The Wolverine Staff Predictions

By Chris Balas

Michigan will face Washington for the National Championship Monday night in Houston, much to ESPN’s chagrin, with a chance to win its first national title since 1997. This would arguably go down as the Wolverines’ best team of all time if they can finish the job. 

Thankfully, we have experts to break this one down for us, too, in opposing Big Ten coaches with axes to grind, part 2. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman felt so good about the near-unanimous ‘Bama picks that he went back to the well for more this time around … and wouldn’t ya know it, most of these same crybabies are picking the Huskies to win this time around.

They’re baaaack!! pic.twitter.com/FSRYmFuYB2

— Isaiah Hole (@isaiahhole) January 4, 2024

To translate Ryan Day’s comments: 

“I hate Michigan so much! They’re ruining my life! I really thought our P.I. would sabotage their run, but they just keep winning anyway! Waaaaaaaaaah ……!!”

To be fair, though, some of us got it from all sides on social media before and after the game, Alabama and Michigan fans, after having the audacity to pick the Crimson Tide in a one-score game. The approach was just a bit different. Bama fans were like the mechanics in National Lampoon’s Vacation — “I ain’t never seen no one as s***-all stupid as you picking the Tide by only one score. You must have manure for your brains!”

The Michigan fans, though, were even more upset — “Charmin soft! How could you pick against these boys after all they’ve been through!”

“(Muffy, pass the Grey Poupon and the Pinot).”

“So disappointed in you guys! I’m going to have my assistant cancel my subscription because you picked against Michigan twice in two years now!”

Regardless, those of us who were wrong in that game of inches were happy to be so. Unfortunately, there were no winners this week because of the “overtime” clause — the game was 20-20 heading into OT, and rules specify you must say “OT” next to your pick (need to read the fine print, fellas). This week’s champion receives some of the confetti from the field after Monday night’s celebration to go with last Monday’s and rose petals from the Rose Bowl grass.

Our picks: 

CHRIS BALAS: Love Michael Penix, love head coach Kalen DeBoer, and really like the Washington program. Can’t wait to get out there and experience the elite atmosphere we’ve heard about in person.

That said — neither those Huskies nor anyone else are going to ruin this happy mission. Michigan 34, Washington 27

JOHN BORTON: Washington will hit Michigan with the best passing attack and overall offense the Wolverines have seen all year. The Wolverines strike back with defense, a phenomenon anathema to the now-disintegrated Pac-12. Jim Harbaugh’s crew limits the Huskies’ possessions, turns up the heat on Michael Penix and holds on in another wild one, the first-ever College Football Playoff showdown between two Big Ten teams. Michigan 30, Washington 24

CLAYTON SAYFIE: Michigan turned haters into believers by vanquishing one of the most talented college football rosters of all time and the sport’s so-called best coach in Alabama and Nick Saban. Now, it’s another coin flip game, this time against a passing attack as prolific as Ohio State’s in 2021. The Huskies want this game to be in the 40s, while Michigan wants it in the 20s. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is incredible, and so is head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Huskies’ offensive line and team in general.

The Wolverines’ defense will get it done, and Michigan will be able to run the ball and hit on some big plays with junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy. When the ‘ole season’s over, it’s gonna be Michigan again. Michigan. Michigan 34, Washington 24

ANTHONY BROOME: This game will be a fascinating clash of styles between Washington’s explosive offense and a Michigan team that wants to suffocate its opponents and dare them to hold up in a fist fight over four quarters – or in the case of the Rose Bowl, overtime, too. Washington’s defense is 44th in ESPN’s SP+ metric, and according to Bill Connelly, the last national champion to win it all outside the top 30 in that metric was Oklahoma in 1950.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Michigan have to win a bit of a shootout, but the giant exhale from winning the Rose Bowl should help them refocus to win against a team that stylistically looks a lot like Ohio State in 2021/22. Maize and Blue confetti will fall in Houston.

Michigan 41, Washington 27

DOUG SKENE: Will the old cliche that “great defense beats great offense” be the case in Houston on Monday night?  Michigan has the #1 ranked total defense in college football and the #2 ranked defense in passing yards allowed.  Washington has the 10th ranked total offense with the #1 passing offense and 100th ranked rushing offense.

This matchup favors Michigan in many categories but most importantly how do we stack up against the dogs in the trenches?  This is NOT the defensive front of the National Champion 1992 Washington Huskies we played against in the 1992 Rose Bowl….that defensive front was dang good and we had trouble. This Washington offensive line is NOT their 1992 OL either.

Simply put, Michigan should own the line of scrimmage and be able to RUN…THE…FOOTBALL on this Washington team, keeping their great QB and their great WRs on the sideline enjoying a great view of the action. Michigan 31, Washington 17