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Newsstand: Jim Harbaugh calls J.J. McCarthy 'greatest quarterback in Michigan history'

Anthony Broomeby:Anthony Broome•01/02/24•

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The Michigan Wolverines are headed to the national title game after a 27-20 overtime win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, setting up a date with future Big Ten foe Washington in Houston. It happened in large part to some clutch play late from quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who finished the day 17-for-27 for 227 yards and three touchdowns.

McCarthy did not have his best all day, but he had it when it counted. And now that Michigan has slayed a giant postseason demon, head coach Jim Harbaugh is ready to declare him the top signal-caller in program history, holding a 26-1 career record as a starter.

“The team was just not going to be denied,” Harbaugh said during the Rose Bowl postgame. “JJ said it when he walked off this same podium last year in the semifinal game. He said, ‘we’re going to be back.’ What he told me was not only are we going to be back, we’re going to win. And there he did. And in overtime against Alabama — I think the last quarterback to win in overtime against Alabama was none other than Tom Brady.

“I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan — college football history. Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT. He lapped the field when it comes to that. But in a college career there’s been nobody at Michigan better than JJ.”

Michigan has opened as a 5-point favorite over Washington in next week’s game with the over/under set at 54.5 points, according to the FanDuel Sportsbook. Next Monday’s showdown is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff from NRG Stadium in Houston.

Tweets of the day

Michigan quote of the day

“We were playing cover zero. Coach was telling us all the time, like, this is the moment we were built for. This is the moment we come out here to play for. We knew exactly what was going to happen. When the moment gets tough, you go to your best player, and they went to their best player, and we were right there to stop it. We said it’s 4th down, one last play, everybody strained, everybody strained to the ball.”

– Michigan junior linebacker Junior Colson on the game-sealing defensive stop

Headlines of the day

WATCH: Reactions, analysis of Michigan’s Rose Bowl win, natty showdown with Washington
Michigan 27, Alabama 20 (OT): Notes, quotes, and observations — almost perfect
Best and worst from Michigan’s CFP win over Alabama
Jesse Minter goes in depth on Michigan’s game-winning, fourth down stop
WATCH: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan players press conference following Rose Bowl win over Alabama

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