Michigan beats Washington in CFP Championship for its first national title since 1997
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with the trophy after beating Washington in the CFP Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/Eric Gay
HOUSTON — Jim Harbaugh raised the championship trophy as gold and white confetti sprayed over his team and “We Are the Champions” blared.
Nine years after taking over at Michigan, he delivered on the lofty expectations he brought with him to his beloved alma mater.
Blake Corum ran for 134 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns and Donovan Edwards rushed for 104 yards and two TDs as Harbaugh and the top-ranked Wolverines — undeterred by suspensions and a sign-stealing case that shadowed the program — completed a three-year surge to a national title by beating No. 2 Washington, 34-13, on Monday night in the College Football Playoff championship game.
“We’re innocent. We stood strong and tall because we knew we were innocent,” Harbaugh said when asked about the off-field issues, jumping in to answer a question posed to his players. “[The season] went exactly how we wanted it to go.’’
The Wolverines (15-0) sealed their first national title since 1997 when Corum, who scored the winning touchdown in overtime against Alabama in the Rose Bowl semifinal, blasted in from the 1-yard line with 3:37 left to put Michigan up by 21.
After nine seasons coaching his alma mater and in his third consecutive playoff appearance, Harbaugh — despite missing six regular-season games this season while serving separate suspensions — delivered the title so many expected when he took over a struggling powerhouse in 2015. “That man, he‘s the reason we‘re here today,” Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy said.
The Wolverines ran for 303 yards on 38 carries against Washington (14-1) and held Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies’ prolific passing game to one touchdown, intercepting the Heisman Trophy runner-up twice.
“There are more than 100 Michigan men who are on this team,” Harbaugh said. “What they’ve done is amazing. They will forever be known as national champions.”
Two long touchdown runs by Edwards and 229 yards rushing in the first quarter helped put the Wolverines up 17-3 early in the second.
Penix’s remarkable six-year college career ended with maybe his worst performance of the season. Usually unfazed by pressure, he was not nearly as precise against a Michigan defense that took away his signature deep throws.
The Indiana transfer who came back from two knee surgeries and two shoulder injuries was roughed up by the Wolverines, limping at times, stepped on another time. Asked how he was feeling, Penix said: “Better than I was three years ago.’’
Penix finished 27-for-51 for 255 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies had their winning streak snapped at 21 games.
“They’ve given me everything they possibly can,” coach Kalen DeBoer said of a group of players who went 4-8 in 2021 and 25-3 since he took over in 2022.
Harbaugh said it felt good to no longer be the only coach in the family without a national championship after his father, Jack, won one in college and his brother, John, won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens by beating Jim’s 49ers.
“Me personally,” Jim Harbaugh said, “I can now sit at the big person’s table in the family.”
Michigan seemed to be steaming toward a third consecutive Big Ten championship and playoff appearance when in October it was revealed the NCAA was investigating the program for potentially breaking rules that prohibit in-person scouting of opponents and using video equipment to attempt to decode opponents’ play signals.
The NCAA process will linger well into 2024 and it is unknown what penalties Michigan could face. The Big Ten decided to act more quickly and punished Michigan by suspending Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season.
