What they're saying about Michigan's College Football Playoff berth, Orange Bowl matchup with Georgia

Michigan Wolverines football won its first Big Ten title since 2004 and has advanced to the Orange Bowl against Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal showdown. Here’s a look around the internet at what they’re saying about the Maize and Blue’s special season now that a week has gone by since the team’s conference title game win over Iowa.

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Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News: Wojo: Georgia is daunting, but Wolverines in no mood to be denied

The Wolverines’ descriptions of redemption, toughness and togetherness were confirmed by actions, especially the past four weeks when they won at Penn State, clobbered Maryland, manhandled Ohio State and pulverized Iowa. It’s a fascinating four-team field, with two SEC bullies, one plucky upstart in Cincinnati and one fabled brand name that became the first to make the playoff without being ranked in the preseason.

I asked Jim Harbaugh late Saturday night if there ever was a time when he thought this day might not come, that Ohio State and a championship would remain forever elusive. He took a moment to compose his thoughts.

“Nobody’s owed anything, nobody’s entitled to anything,” he said. “But when you’re around a group of guys that attack everything the way they attack their school work, their practice, and they want to give it their very best, you got a good feeling it’s going to happen.”

When you don’t win the conference for 17 years, title entitlement melts away. The Wolverines made this happen, nothing owed to them, nothing given. And so far, nothing denied.

Ari Wasserman, The Athletic: Michigan’s boost, Brian Kelly’s potential, Billy Napier’s press conference: Recruiting mailbag

What’s the expected recruiting boost for Michigan? — James H. 

I’ll flat-out admit it: I didn’t think there was a shot in this galaxy that Michigan was going to beat Ohio State this year. When you look at the talent breakdown between the two teams, it’s not even close. Ohio State has 16 five-star players on this year’s roster, and Michigan has three. How did Michigan beat the crap out of the Buckeyes?

Well, maybe Ohio State’s team is soft this year. Or maybe Michigan’s team is exceptionally tough, driven, together and well-coached. Bottom line: The Wolverines shocked Ohio State, took its lunch money and then won the Big Ten. Jim Harbaugh finally got it done, and boy does he deserve credit for that.

I’ve been hard on Harbaugh in columns and mailbags. I never thought he’d get to this point recruiting the way that he was. And when I demanded that Michigan get better results, people scrolled down to the comments section and quickly called me an Ohio State homer because I covered the Buckeyes for 10 years. The reality is this: Covering Ohio State for 10 years gave me a keen understanding of what that rivalry should be and what Michigan is capable of.

Michigan is capable of this.

So what kind of bump should we expect? How about the type of recruiting results that can close the gap with the Buckeyes and ensure this isn’t just a one-off result in an otherwise lopsided rivalry.

This year, Michigan is the 15th-most talented team in college football, and it’s headed to the Playoff. That is remarkable, but that won’t necessarily translate to sustained success in the future. You’re not going to win a lot of games when the other team has 13 more five-star prospects on its roster.

I want to see Michigan land players like five-star cornerback Domani Jackson of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen of Powell (Tenn.) High. I want to see the Wolverines take all of this accomplishment and the Big Ten banner, and parlay it into top-five classes, not top-15 classes.

Right now, Michigan has 20 commitments, and its class ranks No. 14 nationally. Of those 20 commitments, only one is a five-star prospect, and he is a legacy recruit from the Detroit area. He is also the only top-100 player in the class. Ohio State, meanwhile, has eight top-100 players.

Michigan has it all: Cool uniforms, history, iconic stadium, great rivalry, advantageous geography and now a shiny win over Ohio State. Heck, maybe Michigan will make it to the national title game this year. But for that to be sustained long-term instead of being a flash in the pan, there needs to be an influx of talent coming into this roster. The hope for Michigan is that all of this legitimizing success leads to more top-tier players wanting to go there.

Angelique Chengelis, The Detroit News: Michigan players see Harbaugh embrace change, turn team into contenders

The players have spoken so much since the preseason about a culture change within the team. But Harbaugh changed, too. They all saw it.

“He’s done an amazing job,” safety Brad Hawkins said. “We all want to play for him. We all want him here at Michigan. Great leader. He’s been through it all as well (as a player). He came through these buildings, just as us. Playing for him is an honor. Going out there and winning for him, fighting for him because we want him here. We want to play for coach Harbaugh.”

