Heading into the final season of the four-team college football playoff, there were high expectations for Team 144 in Ann Arbor. Last year’s Heisman candidate Running back Blake Corum returned along with a flood of fifth-year seniors to back their promise of winning a national championship. And for the first time since 1948, the Michigan Wolverines are national champions. But how did this come to fruition and is this the greatest Michigan team ever?
One of the main parts of Michigan’s season that is forgotten is that head coach Jim Harbaugh served his first suspension in the first three games. This connected the team early in the season as players including Quarterback JJ McCarthy and Wide Receiver Roman Wilson wore “Free Harbaugh” shirts in their opening game against East Carolina University. Connection is a key theme in Michigan’s historic season.
Another factor that helped Michigan is having elite-level success and that they had different coaches in charge while Harbaugh was out. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter got the nod in week one, special teams coach Jay Harbaugh and RB coach Mike Hart led a victory against University of Nevada Las Vegas and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore looked solid against Bowling Green.
By the time Harbaugh returned, Michigan’s assistants proved they could step in if needed and they needed to be ready at the end of the year. When conference play began, Michigan’s defense showed how dominant they would be throughout the season. However, Michigan received bad news prior to their matchup against in-state rival, Michigan State University.
News surfaced that Michigan staffer Connor Stallions purchased tickets to 35 games at 17 stadiums and was caught filming future opponents’ sidelines which violates NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1, which prohibits member institutions from off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents. Stallions was fired effective immediately and all eyes were on Michigan for the rest of the year.
This situation is where one of two outcomes could have occurred for the Wolverines. One is that the team drifts apart through the situation and starts to crumble when they face adversity. This outcome likely sees Michigan lose to Ohio State University and miss out on another chance at a playoff victory. The second situation is that they bond together and they play for each other. This second outcome was the one that came true which resulted in the most legendary run in Michigan football history.
One of the main reasons Michigan was able to overcome the sign-stealing controversy is the amount of veterans and returning players they had. After the Texas Christian University loss last year, many players including Corum, Offensive Lineman Zak Zinter, Defensive back Mike Saintristril, WR Cornelius Johnson, Defensive Tackle Kris Jenkins and Linebacker Michael Barrett decided to return for one final year. Instead of living out their dream, they locked arms and set their eyes on one goal: a national championship.
Once more information about the sign-stealing scandal came to light, Harbaugh was hit with a three-game suspension which put him on the couch for the final three regular season games of the season. The first opponent for Interim head coach Moore was Penn State University, a top 10-ranked team at the time. Michigan flexed their muscles in a tough road game, as the Wolverines only threw one pass in the second half and ran it 32 straight times to win 24-15.
Before Michigan played Ohio State, they ran into a scare against a tough University of Maryland squad. Michigan struggled to finish the game but the defense showed up in the final minutes as they forced three turnovers to win 31-24. This game was necessary for Michigan to beat Ohio State. This was the first game Michigan was truly tested and faced adversity.
This set up the scene for arguably the biggest matchup between Ohio State and Michigan in THE GAME. With the Wolverines dealing with the sign-stealing scandal, each team being ranked in the top three, and the last time each team can make the four-team playoff. Also, Michigan had won the last two against OSU and this was one of the final times this match was for the Big Ten East.
The game did not disappoint with the Wolverines striking first as DB Will Johnson picked off OSU QB Kyle McCord which led to Courm scoring the first touchdown of the game. With Moore stepping in at the helm, he led Michigan past the expectations that everyone had. Michigan continuously proved they can overcome adversity as right after Zinter went down with a gruesome leg injury, Corum gashed the OSU defense right after to give Michigan the lead. Michigan’s physicality started to take shape as they scored three points on their final drive with it lasting over six minutes. This allowed Ohio native DB Rod Moore to seal the deal with a game-winning interception.
After a 26-0 victory in the Big Ten Championship game over Iowa, the Wolverines claimed the Number.1 seed in the College Football Playoff and surprisingly got matched up with Alabama. The shocking part about this matchup was the fact that 13-0 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Florida State University was left out due to their starting QB going down with injury. Michigan’s back was against the wall again, as many experts believed the University of Alabama would upset the Wolverines.
The reason Michigan took the next step from a one-and-done playoff team to a national contender was because of Michigan’s ability to prepare their players physically and mentally for the biggest stage. Most of that credit goes to Director of Strength and Conditioning coach Ben Herbert. Herbert joined the program in early 2018 and changed the dynamic of Michigan football. They went back to their blue-collar roots where a stout defense and a strong run game controlled the pace of the game for the Wolverines. The results have finally shown in his six years as Michigan’s controlled the line of scrimmage against every team this year.
In the Rose Bowl against Alabama, Michigan started the game extremely shaky, but their defense kept them in the game. Michigan had five first half sacks which was more than the University of Georgia had against the Crimson Tide in the entirety of the Southeastern Conference Championship. In the second half, it seemed like Alabama was changing the momentum with a seven point lead with a few minutes remaining, but Michigan didn’t flinch. McCarthy led the Wolverines on a legacy drive which resulted in a Wilson touchdown. The game headed into overtime, where Corum tied the record for most touchdowns by a running back in a career at Michigan to give the Wolverines a lead. Alabama had an opportunity to tie the game but Michigan stuffed a QB run to win the game.
Michigan was now one win away from its first championship since 1997 and first outright championship since 1948. All that stood in their way was a sneaky good University of Washington team, led by the Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr.
The Wolverines jumped all over the Huskies in the championship game, as RB Donovan Edwards scored two 40+ yard runs on his first two carries of the game. By the time Washington knew what hit them, they were down 17-3 in the second quarter. The Huskies slowly got back into the game with the help of their defense but they could not capitalize when Michigan started to slow down. Michigan’s physicality started to show as they pressured Penix relentlessly while Corum rushed for 134 yards and two TDs. The Wolverines ended their 2023-24 season with a National Championship: the cherry on top. Finally, Harbaugh gets it done on the biggest stage!
For Michigan, as a program, this has to be their best team of all time. This is their second championship since the 1950’s and the 2023-24 roster was much better than the team in 1997. Obviously, the 1997 team had Charles Woodson, one of the best two-way football players in college football history, but that team can’t match up with the current team. The 2023 team is so special because they weren’t defined by one player or position group, rather a collection of players that play for each other and have a team first mentality. Ultimately, this is why they were able to beat the adversity and win the national championship.
Whether Jim Harbaugh returns or rides into the sunset and into the National Football League, as a Michigan fan, I will forever be grateful and thankful for Team 144.
