Blue By Ninety - Blue By the Numbers: One More Win

Episode Date: January 5, 2024

Tanner and Brian break down Michigan's dramatic 27-20 victory over Alabama in Overtime at the Rose Bowl and look ahead to the Wolverines' matchup with Washington in the national championship game.

All right, and welcome back to Blue by the Numbers. I am Tanner Wooten, joined as always by Brian Bouton. Brian, how was your new year? My new year was fantastic, thanks for asking. And, you know, that Rose Bowl game was just awesome. How was your new year? I think a few years were shaved off my life. But in the end, Michigan was able to pull it out.

Obviously, if you're listening to this you watch the game you know the score Michigan wins 27 to 20 in the Rose Bowl in overtime to move on to the national championship game which we'll talk about later on but it was an unbelievable game I mean you talk about classic matchup the uniform matchup the venue. It just felt like in an era where college football is always evolving, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, that was kind of a reminder of what college football is and why it's so special. I mean, Pasadena, the sunset, the mountains, the palm trees, the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl itself. Felt like you could almost hear Keith Jackson watching that game, right? I mean, it was just classic college football.

And for somebody who's in my late 20s, you know, I've experienced college football changing, whether it's conference realignment, whether it's the NIL rules, the transfer portal, all these things. But college football has always been something extremely special to me, and that won't ever change. But this just felt like classic college football that we haven't seen in a while. Yeah.

One thing that stood out most to me is I love the Rose Bowl. I've been watching football for a very long time, and the Rose Bowl, you know, Kirk Herbstreet has said it. They should just make the Rose Bowl the permanent destination for a bunch of reasons. One, it's an outdoor stadium. College football should be played outside. And I know the weather changing and some of the great stadiums make it attractive to go to Dallas or Atlanta or wherever. College football, big, important college football game should be played outside.

Two, the time that game is played, the fact that it starts in the sun, you know, the sun's out, it works its way into a night game. Just everything about that environment is where big football games should be played. And I'm sure, you know, some of these people in the Southeast, you know, love their games to stay in their, you know, backyard, but man, just the perfect venue, the perfect environment to have a big game. And with the history of Michigan's and the big 10 and back 10 playing in the Rose Bowl, it was just the perfect setting. It was, it was, and it was a, it was a crazy game. So kind of want to take a step back though,

kind of the buildup to the game over the last month, you heard a lot about the talent level of Alabama, which interestingly enough, after the fact that Michigan has now won, that conversation and that narrative has shifted to, well, this isn't the best Alabama team. This is the most per recruiting rankings, which we know really don't mean. It means a lot, but it doesn't at the same time if you have development and you have great coaching.

But this is, on paper, the most talented team in the country in history since the recruiting rankings have really been around post-2000. You look at Alabama and their blue chip ratio. I want to say it's like 95%. Is that right? It's either 85% or 95%. Both are ridiculous numbers. They have more five stars on that team than the entire Big Ten combined. Yeah.

It's on paper, to your point, 247. I think they've been tracking it for like 15, 16 years, maybe longer. Not much longer, though. They retroactively go back, too, by the way. I know they do, but that's a little flawed. But it is, on paper, the most talented Alabama team in the history of college football. It's the most talented football team, not just Alabama football team,

the most talented football on paper in terms of total team talent composition by 247 ever. And on three, I believe. I think they do something similar, and they're also right there. And they've had top three recruiting classes the last 15 years since Nick Saban has been the head coach. So leading up to the game, it was a lot of, well, can Michigan really compete? And you know what the moment, I knew Michigan compete, but you know what the

moment that narrative busted for me was, Brian? Tyler Morris taking that, I don't know if it was a drag or if it was an in route. I don't exactly remember because I kind of, that game was a blur because I was so tense and locked in, but taking that right over the middle, getting to the sideline, and then the afterburners that kid put on. Now, mind you, he's from Illinois, so obviously he's not that fast. But, I mean, he left those kids in the dust for that 38-yard touchdown. I mean, that was an unbelievable play from a guy who we think has a ton of talent. I think he will be very involved in the offense in 2024,

but only had 11 catches. His first touchdown ever, I think, is a Wolverine. So, I mean, you know, that was when the narrative busted for me on the SEC speed and the myth, the legend, you know, everything that we've heard about from ESPN, who obviously loves them some SEC. And that was kind of when that moment where I was like yeah I know Michigan can hang but Michigan's got some dogs yeah you know living down in SEC country as we know I live uh all I heard for the back half of the season was okay the winner of the Ohio State Michigan game is going to go to the playoffs and And once they face an SEC team, they face Georgia, they face Alabama, we'll laugh at, you know, their ranking all season long. And so, you know, being surrounded by SEC junkies, that game was, I mean, the dream situation was, for me personally, was Michigan

going to the playoffs, playing an SEC team and beating them. Lo and behold, they play the almighty king of the jungle, Nick Saban, Alabama, and win that game. I mean, it was just so sweet. And, and, you know, every point you made about the talent is, uh, you know, I think every national champion, except for maybe the first Clemson one has been a top, like three or four in the talent comp Michigan for the record, Michigan's number 14, Washington's 26. So that trend will be bucked. But, and I think, you know, a lot has changed too with the transfer portal and, you know, this year some super senior type guys, but it's just awesome.

And, and, you know, you, you talk about Tyler Morris for me early on, it was the two sacks in the first drive, like, okay, you know, you worry about our speed, you know, you talk about Tyler Morris. For me early on, it was the two sacks in the first drive. Like, okay, you know, you worry about our speed. You know, that defensive line early on looked more imposing than it did at any point this season against the vaunted Alabama, the vaunted SEC. So that was it for me. I knew right away, like, okay, this is different. Yeah, and I think to the point on recruiting rankings as well,

like we're saying Michigan has the 14th most talented team, but that's when you consider Mike Sander still a three-star, right? Like a middling three-star top 800 guy in his class from the 2019 recruiting class. Like that is an account for him, for Mason Graham, for Kenneth Grant, who for unknown reasons was a three-star. Mason Graham was a three-star until he committed to Michigan and then got bumped into the four-star range. Max Bredesen's a walk-star. Mason Graham was a three-star until he committed to Michigan and then got bumped up to the four-star range. Max Bredesen's a walk-on.

I mean, you think about all these guys who have played big, played a lot of minutes and have played a lot of snaps and have come up in big moments. Rob Moore was a three-star. I mean, it really doesn't take into account how good Michigan is at scouting.

