The ‘Grandaddy’ of them all went from heavyweight fight into a full-blown brawl Monday night at the Rose Bowl, filled with haymakers that sent the game into an overtime frenzy. In what turned into a game that would match the 2017 classic, Michigan took the final snap on defense and stuffed Alabama, sending the Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh to the national championship.
For what many described as a dud in the third quarter, both teams took their own injections of energy in the fourth quarter to deliver a game that will be remembered forever.
A fourth quarter of dominating runs from Jalen Milroe, the Alabama quarterback was stopped on fourth-and-goal, leading to Michigan players storming the field in celebration. If you were looking for a game to match the magnitude of what the Wolverines did for the entire 2023 season, the Rose Bowl lived up to the hype.
Now, Michigan will play for its first national championship in twenty years, while Alabama heads home to Tuscaloosa, second-guessing the defensive calls that led to the Wolverines sending this game into overtime.
J.J. McCarthy, head coach Jim Harbaugh, and Blake Corum of the Michigan Wolverines celebrate after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
A season marred by controversy, Michigan players have not flinched since its head coach was suspended for the first three games of the 2023 season. There were times where the Wolverines could’ve given in to the outside noise, but all they kept doing was win football games.
Whether it was holding on to beat Ohio State in the final regular season game, or stopping Alabama on the 3-yard line in overtime, this group of Wolverines did not fold under the pressure.
“We’re so together, so connected and we were going to overcome anything that was inside this stadium,” Jim Harbaugh said postgame while standing with Blake Corum.
A Tumultuous Regular Season Filled With Controversy
It certainly wasn’t the players’ fault that they were the talk of the college football world for all the wrong reasons throughout the regular season, but they fed off the negative energy. The ‘Michigan vs. The World’ mentality was the key phrase that kept this group from folding to the pressure of outside noise.
When their head coach was suspended for the first three games of the regular season, players like J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum took it in stride. After the Big Ten decided to suspend Jim Harbaugh for three games towards the end of the regular season, the Wolverines kept pushing through adversity. There was not a single thing these players could control about what was going on outside of their locker room, and it showed with their determination on the field.
As the Michigan faithful rose to their feet inside the Rose Bowl stadium, with the Wolverines only needing one stop, it was the players who stepped up one more time. The determination and heart from this football team is evident by the way they play for each other, which includes picking each other up in times of need.
“We were more shocked Florida State didn’t make it, we wasn’t worried about Bama,” Cam Goode said postgame on the field. “I mean, you guys saw the results and we got the dub, and that’s all that matters. We beat Bama fair and square, fair and square, ya’ll see it. We beat the referees and Bama, how bout that.”
So it should come as no surprise that Michigan once again found a way to come together in the fourth quarter to secure its spot in the national championship. And when big-bad Alabama came knocking at their doorstep on Monday night, Michigan opened up the door and proved to the world that this team was worthy to play for a title.
Michigan Gets To Finish Its Story Amid Jim Harbaugh-NFL Talk
Forget the outside noise surrounding the program that involved the NCAA and the sign-stealing allegations, Michigan players have persisted through talk of Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL. The ongoing chatter of whether or not their head coach would be around next season has not deterred this group of players looking to finish their story.
Whether or not Harbaugh heads back to the professional ranks after this season is a subject that will be discussed until he puts it to bed. So, for these Michigan players, they just continue to block out the outside noise, no matter the title of the story. In this case, for the 2023 season, Michigan is looking to write the final chapter in their own words.
When asked after the thrilling overtime win over Alabama about his future beyond the national championship game, Jim Harbaugh wasn’t biting.
“My future will be a happy flight back to Ann Arbor, Michigan!”
It started three years ago with a loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl that shattered their dreams of playing for a CFP title. Then, it was TCU that threw a wrench into the Wolverines plans in 2022 with a demoralizing loss in the Fiesta Bowl.
But Monday night in Pasadena, the Wolverines did their part so that they could have a chance to finish the story.
If we’ve learned anything from this Michigan team over the last four months, it’s certainly not to underestimate their ability to overcome obstacles.
Now, with a group of players that dealt with constant naysayers, Michigan will get its shot to hoist up the College Football Playoff trophy one week from now in Houston, Texas.
One more game to go for a national championship, with the world still rooting against them.