JJ McCarthy compares this year's playoff prep to 2022

JJ McCarthy knows about the 2022 College Football Playoff all too well and is using those lessons for this edition.

It’s the third straight year Michigan made it to the CFP semis by virtue of a Big Ten Championship. However, the Wolverines have yet to advance to the national title game, let alone win the whole thing.

As far as how McCarthy feels about the playoff matchup against Alabama compared to TCU last year, well, he had quite the comment.

“Extremely different,” McCarthy said. “I feel like last year I got caught up in the noise and all the emotions of it, and I’m just trying to stay simple, trying to focus on dominating meetings, dominating practice and just being around my guys and enjoying every moment because this only comes around once for us and just appreciating every moment.”

McCarthy was also asked about his “paralysis by analysis” comment regarding the TCU game last season.

“Yeah, so we have adjusted,” McCarthy said. “Whether we see if that works or not, we’ll find out. But I feel like Coach Harbaugh has done a great job of taking advice from other coaches and just taking advice from players. That’s a big step that I think he took this year, and it’s just been really smooth and effortless so far. Yeah, it’s been great.”

McCarthy agreed with the notion last year’s playoff could’ve been his worst moment as a quarterback. He threw two back-breaking interceptions.

“Yeah, in terms of just the moment that it happened,” McCarthy said. “I’ve had worse games. If you look back at it, yeah, the two interceptions suck, but I could have had like five touchdown passes and almost 400 yards.

“But at the end of the day, just being in the moment, right time, right place, yeah, I’d say it is, and yeah, just been focusing this entire off-season to make sure I’m locked in on all the little details and that doesn’t happen again.”

Of course, winning the playoff would arguably be the biggest accomplishment in Michigan football history. Still, it’s one game at a time.

“I think for the outside, it’s the biggest game in Michigan history, one of the biggest games in college football history,” McCarthy said But to us it’s just another football game that we’re going to go out there and try to execute, play with physicality, and lock into all the little details that are going to show up in these big games.

“We’ve just got to try to keep things simple, and obviously the magnitude of it is huge. But we try not to focus on that and just focus on each play at hand.”