And I saw... Absolutely. And strength saw – Absolutely. And strength and conditioning, Ben Herbert. I just saw that six years ago today. Today is January 4th, 2024. Six years ago today was when he was hired to come on as the head strength and conditioning coach at Michigan. What a hire he has been.

I mean, give him all the money. I know he just got a big contract. Double it. I don't care. Whatever it takes. Because here's another thing leading up, and I quoted this, and I had some fun with it. I don't know what publication, what website,

but there's this guy who's down in SEC country who had a video that was basically saying, Michigan, you're not going to be able to bully Alabama. Guess what they did, Brian? Do you remember that fourth and one? Michigan got five yards on that fourth and one because their whole line was three yards downfield immediately after the snap. Michigan, I think,

and we'll talk about this and the flow of the game and how it played out, Michigan did not play its cleanest game. I would say Alabama didn't either. There were some things that Alabama had some self-inflicted wounds as well. I think a couple of the sacks sacks miller kind of played himself into it but that's also a credit to jesse minter but the point is michigan i think if they would have really stuck

on the stuck it with blake on the ground i mean they were moving he was getting chunks of yards and then they kind of went away from it for whatever reason and obviously nick saban's going to adjust to things at halftime and make your life a little bit more difficult in the second half. But the moments that Michigan needed to bully Alabama, they did. And Blake Corham looked like the most physically dominant player on that field. Yeah, he saved his best for last, no doubt. You know, coming into that game, conventional wisdom,

and I think Michigan fans, you, me, thought that to beat the almighty Alabama, and I might keep saying that, the almighty Alabama, they had to play a perfect game. Flawless, more awful special teams beginning 10 performance by a hardball-led Michigan team than they played against Alabama. Awful. Self-inflicted wounds, the Bredesen stupid penalty. That's not a penalty we've made all day. All year, I don't think we've had like a late hit type penalty all season.

And did you see the Sky Cam view of that? Jay Du, John Doerr, who uh john doer if you don't know him on twitter um posted that oh my god that was weak he's finishing his block how many times offensive lineman you know collapse on a guy on the ground like he's there was nothing unnecessary about that it was rough because max bredesen's a badass, but there was nothing unnecessary about that block. I mean, that killed momentum. Michigan had the ball at midfield at that point with the first down and then that brought on the second and long. I couldn't believe that call. Now, Michigan got away with the roughing the punter or running into the punter, which would have given

Alabama a first down, but also that plant leg or not plant leg, but his kicking leg was up in the air and he kind of sold that. He made it look like he tore his ACL and he came back in and was dropping dimes. By the way, that punter is amazing. And our punter, we struggled punting. I mean, we just, the punting was, I looked at the halftime. I think they had, I don't think they, I know, Alabama had a 30-yard punt advantage.

They both had punted three times and 30 yards of field position between those two. So, I mean, it was just, you know, back to my original point. And in the second half, yeah. Sorry to cut you off, but in the second half, I just want to jump in here real quick because talking about punting in the second half, that paid off for Alabama. No doubt. They were winning the field position battle and that's how they were able to get, you know, the ball at midfield and go score. Yeah, it was, you know, ball at midfield and go score yeah yeah it was uh you know all that notion

that that they had to be perfect michigan was far far from perfect and that's what has me excited about the next game we'll talk about that later but yes you know the odds of them playing two unclean dirty games however you want to phrase it two games in a row just seems unlikely so um you know they squashed so many narratives with that win. I mean, regardless of what happens this upcoming week, they squashed so many narratives about the program, about the coach, about the players, about the whole Connor Stallions thing. I mean, it was – yeah, it was glorious.

I saw an interview right before the game. I was out there with Jalen Milrow, and they asked him about Michigan's defense. Right? Like, hey, you know, I know they have a tough defense. They bring pressure. And he stops, turns, and looks right at the guy that's asking the question. He's sitting at the press table, and the guy asks him from his shoulder, and he turns and looks right at him. He says, I play in the toughest conference in the country.

Michigan doesn't scare me. And his passing rating against Georgia was 75.7. His passing rating against Auburn was 88.9. His passing rating against LSU was 96.3 against Michigan, 45.1. So that toughest conference in the country just didn't fly, Jalen. Sorry. Yeah, that was a masterclass from Jesse Minter. And so a couple other things I want to talk about before we really dive into the game, because we're still in the kind of the pregame, the hype, you know, the buildup stuff. Two things I want to mention.

One, Jermaine Burton hopping on Instagram, and somebody asked, what do you think about when you're on the field? And he said, murder. My guy had four catches for 21 yards. And Mike Samuels still let him know. I think a lot of the guys let him know on Instagram, and it was very funny and very, very satisfying. But then also Kool-Aid McKinstry just staring down the Michigan receivers.

Come on. I saw that. Gave up three passing touchdowns. And Michigan, talk about self-inflicted wounds, and we can talk about this in the game part, but the flea flicker I think could have been a touchdown. Would have been a touchdown if Donovan – The count of Morris was wide open – If Connor Morris was wide open.

Yeah, Morris was wide open. If he gets – if J.J. gets a cleaner pass, now one of the coolest plays in Michigan history because of the – I mean, not a terrible throw, but I think it was just maybe miscommunication that maybe he hadn't practiced it enough. I mean, Donovan got it back there. Just, you know, J.J. had to get turned around and made an unbelievable throw,

which I think you sent me the picture or somebody sent me the picture. It looked like his eyes were closed when J.J. threw that to Roman. Like when the ball's coming out, his eyes are closed and just puts it on the money. So Michigan left a lot out there, left a lot on the bone. But this team is so good, so talented, so physically tough, mentally tough, that it didn't matter. They were able to overcome it and prevail in overtime. So real quick, sorry, cause I'm going to forget it. My, I think my favorite picture I've seen of Michigan football in the last four or five years

is so subtle. It's the play where Michigan's back deep and JJ's force out pocket rolls to his right and throws that pass to Cornelius Johnson. The picture that I love, if you see J.J.'s face, he's backed up in his own end zone, third down. He's rolling out, and the look on his face is he's so happy. He's got this big smile on his face playing in the Rose Bowl against Alabama. This huge smile as he's rolling out, it's just like, what? It's like when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Chris Bryant's laughing as he's throwing out. It's just like, what? The point is, you know, just – Yeah, it's like when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Chris Bryant's laughing as he's throwing the ball to first base, right? Right, right.

