What we learned in Michigan football's historic win over Alabama: 3rd time's the charm

PASADENA, Calif. — Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia looks back at Michigan football’s historic 27-20 OT Rose Bowl win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal and to what's ahead for the Wolverines in their national championship matchup with undefeated Washington next Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas:

Three things we learned

Defensive line dominance: When Braiden McGregor dropped Alabama’s Jalen Milroe on U-M’s first defensive snap, it felt like a fantastic start. When Josiah Stewart added another on third down to force a quick three-and-out, it felt like another great play, but a coincidence; surely Michigan hadn’t started the game with two sacks in three plays. But two possessions later, Michigan did the exact same thing again. On the Tide’s first offensive play of the second quarter, sixth-year captain Michael Barrett came on a blind-side blitz; by the time Milroe felt it, he was planted on the ground. On the next snap, senior captain Kris Jenkins came around Cam Goode’s right side on a stunt, then thanks to a blitzing Junior Colson requiring a blocker, that left Jenkins free to get around the edge and swallow Milroe for the team’s fourth sack in the first 12 defensive snaps of the day.

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While that pace didn’t quite keep up all day, that was the type of day it was for Jesse Minter’s unit, who didn’t just get the better of Alabama but manhandled the Tide’s offensive front. Sophomore Derrick Moore came away with the fifth sack of the first half on the Tide’s final snap of the second quarter when he came around the right edge and nearly knocked the ball loose from Milroe, but instead forced a field goal to end the quarter. The last time U-M got to Milroe was in the fourth quarter when McGregor dropped him for a loss of 5 to force a 52-yard Alabama field goal attempt, its final points of the game. In total, eight different players combined for 10 tackles for loss, but a particular shoutout goes to defensive line coach Mike Elston and his group for creating havoc from, literally, their first snap.

'Those who stay': Blake Corum opted to return to Ann Arbor for a senior year, and he not only had Michigan's opening touchdown but also the game-winning touchdown in overtime when he put his right foot in the ground, cut back left and dragged defenders as he spun his way across the goal line. He finished with 21 touches for 118 yards and two scores. He ran behind Trevor Keegan, who decided to come back to U-M, who could be seen celebrating postgame with Rose-in-mouth alongside his longtime partner-in-crime, Zak Zinter, another fifth-year guy who came back and not only was a unanimous All-American, but has been the group's heartbeat since his season-ending leg injury at Ohio State.

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On defense, Mike Sainristil, Barrett and Jenkins opted to come back instead of exploring NFL waters, too. All Barrett did was finish second on the team with nine tackles, including one for loss and a sack, Jenkins had two tackles and a sack, and Sainristil — the unsung hero of Michigan football's resurgence — had six tackles including one for loss. A number of Wolverines who could have left, but opted to return with the vision and dream of Monday as the fuel and seemingly each of them turned in a timely performance. As Bo Schembechler once said, "Those who stay will be champions." Michigan's players are one game away from making that a reality.

Third time is the charm: It wasn’t talk. Not J.J. McCarthy’s promise last New Year's Eve to return to this moment after his lowest moment in a two-interception performance on a parallel stage against TCU. Not Corum’s pledge on a hobbled leg during a timeout of a Michigan basketball game last February to bring Ann Arbor its first title of the century, saying every single time he was asked between then and now that anything short would be considered a bust. Not Jim Harbaugh’s proclamation this summer that this is his greatest group. He went as far as to say Michigan may set a new record for NFL draft selections this upcoming April or that he could see as many as four Division I head coaches next year who are currently assistants on his staff. None of it.

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All month long, the Wolverines’ kept their tone of the “one-track mind” they’ve had all season. They acknowledged the tradition of Alabama, the prestige of the Rose Bowl, and the magnitude of the moment, but vowed the lights would not be too bright and that they'd learned from years past, particularly a 2022 Fiesta Bowl in which they felt they let an opportunity slip through their fingers. This time, U-M wasn’t going to do the same thing it had done the last two times around, so something had to change. Players like McCarthy said Harbaugh called other coaches and heeded their advice on bowl prep adjustments and the main tweak was taking it easier on their bodies; fewer days of full pads and contact, more days of high-speed walk-throughs and instructional film sessions. Lesson learned.

Next up: Huskies

Matchup: No. 1 Michigan (14-0) vs. No. 2 Washington (14-0)

Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8; NRG Stadium, Houston.

TV/radio: ESPN; WXYT-FM (97.1), WTKA-AM (1050).

Line: Wolverines by 4½.

Meet the Huskies

It's a beautiful matchup of strengths, Washington's high-powered passing attack against Michigan's twisting, shape-shifting defense. The architect of the Huskies offense, head coach Kalen DeBoer, alongside quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who feels more like a Heisman snub with each passing day. He was exceptional again in a 37-31 Sugar Bowl victory over No. 3 Texas that finished in the early hours of Tuesday morning; he completed 29 of 38 passes for 430 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Washington attempted more than 37 passes per game, 37th in the nation, and it would have been more had they played more close game. They had an average margin of victory of more than 15 points per game, despite some scares in the Pac-12.

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His favorite target and Biletnikoff runner-up Rome Odunze had another monster game with six catches for 125 yards. However, perhaps the most notable development is the Huskies could be without star running back Dillon Johnson. He was hurt late in the Sugar Bowl after he'd scored two touchdowns; he was their focal point on the ground this season with 222 carries for 1,162 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The two sides will have a rematch next October in Seattle, but it feels safe to say both teams would trade one million of those for just one next Monday night.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football 1 win from perfection: What we learned vs. Alabama