'Who is going to go be legendary?' Wolverines claw past Alabama

PASADENA, Calif. — Trevor Keegan didn’t see it. The Michigan left guard lay in a pile of bodies, listening.

LaDarius Henderson could see it. With each new twist of Michigan back Blake Corum’s body, Wolverines left tackle Henderson’s mind screamed.

A jump-cut to find the hole.

Oh my God!

A spin to free himself from the grasp of Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold.

Oh my God!

Another spin to escape Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and crash into the end zone.

Oh my God!

Keegan heard the roar from Michigan fans populating the stands behind that Rose Bowl end zone. He heard the band fire up The Victors. And he knew. What started as a basic gap-scheme run would go down in Michigan history. “It’s just our bread and butter,” Keegan said. “We’ve probably run that play a thousand times.”

Said Corum: “When we scored first in overtime, I knew it was over. Just like Alabama probably thought it was over for us on that last drive.”

But Michigan’s journey from fourth-quarter oblivion to a 27-20 overtime win wasn’t complete. Corum’s 17-yard overtime touchdown — the perfect bookend to his reception on fourth-and-2 from the Michigan 33-yard line that breathed hope into the Michigan sideline with 3:19 remaining — was only half the job. To earn a chance to play for a national title, the defense also had to do its job.

Keegan didn’t see it.

He couldn’t watch. After losing twice in two seasons in the College Football Playoff semifinals, he didn’t want to witness any potential heartbreak. The teams had traded timeouts ahead of a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line for the Crimson Tide. The play amounted to a two-point conversion from the right hash. Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees would have a familiar menu from which to choose.

Still, Michigan defenders thought they knew what was coming. A 220-pound bolt of lightning named Jalen Milroe.

“We knew the quarterback was going to run the ball,” Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant said. “In the red zone, they like to do quarterback runs, quarterback Powers.”

As the Wolverines left the sideline to return to the field for football’s ultimate play, the players asked each other questions.

“Who is going to make the play?” linebacker Michael Barrett recalled them saying. “Who is going to go be legendary?”

Derrick Moore was. He pinched down from the edge and fought through blocks to swallow Milroe. Then Grant, all 340 pounds of him, hopped on to ensure Milroe was down and the game was over. “I just started bawling, crying,” Grant said. “For three years, we had a chance in the semifinals. This third year, we did it.”

Michigan will play for a national title for the first time since the 1997 season, and the clash in Houston next week will cap a bizarre season that saw Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh suspended for six of the team’s 15 games because of two different NCAA investigations. It’s only been seven weeks since the Big Ten suspended Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season while the team plane was in the air en route to Penn State.

The signal-stealing accusations that captivated the college football world, made low-level Michigan staffer Connor Stalions — and his secondhand vacuum cleaner repair service — a household name overwhelmed much of November. But it didn’t slow Michigan players, who kept marching toward this moment.

The seniors on this team joined a program that couldn’t beat Ohio State and have now beaten the Buckeyes three times in a row. The 2021 Wolverines made the CFP but got thrashed by eventual national champ Georgia. The 2022 Wolverines looked so forward to a national title game matchup against the Bulldogs that they forgot to beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. 

All of that led to a Rose Bowl matchup against an imperfect Alabama team that saw its in-season demons return with a vengeance. The Crimson Tide struggled with snaps and pass protection for much of the season, but they seemed to have overcome their issues in an SEC Championship win against Georgia. 

That wasn’t the case, though. Milroe spent much of Monday fielding low snaps and then looking up to see blue jerseys flying at him. The talent gap that plagued Michigan two years ago against Georgia wouldn’t be an issue in this Rose Bowl. For once, all four teams in the CFP entered with an actual chance to win the whole thing.

And now Michigan will try. The Wolverines will get the same questions. The signal-stealing accusations will get referenced. Harbaugh will be asked about whether he’s going to try to go back to the NFL after this season. But none of that needs to be addressed until after next Monday at NRG Stadium.

The last question to Harbaugh on Monday night was about his future following the title game. Would it be his final one as Michigan’s coach?

He smiled and looked at quarterback J.J. McCarthy and linebacker Junior Colson.

“My future,” Harbaugh said, “consists of a happy flight back to ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN.”

And then on to Houston.