It all comes down to this.
The Michigan Wolverines will take on the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff national title game Monday night in Houston.
Both teams have a long title drought. The last time the Huskies claimed a national championship was in 1991. The Wolverines’ last title was in 1997.
Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to talk about Monday night's championship game and the Detroit Lions' playoff matchup.
College Football Playoff National Championship Game: Washington vs. Michigan - Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Doug Tribou: My wife grew up in Pasadena, California and we had a long-planned vacation to be out there for the holidays. So my family bought some tickets to the Rose Bowl so I could take my two oldest kids, my daughters, to see the spectacle. And it was a wild finish against Alabama, an electric atmosphere at the Rose Bowl. What did we learn about Michigan in their win over Alabama in overtime?
John U. Bacon: Well, quite a lot actually. Michigan has been Big Ten champions three years in a row now. They've been to the College Football Playoff three years in a row now. But two years ago, they're playing Georgia and that was men versus boys, and Michigan was the boys. And they got swamped. And last year they lost to a not-great Texas Christian University team.
This year, for the first time, they're playing arguably, I think, the toughest team left out of the Final Four: Alabama. And they push them around. And nobody's expecting that, I don't think. Even I was not expecting that. So that was a big-boy win to say the least. Very impressive. And the confidence has got to be sky high.
DT: It's not unusual to see some sloppy mistakes in college bowl games. There's a combination of nerves and extended time off between the games. That'll do that. But Michigan's performance, most notably on special teams, was especially messy. Did that seem like more than just rust and jitters to you?
JUB: I thought it was rust and jitters. They've not played in 30 days since the Big Ten title game versus Iowa, but that was the second big surprise. First was that Michigan was physically superior to Alabama. The other thing I was not expecting was Michigan's special teams were abysmal. Missed an extra point, missed a field goal, dropped two punts, either one of which could have cost them the game. I mean, that's a mess. And special teams had been a great strength of this team for three years. So that has got to get cleaned up Monday night or else Michigan has no chance.
DT: Let's look at Washington, John. The Huskies knocked off Texas in the other semifinal matchup, the Sugar Bowl. The story for Washington is their offense. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been phenomenal this season. He's thrown for more than 4,600 yards and 35 touchdowns. Michigan hasn't seen a team with this much offensive polish yet. What are the keys for the Wolverines defense to try to slow Washington down?
"The easiest way to slow Penix down is to not have him on the field. The best defense, in this case, is offense."John U. Bacon on how Michigan could thwart Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who has thrown 35 touchdown passes this season
JUB: He is the best they've faced all year. Might be the best in the country. He was a Heisman Trophy runner up. I suppose three things: One, they've got to get pressure. That means blitz and so on. The problem there is Washington's offensive line is the best in the country. So that would be a great challenge. Michigan had five sacks versus Alabama in the first half of the Rose Bowl game. That is not likely to happen this time, but they have to get pressure.
The defensive backs — Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil — have got to play their best game against three great receivers.
But the easiest way to slow Penix down is to not have him on the field. The best defense, in this case, is offense. If (quarterback) J.J. McCarthy and Michigan's offense can keep rolling, keep that guy off the field, that's your best chance.
DT: Well, John, speaking of Michigan's offense, what adjustments, if any, do they need to make to come out victorious?
JUB: J.J. has got to be healthy — J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback at Michigan. He's got to be able to run. I said that for the last game and that proved to be true. And the running backs, as good as they are, will need to run the ball, obviously. But the receivers can't drop (passes).
It's a game with very little margin of error. And they've got to make their catches. Last game they did and if they do it tonight I think Michigan will win.
DT: Let's turn to the Lions. They closed out their regular season with a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field Sunday. Up next, the Lions will be — wait for it — in the playoffs. And they'll host the L.A. Rams at Ford Field this Sunday night. John, this is a bit of a full-circle moment for the Lions.
JUB: It's a bit of a full-circle moment for my life, because this is the best Lions team in my lifetime. And as you know, Doug, I'm not a spring chicken. And of course, on the micro level, Matt Stafford was the Lions' star quarterback for many years. He was traded to the L.A. Rams. He won a Super Bowl in his first year. And (Jared) Goff was a throw-in, basically — the Lions' current quarterback who's proven to be quite capable. This is a heck of a story. But let's back up for a second. The macro, as you said earlier, wait for it — they're in the playoffs. You said they closed out the regular season and then "up next." Up next usually is firing and draft.
DT: (Laughs) That's right. And the fact that they're hosting their first playoff game in 30 years is also notable here. What do the Lions need to do to advance past their former quarterback Matt Stafford and the Rams to keep things going in the playoffs?
JUB: Well, this one's pretty simple. The Rams barely got in Sunday. They're playing good football now, but they barely got in by beating the 49ers. The Lions are the better team, and I cannot believe I'm saying that either. If they just stick to their game plan, keep their heads, and don't make any egregious mistakes, they should prevail. And again, put this in a time capsule because I can't believe I'm saying any of it.
Editor's note: Quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview near the top of this page.
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