Because he knows what's going to happen. Yeah. I mean, happy Warriors, right, is what this team has said all year long. So let's get into the game, man. I mean, we kind of alluded to some of this stuff. First play, J.J. nearly throws a pick. Thankfully, the DB's out of bounds uh the just I mean the fact that that got overturned I think is so so massive not just because of the field position just the

psyche I mean we're at the pretzel bell in downtown Ann Arbor doing a watch party the air left the building I mean we're in a basement that air just to travel somewhere. It was out of there. It went up the staircase up to the street. And, man, when we saw that his heel was barely on the line, it was maybe one of the biggest things just of relief, size of relief, pressure off. It just was like, oh, thank God. Kick the ball back to Bama after you don't get – you know, you don't convert a first down. And the defensive showcase from Jesse Minter

and that defensive line starts. I mean, you get two sacks on first down and third down. I mean, just unbelievable pressure. The way that – it really was Baltimore-esque, the way that Michigan operated in this game. A lot of stunts, a lot of twists, a lot of pressure coming from different areas. I'll tell you, one of my favorite pictures is – in this game. A lot of stunts, a lot of twists, a lot of pressure coming from different areas.

I'll tell you one of my favorite pictures is I don't know if it was JC Latham or the I don't know if it was the right tackle the right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's got Mike Samuels on one side, Derek Moore on the other. And he's just his arms are out wide. Like he has no idea what to do. And that was the Michigan defensive performance in a nutshell, because they brought pressure from everywhere on that last stop that Michigan needed to get the ball before scoring a touchdown. Or no, this was after the touchdown. Josh Wallace is up on the line like he's going to play man, drops into his own.

Milrow goes to the running back. Wallace comes up and sticks him. Like this team, they disguised everything very well. They got after Milrow. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I mean this this defense was was unbelievable all night long they kept michigan in this game that even that fumble michigan didn't capitalize on it but it stopped so much momentum for alabama at that point

right we talked about this on the on the blue by 90 podcast last night we recorded it felt like alabama might have gone down and scored if if Quinton Johnson doesn't make a play there and we talked about that after the Ohio State game Brian how many unsung heroes this team is full of I mean guys that could have transferred could have left went somewhere else for playing time Quinton Johnson's a 50-year guy and he comes in and makes a massive play massive play how many I mean how many times did you see that this game? So many guys made big-time plays. Coming up and making the play when Will blitzes and he comes in and tackles that guy. But I think it was Burton, wasn't it, for like a three-yard catch?

It was like a one-yard catch. That was the first 15. Yeah. That was the drive they went down and got the field goal to go up 20-13 right before Michigan went down and scored. So you have a lot of guys making plays all over the field, man. And it was just – that's the story of this Michigan team. But, man, Jesse Minter, pay the man.

Pay him. Make him the highest paid. Make him and Sharone the highest paid OC and DCs in the country if Jim's coming back, right? In history. Pay them. Pay them. Because we'll talk about the offense too but uh you know

mentor's performance was amazing and obviously people were kind of you know disappointed with the play calling i thought chiron did a great job how many plays did michigan just shoot itself in the foot i mean they would have had a first down to morris that the ball's out a little bit in front one of the rare mistakes jj made in this game ifaj catches that, he might still be running to this day. The flea flicker. I mean, if that gets back to JJ, Roman is, I believe, wide open for a touchdown. Like there were so many, yeah, there were so many missed opportunities, but when it mattered most on that first touchdown drive, when you had to go get points, you had to answer. I thought that was one of Sharon's best drives of his short career as an OC.

And then obviously the last drive. I mean, to go down, you're at fourth and two. It's your own, what, 32-yard line, 33-yard line? I mean, to go for it there and to – how many times has Michigan thrown it to Blake Corham out of the backfield? Like five times this year? And he was massive for a touchdown and for, you know, a season-saving play to go and get, what, 30, 40 yards before the penalty on Roman? Like, I thought Sharone and Jesse were just magnificent in this game.

We saw a lot of things on offense that we haven't seen this year. You know, that bunch formation that they kept doing and they ran a bunch of different looks out of, so I'm sure we'll see more of it. Early on, that pitch out to the left there up for Blake Corn, we haven't seen that. That toss sweep in that look that they always run off tackle on. I thought they both did a great job. Let's face it, you want to score every time, but they are playing the almighty Alabama and that masterclass they both did really good and hopefully they come with an even better game plan for this week

yeah yeah i mean this is uh again this is something that i'm excited about too to your point that michigan didn't play its cleanest game yet still uh outgained alabama by i believe 70 yards um i think they were a yard and a half, two yards better per play than Alabama was. I mean, this was not as close in, in, you know, reality when you look at the game as the scoreboard indicates, like Michigan should have won this game by two touchdowns. I mean, and you can go back to a lot of football games and say that, but I think when it's self-inflicted wounds,

I think that you have more, more credibility when you say something like that. Because there was – I mean, just from special teams alone, Samash has the muff, right? Alabama goes on to score that very next drive. They have the botched extra point. They have the missed field goal. And Alabama's kickers drill in 51, 52 yarders, right?

So they had a huge advantage in the special teams department, which that's the worst performance from special teams since Jim Harbaugh has been at Michigan. I feel confident in saying that. And it could have come at a worse time, but it doesn't matter. Got the win, move on, you survive in advance, right? So it's got me excited for this Washington game, just thinking about, man, you just clean a couple things up.

And this defense for Washington is not nearly as good as the defense for Alabama. I mean, Alabama's got dudes, right? Terryon Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Dallas Turner, Chris Braswell, all first-round caliber guys. At least I think the two corners will probably go first round this year. Dallas Turner will probably be a first-rounder. I don't know Chris Braswell's eligibility, but he'll be a first-round pick at some point.

They've got a lot of studs on that defense, and Michigan did what they needed to do to get the win, and they still left a lot out there like we talked about. Yeah, before we move on to Washington, let's talk about our guys. Let's talk about the players here. Oh, no, yeah, absolutely. We're not there yet. We're only 21 minutes in. We could do 21 hours probably.

I have 21 hours. I got some work to do, but we'll figure it out. Yeah, I mean, let's start with time. I thought JJ, you know, he's a polarizing guy to the national media. You know, he doesn't put up the flashy numbers. He doesn't throw 40 touchdowns in a season. He typically doesn't put up 350-plus. He has at times. I thought this was one of his best games. I mean, he rebounded, he's, he had some, you know, some misses, but man, when it counted

the most on that last drive, let's talk about the Blake fourth and two conversion. That ball is inches from being tipped. I mean, for him to just get that out there was impressive. The throw to row. I mean, have you ever seen a football get tipped and maintain its spiral? Yeah. I've never seen that. And then Roman goes up and makes a play. Like, I just – you know, I thought Nine did very well managing this game. He made the big plays when he needed to.

