REAL COOL STORIES (week ended 1/20/24)
Recently, I had the opportunity to watch my team – the University of Michigan Wolverines - win a College Football National Championship! It was an amazing experience. I shared the day with my youngest son (also a UM alum) and several of his friends and frat mates.
As a sports fan, the goal is ALWAYS to win championships. It is NOT easy to complete. In college football, you need the following:
· A near perfect regular season (certainly no more than one loss).
· Win the conference championship.
· Win a semi-final game that is played almost a MONTH after your last game.
· WIN THE FINAL GAME!
Heading into the season, Michigan has won its last two games against its archrival (Ohio State) and the last two B1G championships. However, Michigan lost in the semi-finals the last two years. Was this the year? The team started the year without its mercurial head coach (Jim Harbaugh) due to an NCAA investigation. He was not able to coach the first three games of the year.
With a soft as Charmin nonconference schedule, Michigan rolled its opponents. The first several B1G games did not include the heavyweights of the conference. Michigan had won each of its first nine games by at least 24 points.
That all changed on November 11th when the Wolverines travelled to State College, PA to play the #9 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. With a dominating performance from both the offensive and defensive lines, Michigan cruised to a 24-15 victory. The Wolverines ran the ball so effectively that QB JJ McCarthy did not complete a pass in the second half (and only had one attempt). Michigan was for real.
UM travelled to College Park, MD the next weekend to face Maryland. The Terrapins played well and kept the game close but fell to Michigan 31-24. Maybe it was a “look ahead” performance – maybe the team was just not that good. Everyone in the country knew what was next – the “Game”.
Michigan vs. #2 ranked Ohio State for the B1G East title, a berth in the B1G Championship game and a likely College Football Playoff invite was all on the line in Ann Arbor in late November.
My son and I have not missed a home UM-OSU game since he became a Michigan student in 2011. Until the win in 2021, the Game had been filled with heartbreak and despair. We stayed at the same Airbnb as 2021. We ate at the same restaurant on Friday night too.
Michigan never trailed in the game and hung on for a 30-24 victory sending the large crowd onto the field to celebrate the third win in a row over our rival.
The B1G championship pitted Michigan against the winner of the West division (last year for that!) Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa had trouble scoring all year but fielded a phenomenal defense. Michigan took an early lead; their defense was stout and completed a 26-0 shutout to win their third straight B1G Championship.
Michigan gained a spot in the College Football Playoff as the #1 seed and was scheduled to play Alabama in (“the Grandaddy of them all”) the Rose Bowl. Michigan took a 13-10 lead into halftime. There was no scoring in the third quarter as both defenses played incredible. Early in the fourth, the Tide scored a touchdown to take the lead and added a field goal to go up by 7.
It was tense for the Maize n Blue faithful. UM drove 75 yards in eight plays including a conversion on fourth down and 2 yards to go to tie the game with less than two minutes to go. Overtime!
Michigan had the ball first and scored on its second play from scrimmage. All they needed was a defensive stop! UM stoned Alabama QB Jalen Milroe on the fourth and goal from the three! UM WON 27-20.
Michigan played Washington a week later for the National Championship. UM started great offensively and dominated the game. The Wolverines rushed for over 300 yards and held the might Huskie offensive to just 301 yards total. The game was really never in doubt and Michigan cruised to a 34-13 victory.
You still can’t wipe the smile from my face!
GO BLUE!
A real cool story for me!