Washington has already spent two timeouts, the latest on a third-and-goal play.
Commercial break before a big opportunity for the Huskies.
Left is right for Penix
In his already unusual sixth season of college football, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, threw for more than 4,600 yards for a second consecutive season and led his Huskies to a berth in the national title game.
But another, more unusual and notable mark is within Penix’s sights during tonight’s title game: a spot among the top three lefty passers in FBS college football history.
Penix enters tonight’s game with 13,486 career passing yards, good enough for 18th all-time among quarterbacks, but fourth all-time among lefty quarterbacks.
With 442 or more yards, Penix would move into sole possession of the third spot on that list past former Eastern Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers. The top two, all but out of reach for Penix, are current Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel (14,865 yards) and former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore (14,667 yards), who the current offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Twice in 2023, Penix crossed the mark needed to move up on the list and had 430 yards passing against Texas in Washington’s 37-30 Sugar Bowl victory on New Year’s Day.
Freshman Tybo Rogers looked to be caught short on a third down reception before breaking free to make the line to gain.
If the Huskies answer with a score on this drive, this will have been a key play.
Missed tackles!
Washington’s path to the title game
The Huskies’ season was filled with big moments and even bigger wins, as they defeated Pac-12 rivals Oregon twice in the regular season. They also ended the season undefeated.
Their quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., is poised to be a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, which ultimately went to LSU’s quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
Penix threw for 4,648 yards this season.
Washington’s head coach, Kalen DeBoer, was named coach of the year by The Associated Press, which credited him with leading his team to an undefeated season that will culminate in the Championship Game.
The season came to a head in the Sugar Bowl against the Texas Longhorns, in which the Huskies never trailed, leading them on a straight path to Houston.
Coming into the CFP title game, Michigan had outscored opponents 123-33 in the first quarter this season.
The Wolverine’s 84-yard opening touchdown drive capped by a 41-yard rush from junior Donovan Edwards only continues a trend of quick starts that has helped Blue stay undefeated this season.
Wolverines touchdown!
Michigan took at 7-0 lead on a dominating opening drive capped by Donovan Edwards’ 41-yard dash.
The Wolverines rolled up five first downs in their 84-yard march.
How Michigan got here
The Wolverines went undefeated in the regular season, peaking on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day in their annual matchup against Ohio State, which they won 30-24.
But their season was marred with controversy with coach Jim Harbaugh missing six games, three for a coaching violation and three for the organization’s involvement in an apparent sign-stealing scandal.
The first violation was for breaking recruiting rules during the NCAA pandemic pause. While the NCAA did not impose a penalty on Harbaugh, the school proactively had him sit out from coaching duties for the first three weeks of the season.
He was also absent for the regular season’s final three games after an investigation revealed a staffer allegedly participated in sign-stealing. While Harbaugh maintained he was not involved, the Big Ten imposed the penalty — which some say was issued prematurely, as the NCAA has yet to wrap up its investigation.
Washington wins the toss and defers.
That means Michigan will start with the ball this half, and Washington will have the ball to start the second half.
The picks are in: ESPN’s crew likes Michigan, mostly
ESPN’s “College Gameday” crew has made their picks.
Joey Galloway: Michigan
Pat McAfee: Washington
Desmond Howard: Michigan
Lee Corso: Michigan
Michigan is the favorite, according to sportsbooks
Michigan is favored by 5 points over the Huskies, according to most sportsbooks.
Sports betting has boomed in recent years, with 38 states and Washington, D.C., having legalized some form of it.
On the call tonight, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit
ESPN’s broadcast of tonight’s game will have Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit teaming up to call their 10th straight championship game.
Holly Rowe will be on the Michigan sideline, and Molly McGrath on Washington’s. Former Big Ten referee Bill Lemonnier will serves as the rules analyst.
Huskies, Wolverines, wolves, oh my!
At first glance it might appear that Michigan and Washington share similarly branded mascots. However, not only do wolverines share more of their heritage with weasels than wolves and dogs, but some, including the Washington Department of Natural Resources, would like to call out another potential misconception:
Indeed, the state of Washington is home to a wolverine population in its Cascade Mountain Range that is also a candidate for listing as an endangered species.
Michigan has in the past tried to bring wolverines to Ann Arbor, bringing two from the Detroit Zoo to Michigan Stadium on game days in 1927, only to find that the ferocious and surprisingly large wolverines weren’t exactly friendly.
Other wolverines have called Michigan and the university home since then, but the last documented wolverine sighting in the “Wolverine State” was in 2004.
Fantasia to perform the national anthem; marching bands will entertain at the half
Before the title games kicks off, Grammy winner Fantasia, who starred in “The Color Purple,” will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Her performance will follow that of members of the Theatre Under the Stars Musical Theatre Academy Ensemble, who will sing “America the Beautiful.”
After both, William Stokes, a 12th grader from Deer Park, Texas, will perform both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language.
At halftime, in keeping with college football tradition, both the Michigan and Washington marching bands will perform.