He escaped when he needed to. The throw to Colell on the first touchdown drive was a dime. You know, they got some power runs for him, a a couple of those which we hadn't seen a ton of i would have liked to have seen more to be completely honest i would have liked to have seen some reads on i don't know if that's something they'll do against washington but hey if you're gonna win the national championship i don't care how it looks right like you know we're we're dissecting it we want more just win man right so baby but i thought i thought they I thought he did everything that was expected of him from the Michigan staff, and he has absolutely cemented himself as a Michigan legend at this point.

Yeah, I thought, you know, Chipson, say what you want about JJ. You said he's polarizing, and I understand what you're saying. For whatever reason. But what I think polarizing, I think because Michigan fans are so high on him and statistically he's not there. I think the perception of him is polarizing, but I think him as a person, he's not that polarizing. I think he's a very likable guy. I don't think, you know,

he doesn't say things that are that controversial. He carries himself well. I just think, you know, because he's the quarterback in a place like Michigan, you know, people look to poke holes and a really strong team, and because we don't pass a lot, maybe that's polarizing. But I thought he was great, and when the chips were on the table and he had to come through one of the best drives, if not the best drive

in Michigan history at the end of that game, and then to deliver in overtime, I think just a remarkable game. I'll tell you one thing about the quarterback position that I was really excited to see that just really was disappointing is i figured we'd see a handful of snaps from alex orgy and we did and they just didn't really give us any pop they didn't make an impact you know the one play that he the play design that they had for the pass was a one-man route i mean that that was never going to be anything big and then he just doesn't play enough to know to throw that away

i was a little disappointed with that but um i bet you we see him some more uh this week against washington and i think we should i i think he does bring something different that they have prepared for but um you know jj's the guy and he's shown he can run. If we need to go run, call a run play for him. Let's do it. Yeah, I mean, if you're saving – All in all, great game for the quarterbacks. And then you look at the running back. Blake looked awesome.

Yeah, and sorry, Brent. I think we had some connectivity issues there. I didn't mean to cut you off. If you're going to have Alex Orji throw a pass, man, to Kalel Mullings on a one-man route, like, and he didn't sell it very well either. Like, he took the snap, and then he didn't really act like he was going to run for a split second, so it wasn't very convincing.

But, yeah, I mean, I think he's going to be a guy. Look, he's, you know, what did he run for? Like, I think a four- or five-yard gain, right? So if he's coming in and doing that, that's a great change of pace, especially when you're looking at a defense like Washington that doesn't really handle the power run that well. You don't need Alex Orji to do that if you're Michigan because you've got Blake Corm, you've got Colel, you have Donovan.

But, you know, you have guys that you can take advantage of that with. But Orji can come in and maybe for a snap here or there be a change of pace and be able to get some yardage on the ground. But yeah, I thought it was a great day for JJ thought, you know, the orgy stuff. I wanted to see a pass, but not that route tree.

Like I would have liked to have seen. I mean, let him, I mean, shoot, if you're going to do that, just like, just run for birds.

Let them just chuck it deep. Cause he can throw it 80 yards, right? Right. He's got an incredible arm. So, yeah, I thought the orgy stuff was interesting, but I think he's going to be pivotal for Michigan on Monday night. So we'll see what he is able to accomplish when they bring him in. But the run stuff is a positive for me.

I don't look at that as a wasted down, but the past maybe, maybe put that back in the bag and work on that. Put it back in the, you know, go back to the work bench a little bit with that. Well, the beautiful thing of the only silver lining of that is if he does come into the game against Washington, now they've seen a pass look. Now it's not a guaranteed run so that, you know, it's not a full sellout to stop him from running off tackle.

So, yeah, we'll choose to see the silver lining in that one. Absolutely. So, running backs. I'm going to say something that I don't know if it's a hot take or just a lukewarm take at this point. Blake Corham is the greatest running back in Michigan football history. I know there's been a lot of guys. I know in the 144-year history of Michigan football, there have been a ton of guys. But to me, when it matters most, he plays his best, whether it's against Penn State, bust a 20-plus yard touchdown run to go up 24-9 to basically

seal that game, whether it's against Ohio State, a play after your All-American captain goes down to bust a 22-yard touchdown to just bring Michigan Stadium back to life, bring that team back to life after what was a devastating injury for Zach Zinter, or it's in overtime. That run, unbelievable. The jump cut, I mean, he jumped over from, he was off the setter's hip, and when he cut, he ended up off the tackle's hip, and he just made guys miss, and we're going to talk about these other guys here real quick, but I just wanted to shout out Max Bredesen. He ends up in the end zone with Blake making blocks.

And how about a guy that's been very maligned by a lot of this fan base, myself included, Carson Barnhart, all the way from his right guard spot, gets out in front, lands a block that helps propel Blake to the end zone. I mean, just a beautiful play. It's just power, right? It's simple. It's not complicated. It's power.

And Blake, you know, made the most of it and maybe one of the – I'd say maybe the most important touchdown in Michigan football history. Yeah, I mean, you know, is it a hot take that he's the best? He's the all-time touchdown leader, right? Right, yeah. We've got some great ones. I just think, you know, his tenure has been three of the best years and they have to finish it off three of the best years the program's ever had he's been by and large the face of the program

the way he handles himself on the field the way he handles pre-game post-game interviews how he carries himself off the field as an ambassador of the program i mean it's hard to argue against him you know all due respect to my cart tyroneatley, the two guys that come to mind, A-Train was really good. But yeah, it's, it's, you know, I don't think, I don't think anyone's going to get really offended if you say Blake Corham's the best running back in Michigan history. No, I don't think so either. But it's, you know, it's typically one of those things where you're like a few years down the line, you say it, but in the moment, it sometimes is a little bit jarring to hear that. But I think he has completely cemented himself.

He obviously is all time touchdown leader, which is crazy because before the season we're like, man, he's, he could do it, but he's got to put up some numbers. Guess what? He had 26 total touchdowns this season. Now it's an insane number. It's, it's absurd. He obviously had the big, big, big catch on fourth and two, which we talked about.