A handful of years removed from when he was a co-captain at Michigan, tight end Jake Butt is back in Ann Arbor after his time in the NFL. He has paid close attention to the program this season and what his coach has done to alter the direction of the program.

“A leader doesn’t say, ‘Well, this is my way I’m going to do it whether or not you like it,’” Butt said. “A leader says, ‘This is what I’m doing right, this is what I’m doing wrong, here’s where our goals are and here’s what we need to do to get there.’

“He loves it here. He played here. He’s a competitor and I think coach, when things get tough and his back’s against the wall, he’s gonna scratch and claw and fight until the very end.”

And coach without fear.

Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Michigan finally rejoins the elites by barging into College Football Playoff

There was an old joke about Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh that no longer can be told.

Back when the program stagnated, rival fans indulging in schadenfreude used to snicker and say the Wolverines needed a GPS to find Indianapolis, site of the Big Ten title game. The wisecrack was one of many slights absorbed in the past 12 months as they rebounded from the worst season of Harbaugh’s tenure. Each one was catalogued in Schembechler Hall, providing extra motivation for a turnaround no one anticipated.

“Sometimes just some of the stuff that’s out there, you just take it and ride with it and add fuel to the fire,” center Andrew Vastardis said with a wide smile.

Then on Saturday, Vastardis, U-M and its revived head coach had the last laugh, conquering the conference for the first time since 2004 and planting their flag in a city their loudest detractors said they’d never reach. The 42-3 victory over Iowa was an emphatic statement and the preamble to its invitation to the College Football Playoff berth, where the No. 2 Wolverines will face No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl semifinal.

Bill Bender, Sporting News: Why Michigan can win the College Football Playoff in 2021

Perhaps no team is playing with more confidence. The Wolverines finally beat Ohio State, broke the Big Ten championship drought and now have a chance to prove it against one of the SEC powerhouse schools that Harbaugh tweaked during his satellite camp tours.

Georgia is a challenge. The Bulldogs average 194.9 yards per game rushing with an attack that will test Michigan on the interior. Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo have to land on third-down pressures, and the secondary can’t have breakdowns.

That is not even the hard part. Can Michigan’s receivers challenge Georgia’s defensive backs enough so that Cade McNamara isn’t in third-and-long situations? Will Michigan get enough out of the running game against a defense that allowed 81.7 rushing yards and three TDs all season? Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis will have to be more creative than ever.

It’s a tough matchup, but the Wolverines and Bulldogs want to do the same things. If Michigan can pull the upset here, then they will have even more confidence heading into a matchup against Alabama. The Crimson Tide won 35-16 in the 2020 Citrus Bowl, but the Wolverines led at halftime. How much have things changed since?

Shehan Jeyarajah, CBSSports.com: College football winners, losers of 2021 season: Michigan trusts Jim Harbaugh, Clemson back to drawing board

Winners

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh: In a sport where coaching turnover has become the norm, a story of trusting the process stands out. Michigan brass opted to restructure Jim Harbaugh’s contract to give him another crack at national competitiveness after a shocking 2-4, pandemic-shortened campaign. He responded by beating Ohio State for the first time, leading the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title since 2004 and earning the school’s first trip to the playoff. Who’s got it better than Harbaugh? Nobody, it seems. 

Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com: College Football Playoff preview: Keys to Alabama-Cincinnati, Michigan-Georgia

Georgia was the most dominant team this season until it was flattened by its nemesis, Alabama. The Bulldogs didn’t have a ton of meat on their regular-season schedule, so were they really the best team in the FBS or just that much better than the mediocre teams they played? Was the SEC championship game simply a bad night, or were they exposed as a vastly overrated team?

We’ll have to wait three more weeks to find out, when the Bulldogs take the field again against the Wolverines. Michigan has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, and its effort has even restored Jim Harbaugh’s reputation as one of the better coaches in the country. After blowing up his staff and taking a pay cut, Harbaugh guided the Wolverines to a Big Ten championship and their first victory over rival Ohio State in a decade. It is Michigan’s first 12-win season since 1997 and first conference title since 2004.

The Bulldogs and Wolverines are very much alike in terms of style, although Georgia takes more downfield shots in the passing game. Both teams rely on stingy defenses and the running game to control the clock. What is remarkable is that Michigan started playing football in 1879 and Georgia started 13 years later — but they’ve only met one time on the field. The Bulldogs won 15-7 at the Big House in 1965, which was Vince Dooley‘s second season.