Michigan’s Benny officially out for game
While the lengthy gap between the end of college football’s regular season and title games has been kind to injury reports throughout the sport’s history, Michigan is feeling the impact of having to play a semifinal game before tonight’s game.
Michigan defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny, a junior who had been named Michigan’s co-defensive player of the week three times in 2023, is officially out. Benny was injured in the first quarter of Michigan’s 27-20 semifinal win over Alabama and was seen on the sidelines before kickoff in crutches and a cast.
Jim Harbaugh is first coach to lead team in the Super Bowl and CFP title game
With the Wolverines finally making it to a championship game, Jim Harbaugh becomes the first coach to make appearances at both a Super Bowl and a CFP championship game since it was created the game in 2014.
Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 Super Bowl. The Ravens, coached by his brother, John Harbaugh, won.
Pete Carroll accomplished a similar feat before Harbaugh. Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl in 2014 and the USC Trojans to a national championship after the 2004 season. The Trojans later vacated the title.
The BCS era began in 1998 when the NCAA officially included a college football championship game in each season. Before 2014’s championship game, the six New Year’s Day bowl games would rotate to serve as the championship game for that year.
Little doubt who Gov. Whitmer’s rooting for
The Huskies flag is flying over the Washington State Capitol
The Washington Huskies’ purple and gold flag has been flying over the state’s Capitol building in Olympia since 9 a.m.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation Friday that the flag would be raised over the city first thing this morning.
Michigan, Washington not entirely unfamiliar Championship Game foes
Despite being first-time CFP Championship combatants, the Wolverines and Huskies do have some shared recent history — encounters that span two very different games.
Washington and Michigan squared off early in the 2021 season during non-conference play. Michigan star running back Blake Corum paced the Wolverines to a lopsided 31-10 victory in Ann Arbor, running for three touchdowns and 171 yards against a Washington team that barely resembles the 2023 squad.
Perhaps more interestingly, in the midst of the late-starting, pandemic-shortened 2020 college football season, current Washington quarterback Michael Penix faced off against this same Michigan team — as the leader of Indiana’s resurgent Big Ten campaign. Penix, Jr. showed the penchant for game-changing plays he’d come to be known for by passing for three touchdowns and 342 yards in the Hoosiers’ 38-21 victory. Penix later transferred to Washington after 17 starts at Indiana and finished second in this season’s Heisman Trophy balloting.
Tornado watch in effect as fans file into NRG Stadium
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Houston and Harris counties in Texas for tonight, and less than two hours before kickoff, that weather is beginning to complicate things a bit for fans at the CFP title game.
Users on X have shared video of fans rushing to get into NRG Stadium, tonight’s venue for the CFP title game, as skies darkened around the stadium.
This game hasn’t gone to the dogs, but Dubs would like it to
Big Blue feeling the love on way to the big game
1 team will eat like a champion tonight
Michigan running back Blake Corum leaned hard into food metaphors to explain his team’s appetite for victory.
“We’re ready to eat our last meal,” he told reporters recently. “We’re all hungry. We’re not full at all. We’re staving.”
Corum added that the Wolverines will not rest on the glory of their thrilling OT win over Alabama.
“Last week’s game was cool, last week’s game was fun and we can talk about that,” he said. “But we have to stick at the task at hand right now and focus on the job that we have to finish.”
Title game in Houston features two teams from the North
Tonight’s title game — featuring teams from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Seattle —breaks up what’s been a decidedly Southern affair for years.
After the first CFP title game in 2015, when Ohio State beat Oregon, the only schools to participate in the next five championship contests were Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and LSU.
Alabama downed Ohio State in 2021 before Georgia beat the Crimson Tide and TCU in, 2022 and 2023, before tonight’s Michigan-Washington matchup.
Elite units: Washington’s offense vs. Michigan’s defense
Michigan comes into tonight’s game with the nation’s best defense and will face a similarly elite unit on the other side of the ball.
The Wolverines have surrendered just 243.1 yards per game, tops in the FBS. Michigan’s stout defensive line played a key role in the team’s Rose Bowl win over Alabama.
Led by Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr., Washington rolls into Houston with the nation’s No. 10 offense, averaging 473.6 yards a game.
A first CFP final appearance for both teams
Both Michigan and Washington are making debut appearances in the championship game in the playoff era. Michigan has made it to the semifinals the last two seasons.
The two teams have each earned national championships in years past but not since the Bowl Championship Series was formed in 1998, ushering in the era of an NCAA top-division football championship game.
It would also be the Pac-12’s first — and only — national championship win in the CFP era if the Huskies prevail. Either way, next season, the Big Ten will claim this season’s reigning champ, as Washington is set to switch conferences with the Pac-12’s collapse.
How to watch the College Football Playoff National Championship
The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines will face off against the No. 2 Washington Huskies in tonight’s College Football Playoff National Championship, a first appearance in the title game for both teams.
The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston. You can watch on ESPN or the ESPN app.