He had the touchdown catch, which both those plays, he switched. He was in motion, and he went behind JJ to the other side behind him, which changed the obligation of the backer that was covering him, and that just really threw off the Alabama defense on both those plays. That's why he was so wide open each time. And that's more credit to Sharon on some of the pre-snap motion that they implemented in this game for this game plan. But, yeah, Blake had 118 total yards.

You know, kind of wish they would have ran him a little bit more. But, you know, I think we'll see that against Washington. And he was just magnificent, man. I mean, that was – we've talked a lot about – you've seen glimpses of vintage Blake Corham. That was Blake Corham. That's the guy that I think can be really good in the NFL. He'll probably be a, you know, a third day pick, but I think he'll be a guy that rushes

for a thousand yards a few times in his career because he's that good. You know, the other, one of the most surprising, you know, every week after the game, I wait for the PFF to post the grades and the snap counts. And usually, you know, there's a few surprises and, uh, you know, some things that I don't expect to see. I think that the most surprising thing, I don't think I know the most surprising thing I saw when I saw the snap counts was that Khalil Mullings only played six snaps. And the reason it's surprising is I felt like he made such a big impact on that game. I feel like he, you know, the long catch he made was stellar. Some of the blocks he threw, you know, I just felt like watching that game. I'm like, man,

he is so good. And he only had played six snaps. So, you know, his overall real impact and versus the, uh, Brian perceived impact might be different of course, but I just thought, you know, in his limited time on the field, that guy just makes such a difference. He was one of the highest graded guys on the team by PFF, so they tended to agree with his impact. But man, I thought that guy just had a really great game. Yeah, that was a great catch on the sideline. He flipped his hips because that safety was coming down to him, so he gave J.J. an easier throw than trying to lead him up the field. He flipped his hips towards the sideline, let J.J. him and he made the catch um he also like you said was was

great at blocking the block that comes to mind was on jj's power run that set up the fourth one which michigan got by five yards so maybe it didn't matter that much but he smoked that dude um i thought he was fantastic you know um donovan edwards you know, very minimal impact, had the drop. It sucks, man, because he's such a good kid. And, you know, I know he's excited for the team, but you've got to feel for him just on an individual level, a guy that was coming into the season with first-round hype. I mean, I thought he'd be a first-rounder.

So I don't know what to say at this point, Brian. I really don't. And he's a kid with a ton of talent. We've seen it. I don't know what's going on with Donovan. And, you know, I know, man, he's going to make a play Monday night. I just – he's going to make a play. And he's going to be important to this team to win this game.

But, man, just, you know, not a lot going on on Monday for him. I feel like you're right. I feel like I think that every week. And I feel like he's going to have a big play against Washington. But, yeah, he just was not a – wasn't a big play against washington um but yeah he just was not a it wasn't a big part of the game plan it's not his fault he was not you know they just was not involved in the game plan and uh you know you're giving balls to blake and um you know we'll get to it but tight ends weren't that involved either but we'll get to that i thought i thought

the wide receivers i mean cornelius johnson of course we're talking about roman wilson but cornelius johnson i feel like is such a small part of the game plan week in and week out. He leads a wide receiver room and snaps every game of the season. Every game of the season, he's played more snaps than everyone. So he's obviously a very reliable blocker. He's a really big part of the offense, but doesn't get a lot of looks, right? There was a, it came out today, the contested rate or contested catch percentage for all players in the country. He's number one in the country, Roma Dunze from Washington's number two,

but 90% of his contested catches, he's, he's making the catch. Like, I feel like the tough catch he makes, man. And you know, the, the one down the sideline that they had to review on for, on that I referenced earlier referenced earlier was just one of those. Tyler Morris had a great game, and then Roman Wilson, that catch was just one for the ages. Yeah, yeah, CJ made some plays, man. Great blocker, you know, had a few catches. But Roman, I was extremely upset at that block in the back.

And I knew Michigan had the first down. Like, I knew that. But you only saw his nameplate, man. You never once saw his face mask. I don't know what compelled him to just shove him in the back. Thankfully, it didn't end up costing Michigan, and he made up for it in a big way. He did.

Yeah, I'm just mentioning this because I was very livid at that point. I think I was more so mad because it was like a microcosm of that game. Just an unforced error that could cost you. What if that happened and it's not a first down? Obviously, it's so far

downfield, but it's still... What if that happened and it takes it from a first down to a fourth and seven right like so that's why i was so upset at that play but damn it did he make up for it with that catch and then to to catch that ball and because of the because of the great catch that he had the the db didn't really know where to go so he's able to spin out of it get down inside the 10 and then they set up the the to Blake and and he's coming across uh behind the line of scrimmage and just has an easy walk-in touchdown to tie it up uh you know that's another big play from number one he's been awesome all

season long um I mean we kind of you know we've probably forgotten some of the big plays he's made but he's he's been awesome this year and I think he'll be a day two pick in the nfl draft when he goes but he he made up for it man um and then we talked about this tyler morris oh my goodness where'd those wheels come from i mean just put on the afterburners on that touchdown that was a huge play right because it had been super easy to score at that point and uh that gave michigan a lot of momentum towards the end of the the first half but he just he played really well and I think he's a pretty solid blocker as well he didn't have as nearly as many snaps uh as the as the two seniors did but I thought he played really well took advantage in the same way that Cole did he was extremely impactful in a limited amount of snaps he only

played 18 snaps in this game but man Tyler man, Tyler Morris was fantastic. Yeah. Wide receiver had one of their stronger games as a unit for sure, I mean, other than the one drop. And they looked really good. You know, it was interesting that the tight ends just – I think we all expected – I think maybe Alabama's game plan schematically took them away. But I think we all expected to see a whole bunch of Colson Loveland in that game.

And the fact that I don't think – I think AJ Barnum may have had a target, but you know, Loveland was not a big part of the game plan. And, uh, you know, that was surprising. And I assume that that'll be changed this up in a few days here, but, uh, you know, they just weren't a big part of the game. No, no, they weren't from a, from a passing game. I mean, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so Samaj, so up and down day for the youngster. I mean, he had a, he had one rush for six yards. He had four catches for 24. So he had five touches. You know, he made some, some solid catches that, that helped advance some drives, obviously the muff plant, you know, it's a kid trying to make a play, man. At the end

of the day, you know, you, you get so mad in the moment and you take a step back and you have that perspective. He's trying to make a play. He's not trying to screw up right and so he's just got to he's a freshman he's just got to get better he's just got to understand the situation better because there was also a punt that he fielded at like the nine where it's like it's iffy right like you don't want to let them pin it at the one but there are some times where it's okay to just let that bounce um like the muff probably just let that bounce. Like the muff, probably just let that bounce. Yeah, you may get it at the 20 instead of the 45, but it's a lot better than giving Alabama a short field

when they haven't really moved the ball at all to that point. So he'll bounce back. I expect he'll make a play. You mentioned the drop. He might, again, still be running. I mean, that ball was on him, and J.J. rifled that thing in there, right? But you've got to catch it because that would have been a big first down. Might have scored with how fast that kid is.

