By Skeeter Smith
The last 2 undefeated teams in college football face off to crown a new champion and conclude this football season. With both semifinal games coming down to the final play, you can expect another thriller to shape up in this one. Here are some significant matchups to watch that will determine the victor of this game.
Blake Corum vs Washingont’s front 7
Blake Corum showcased his versatility vs Alabama amassing over 100 all-purpose yards and racking up 2 touchdowns, 1 on the ground and the other through the air. Corum’s stand out moment came in the 4th quarter where he converted a crucial 4th down for Mighigan by catching a pass out of the back field and turning into a big gain. For Washington, they must do a much better job of containing the running backs than they did in the semi-finals as both of Texas’s running backs went for over 100 all-purpose yards in that game. The Huskies front 7 will have to show up big time if they want to prevent Corum from taking over this game.
The Huskies passing attack vs Michigan’s secondary
Washington was always thought to have one of the better receiver rooms in the county, but they left no doubt of that after Monday’s performance. Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk did whatever they wanted vs a pretty good Texas secondary combining for 247 receiving yards. However, this passing attack is all orchestrated by Huskies signal caller Micheal Penix Jr who by far is playing like the best player in the country. Versus Texas, Penix Jr threw for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns while also being effective with his legs as well. On the other hand the Wolverines completely shut down Alabama’s air game. While some of that was due to Milroe’s inefficiencies as a passer, you still have to credit Michigan for taking away any easy throws to keep Milroe out of rhythm. The Wolverines are also 2nd in the country in passing yards allowed so this secondary has been impressive all season.
Washington’s Offensive Line vs Michigan’s defensive line
The Wolverines pretty much lived in the backfield vs Alabama, sacking Jalen Milroe 6 times in that game. While a repeat of the performance may be unlikely, they will need to find a way to get pressure on Penix consistently so he doesn’t have time to hurt them with his deep ball. If he’s allowed to just sit and be comfortable, it will be a long day on the defensive side of the ball for Michigan. On the other side of the line of scrimmage you have a Huskies O-line that is coming in with a lot of confidence as they gave up 0 sacks vs Texas. Them holding up vs Michigan’s pass rush would be a huge boost for Washington and that offense.
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The Penalty Difference
Washington comes into this game as the 2nd most penalized team in football averaging almost 8 penalties a game. This hasn’t mattered for most of the year as Washington has just been so dynamic on offense that they could make those yards back up, but vs a defense like Michigan’s every yard counts. Meanwhile Michigan is as disciplined as they come, ranking 3rd in the country in fewest penalties and 1st in fewest penalties per game averaging less than 3 a game. This could have a huge impact in the hidden yardage portion of this game.
