commonly overshadowed, however no one cares. Michigan collected 4 sacks, two from Jaylen Harrell, and freshman Will Johnson continued his fast rise with two interceptions.
The deciding landing was a scorching 17-yard smash for Ronnie Bell, the senior getting back from harm to complete what he had began. Edwards has shaken off accidents in latest weeks and remains to be fighting a smooth forged on his proper hand. Edwards devoted his MVP trophy to Corum, however the perfect gesture was the best way he performed with unrelenting energy.
“I stand by those opportunities, I thrive on them,” Edwards stated. “You know, it is also straightforward when I’ve nice teammates. you consider in me And I feel I’m made for the large moments.”
The sell-out crowd of 67,107 was mostly pro-Michigan, although the Purdue campus is about an hour away. It came as no surprise to the Wolverines, who said it felt like home after two direct visits.
Wherever that confident vibe is taking the Wolverines, they know where it started. When they first started talking about beating their rivals Michigan State and Ohio State and winning the Big Ten, making the playoffs and winning the national championship, it seemed fanciful at first. For her, since her last loss almost a year ago, it has always been powerful, not imaginative.
There could be a rematch with the Buckeyes at some point, and the prevailing opinion is that it’s difficult to beat a rival twice in the same season. McCarthy was asked about the possibility and took the opportunity to respond.
“Please, please give it to me,” McCarthy said. “It would actually be a blessing if we might play these guys once more.”
They’ll get their chance at TCU, and then maybe someone else. It’s okay to speak with unusual confidence. Playing that way is what matters, and the Wolverines play like they know where they’ve been.