So he'll learn from it. He'll be better because of it. Just, you know, again, an up-and-down outing for a true freshman playing in his first playoff game, the biggest game of his life to that point. And, you know, you know that that hurts him, and he wants to be better, and he doesn't want to make those mistakes. And he seems like a kid who's going to go in the lab and fix it, you know, you know that that hurts him and he wants to be better and he doesn't want to make those mistakes. And he seems like a kid who's going to go in the lab and fix it, you know? Yeah, the fact that the team won, you know, helps minimize the backlash of that play,

you know, and the hurt of that play. You know, it's funny, you know, I just have thought of it as just an awful play, candidly, and hearing you say, you know, he was just trying to make a play changes my perspective a little bit. awful play candidly and hearing you say, you know, he was just trying to make a play changes my perspective a little bit. What I mean by that is how many times are you watching the team play any team you root for? And the punt returner doesn't field the punt and the ball hits the ground and rolls for 30 yards. You're like, dude, just catch the damn ball. And the fact that, you know, here he is trying to save some field position and running up. So that doesn't

happen. I mean, you know, it does change my perspective a little bit. The play still was super painful. But I do get that sentiment. Yeah. So, Samaj, man, he'll be better for it. I guess at this point, let's just talk about the Jake Thall play because we're going through the gradings here. They don't do special teams when it comes to PFF grading.

So, let's just talk about the Jake Thaw thing. Just let it go, man. Just, again, guy trying to make a play. You know, by all accounts, a great kid from what I've heard. Selfless, you know, was the starting punt returner to start the season. You know, it's kind of gone back and forth with Tyler Morris earlier in the season, and then Samaj took those duties. And, you know, he made some great catches in the Ohio State game back there.

Right? Like he had some really good catches to save Michigan's field position. Just got to let that one go, man. You just can't try to field it at the five. And, you know, I saw some people get kind of bashed for this take. And, you know, again, don't touch the ball in that scenario but the fact that he was able to corral the ball and give michigan a chance brian if if that happened i don't think we would have recorded this pocket i don't think i ever would have gone on another podcast in my life

that's how michigan lost the rose bowl i i don't think you would have heard from me i think i would have deleted twitter i think i would have gone off the grid, lived in a cabin in the woods. I don't think I could have mentally handled that. But that kid made up for that mistake. Michigan won. And they could have won it in regulation. But at the end of the day, he made a play after making a massive mistake to get that ball and stay out of the end zone. So kudos to him for saving the day after putting himself in that situation again, no doubt there, but I don't even really have any other words for that one. It was just, I don't know what to say about it. I mean, I hear you. I think, you know, one thing that just seems like happening in the, in college more than NFL that I see every game. I feel like every game

I watch, I don't understand is these punt returners fielding the ball inside like the six, seven yard line. Every team does it. I don't understand that. Like, what do you, I get this, you know, being at the six is better than being at the one, but what are the odds of that ball bouncing? You know, I'm sure they've done the analysis and obviously it seems like a universal thing around the country. They're fielding balls inside the six, seven yard line line, and I just don't get it. And particularly in that situation, take your chance. Let it bounce.

Don't be anywhere near that ball. And my thought at that point, too, is that after the muff, Samaj was fielding them pretty cleanly, right? So it was interesting for the last play of the game, a guy that's been cold. I don't know. I thought after the first muff, then you put Thaw in. But at that point in the game, it's kind of crazy to take out Samaj when he had already not redeemed himself, but he had cleaned up that issue.

He had caught those pretty cleanly. Of course. Maybe picture the sideline before they sent Thaw out there to return that punt. The coaching tip he probably had was just catch the ball, just catch the ball, just catch the ball. So the notion of any sense of where you're on the field when all that's in your head is just catch the ball, just catch the ball, just catch the ball. So the notion of any sense of where you have the field when all that's in your head is just catch the ball, maybe that's the, that's the defense, particularly when he hadn't played all day, like coming on cold and I know he plays on punt return, you know, he plays other positions on

kicking punt defense, but, uh, you know, hadn't played a whole lot. So I don't know. Let it go. Absolutely. Absolutely. Uh, my uncle and I said the same three-word text to each other and i'm sure everybody can imagine what that was at the same time by the way uh what the you know what so yeah we were all hey once michigan was able to kneel it out though get the overtime hey we get take care of it take care of business and overtime and uh all's well that ends well but moving on to the tight ends like like you said, a quiet day. I thought solid as blockers. I saw a couple times where Colson had a really good block that spurred some big runs for Michigan.

Bredesen, that's my guy. I mean, I'm biased. So we did a podcast with Max. We did it with Peyton O'Leary, Joe Taylor, and Davis Warren, Justin and I at the Valiant Studio, which we haven't been able to release. And so I'm biased because those guys are awesome, by the way. I mean, they make me feel old. I'm 28, but I'm a dinosaur to them, but just really good dudes. And so I'm a big fan of Max Bredesen, just the way he carries himself, just talking to him. He had a fantastic game.

We talked about that penalty. That was extremely weak. I thought it was weak in real time. And seeing the replay, I thought it was even weaker. That's just the guy making a football play, finishing his block. Play's still going on. That guy could have made a play on the ball. Like, I don't know where that comes from. But, again, on that last touchdown, man, he's out there making blocks. Thought Brady had a great game.

How about Matthew Hibner? You know, one snap on offense, but he has a massive hit on a kickoff and he's a guy who i believe is in the portal um or at least it's the i don't know if that's official or there's a lot of people out there saying he's going to be leaving after this season man just to see his teammates and how fired up he was i love that man i mean you know these guys a lot of these michigan guys that are in the portal right now are still dressing up and playing man man. It's one thing to leave, but it's another to leave and still stay with your teammates to end the season. There's a level of respect I have for that in this era of college football.

So to see Matthew Hibner get a big play like that, I think JJ was on the sideline getting fired up after that when he's on the headset. Again, we talk about it all the time, man, and it's so cliche, but it's so true with this team. Just a great culture, just guys that play for one another, play for each other, play for Michigan. It's awesome to see guys like that that have worked their ass off because they don't work any less hard than Colson Loveland or A.J. Barnum.

