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Michigan football fans overjoyed by 27-20 Rose Bowl win: 'So proud of these kids'

jared ramsey, detroit free press
·4 min read
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Michigan football finally broke through the College Football Playoff semifinal for a trip to the national championship game after rallying to beat Alabama, 27-20, in overtime in the Rose Bowl.

Michigan trailed Alabama 20-13 with just under five minutes left and put together a 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game with 1:34 remaining. The defense then came up with a big stop on the ensuing possession to force overtime.

Once overtime started, Michigan got the ball first and ran the ball twice with Blake Corum, who broke loose for a 17-yard touchdown on the second run to give Michigan a 27-20 lead. Alabama had a chance at rebuttal and drove the ball down to the 3-yard line, resulting in a fourth-and-goal — one final play to decide the game.

Alabama decided on a quarterback run up the middle with Jalen Milroe but Michigan's defensive line plugged up all the holes and took down the Crimson Tide quarterback at the line of scrimmage to secure a trip to Houston.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan players went up to the trophy podium with wide smiles after sharing plenty of hugs during the celebration on the field. Players were running around with roses in their mouths, dancing or just tossing rose petals into the sky during the celebration.

"We are so together, so connected," Harbaugh said in his postgame interview on the field. "We were going to overcome anything that was inside this stadium."

J.J. McCarthy and Mason Graham had a chance to speak on the trophy podium, where they talked about what it meant to play and win a game like the Rose Bowl, thanked Michigan fans for traveling to Pasadena to support the team, and broke down what it means to play for a national title at Michigan.

Michigan fans online were in a euphoric state celebrating the win online. Emotions ranged from screaming cheers in reaction videos to the final play, to people saying they were moved to tears to see their team come back and break through the barrier that's haunted them the past two seasons.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football fans overcome with emotion after 27-20 Rose Bowl win