Right? Like they still go through those 5 a.m. lists with Ben Herbert and company. They still bust their ass at Albuquerque Fieldhouse every single day. They work around the clock to try to be better and try to get on the field and so when you get to see them make a play man it's just that's why i love college football so much right like they're not getting nil deals man they're not you know nfl guys are making 500 grand at the minimum these guys are just out there you know playing for for their teammates you know trying to get to the to the nfl and so

you know seeing a guy like that make a play man it just gets you fired up right like you see these guys on special teams make plays like joe taylor kate and colasar like you see these guys get down there and they make a big hit man and and that impacts the game right because like they get the ball to 15 instead of the 25 i mean these guys out here making plays on special teams it's again pff doesn't talk about special teams they don't grade it um but i just wanted to give a shout out to guys like that because it's it's not like their work it's not like college football for them is any easier because they don't play it's probably even harder than it is being a starter because at least on saturdays you're gonna go out there and play 50 60 70 snaps so just want to give a shout out to hibner that's a big hit man i love

seeing it you know one other shout out because we won't talk about him otherwise, but one guy that had maybe the best special teams day of the year that you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention, which is Jimmy Roelder. He was a monster on punt and kick return. He showed up every time down that field. I mean, it made just pads popping, you know. So shout-out, Jimmy. He should have a big role with the team next year.

Yeah, I was going to say he's a guy that you and i are both pretty high on he had a big you know decent size impact last year he played a lot in the ohio state game i thought he flashed and um you know he dealt with an injury this year so he's gonna come back as a redshirt sophomore next year i think he'll probably be vying for a starting spot um so colston i believe had the one catch over the middle um i don't did barner have a catch? I don't have it up in front of me. I don't think Barner had a target. I mean, kind of crazy when you think about the Alabama defense

and the weak spot being, you know, kind of the linebackers, right? Like they don't have those, you know, the Reuben Fosters or, you know, some of those stud linebackers they've had in the past. I mean, you know, see, I'm trying to think of who all those guys are. I mean, back in the mid-2000s, they had dogs at backer, right? And they don't really have those guys. I mean, they're good football players, but they're not at that level first-round pick type of guys.

So it's interesting that they didn't get targeted. But I thought in the run game, you know, you could feel their impact, right? You don't feel it in the pass game, but in the run game, I thought they were doing their thing. And Colson just continues to get better as a blocker. Man, I'm excited for him next year. I mean, it's tough to talk about next year. We've got a national championship to watch in four days, but it is exciting to see these younger guys continue to step up, make plays, and get better

when they're already really damn good. Yes, absolutely. I think they were an extension of the offensive line, right? I think there was a lot of max protect. And we moved to the offensive line. Zach's inter inter down how would they reorganize how would they uh you know kind of reassemble this offensive line and i'll tell you the star star of the game was trenta jones i mean you know besides i mean he just for a guy that was a starter kind of lost the job anyone that follows michigan closely knows some of the struggles he's had personally off the field that we don't necessarily have to get into, but it just makes you want to root for that guy. He just played an exceptional game.

He was the highest graded guy. It showed up. I don't know if anyone saw. I saw a clip from the Michigan band, but after the game, Trent Day Jones is one of those guys that has a really big heart, really kind soul. And with him, he puts the band guy's hat on and is in the band taking pictures and selfies of the band after the game. I mean, just an awesome moment for him. Great for the team for him to step up and play so well. Barnhart playing guard, I thought he did really well.

I mean, I just feel like he's just so much more suited to play guard and a guy that started most of the season at tackle for us. So, you know, just a really, really good game without your first team All-American captain out there. Yeah, I mean, there were a couple times that JJ had to escape the pocket, but I thought for the most part he had extremely clean pocket to throw from. I mean, Trenta was a monster. Trenta, I believe, players that have played over 100 snaps has the least amount of pressures allowed. So he's played 118 passing snaps, passing downs, and has only given up one pressure. That's impressive.

Yeah, a guy who probably could have got some playing time throughout the year. But, again, I don't want that to sound like a shot because I thought Carson Barnhart played extremely well at the guard position. I think with the month to get ready to kind of – because you play tackle to guard, it's a lot different of a position. It's a lot different with your responsibilities and what you need to do on the field. Again, I go back for Carson that last play for the offense, a touchdown.

Go watch it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch it. He is out in front and he's pulling from the right guard position. That's not easy to do. He has to get across three of his teammates on the left side and the tight end, get out in front of Blake, and then go find a linebacker to block. And he gets a hat on a hat, and he makes a big-time block

to open that lane for Blake after the jump cut. So, man, just shout-out to Carson Barnhart. Shout-out to all those guys. I mean, they were mauling Alabama. The almighty Alabama, as my co-host would say, right? Like, they are getting out, getting a push. That fourth and one, that offensive line is four yards deep beyond the line of scrimmage by the time that plays over.

I mean, they were playing out of their mind. And it was awesome to see, man. It was awesome to see this O-line. So many guys that have been here for so long that have gone through a lot of the struggles that you know trevor keegan came here in 2019 man i mean he he dealt with a couple years that were not fun and so to see him same with carson barnard he's a 2020 kid so to see these guys you know where they started their career now they get to play for national title come up big in

the rose bowl i mean is you you talk about cementing your legacy at the university of michigan in the football program it's playing big in the rose bowl man no doubt many guys how many guys have stamped their legacy on the way out by by playing big in a rose bowl so many charles woodson you think about a lot of guys like i mean it i kind of blank there to be honest i just want to talk about tyrone wheatley has the rose bowl record for rushing right right yeah no absolutely and um honest. I just wanted to talk about – Tyrone Wheatley has the Rose Bowl record for rushing and touchdowns. Right, right. Yeah, no, absolutely. So it's just awesome to see this O-line.

I mean, they didn't get nominated for the Joe Moore Award. They haven't been as good as the last two years. They're not as dominant, yada, yada, yada. And they come out and give their best performance of the year. And hopefully they go do that again on Monday in the national championship game here in four days. but just a great performance by the old line. One, one last thing on the old line. And probably one of the 400 reasons why all these kids just absolutely love

playing for first for Sharon Moore is throughout that game. He snuck in all five of the backup offensive linemen. They all got snaps. So, you know, Playing against almighty Alabama. I'll try to stop. He stuck all those guys in. They all got a snap. They all get to say they participated and were

part of a Rose Bowl victory over Alabama. I think that's so cool. One last thing with the offense. The offense played 60 snaps of offense against Alabama. They played 60 offensive of offense against Alabama. They played 60 offensive snaps exactly against Ohio State. I think we found a recipe.

Play 60 snaps on offense, and we're probably in pretty good shape. Well, you know, I wanted to mention this because I believe this just came out. I'm always trying to check Twitter while we're recording in case any breaking news happens. And I believe that there was – Nick Saban goes on the Pat McAfee show now, which is interesting. But one of the things he mentions is that Michigan is the only team they've played that has huddled all year, like every play. Like they huddle every single time.

And Michigan started doing that after the MSU game for the Purdue game. So I don't know if there's anything – it's helped catapult them to a national championship appearance. So I don't know if there's anything, you know, it's helped catapult them to a national championship appearance, so I don't know if there's any particular reason as to why Michigan is now huddling versus, you know, going with the signs, but that's something that threw Alabama off. They weren't able to really get a lot of their pre-snap adjustments in like they would against a team that's not huddling,

so just wanted to throw that out there as well. Great adjustment for Michigan over the last half of the season. Yes. Yeah, season. Yes. Yeah, man. Yeah. All right. Defense. Really awesome performance, man.

I mean, starting up front, Mason Graham, Chris Jenkins, Kenneth Grant. I mean, Cam Good has some good – I mean, Cam Good almost had a sack, man. You know, that's a big man going against Jalen Millereau, you know. But the interior, I've said it before. think mason graham is a first round pick uh he's a guy who he was he was awarded the la times player of the year award which if you go back and look at the winners of that it's a lot of nfl guys a lot of guys that were five stars that kid i think ended up 230 in the country sounds about right by the way you know we i tweeted this out and we talked about it pre-show but um you know my wife and i are

expecting a baby here in july and my wife really yeah my wife really got me into into college wrestling she worked with the nebraska wrestling team when she got was doing her undergrad at and at uh at the university of nebraska lincoln which is one of the best wrestling programs in the country. Michigan's obviously really good too. But if it's a boy, that boy's wrestling. I never wrestled. I wish I would have, man, because the leverage that Mason Graham plays with, and not only Mason Graham, but my favorite Michigan player,

I think of all time, just like personal favorite, is Mike Martin. Number 68. I wore 68 in high school because I loved the way he played ball. And he was a state champion wrestler at Catholic Central in Novi. And Mason Graham, I believe, was he a four-time state champion? Maybe a four-time state finalist? I don't know exactly, but he was a dominant wrestler. The leverage that that man plays with and the ability to shed blocks is a lot of technique from wrestling.

So I just wanted to say that. We have a boy, multiple boys. They are wrestling for sure because that's going to help them with football. You know what I mean? So I'm not going to force anything on my children, but my wife is probably going to say you're wrestling. So Mason Graham is a stud is what I want to say. And I love defensive tackles that are wrestlers because of that leverage that you have to have you're wrestling. So Mason Graham's a stud is what I want to say. And I love

defensive tackles that are wrestlers because of that leverage that you have to have when you wrestle. That kid, I just, I don't know what else to say, man. It feels like every time I talk about him, it's hyperbole, but he is just a monster. That play that he made on second and goal, that back Bama five yards was massive. Like, I don't know if we talk about that. We talk about the stop on fourth down, right? But that allows Michigan to be able to play a little softer, get the stop on third and goal at the three-yard line with Josh Wallace coming up on Jermaine Burton, and then you make it more difficult for them on fourth and goal

where they try a QB draw, and it's just stuffed, right? I mean, Mason Graham was a monster. He had an 86 rush defense grade. I mean, he was just – he was a monster. He was unequivocally just a wrecking ball. He had an 86 rush defense grade. I mean, he was just, he was a monster. He was unequivocally just a wrecking ball out there. I mean, he was such a difference maker. And yeah, I mean, the announcers talked about him often because he was just wreaking havoc.

He was blowing up the center and the guard. Every play was like a step in the backfield. By the time Milrow could do anything, he set the tone for a lot of the pass rushing he was really really good i haven't heard anything or you know it seemed like early on rashaun benny was gonna be a big part of the game plan and he went down early that you know yeah i think he was on crutches and in a boot after the game so that's a bummer because that's a kid again we talked about with special teams guy guys he's played a lot of football this year, but he hasn't been a star,

but he's made plays, and you work so hard to get to this point, man. You hate to see it. So, prayers up for Rayshawn Benny, man. Hopefully he can come back. I don't know if he'll play. I can't imagine he'd play Monday. Hopefully it's precautionary, but hopefully he's able to come back for next year

because I think he'll be a big part of this defense with Chris Jenkins going to the NFL, and Cam Good's going to be gone as well. But, man, Chris Jenkins, I thought, was one of his best games this season. He was awesome. Yeah, I mean, you know, both rushing the passer, run defense. I agree. I think this might have been his strongest game all around, maybe not just this year, maybe as a Wolverine. He was impacting the game in so many ways, and good for him. You know, another guy that could have gone to the NFL and came back

and was a leader and just such a character for the team. He played awesome. Yeah, and Kenneth Grant as well. I don't believe he had any of those sacks, but he made a couple plays that helped his teammates get sacks to cut off rush lanes for Milrow. I mean, that kid – by the way, way on that last play he's in there they get to stop him and mike samuels are kind of the couple guys leading that that rush onto the field

you see kent grant keep up with mike sam so that's the second time he's kept up with mikey i want to know what mikey runs at the combine man so we know what kenneth grant's about the run because that is a large man that is a freak athlete and uh is going to have a monster junior year but he has been so good this year. He's been one of the biggest reasons this defense has been so amazing. Being able to rotate him in, bring him in on rush downs, he's been phenomenal. And he still can get after the quarterback as well. He does a great job being disciplined when he's rushing the passer

from his defensive tackle spot. You hit the nail on the head. He had the highest pass rush grade on the team. He had an 81.5. He had the highest pass rush grade on the team. He had an 81.5. He had the highest pass rush grade in the game for either team. He was a big factor in that pass rush too. And, I mean, I think they just were living in that backfield. I think Milrow was miserable.

I mean, his passer rating that we talked about earlier, I mean, they put pressure from everywhere, the linebackers, the defensive line, the corners. I mean, they just brought it. It was awesome. Yeah. So let's talk about the edge guys because they all had a day. I mean, they all – did Jalen have a sack? I don't have it in front of me again.

I apologize. I don't think so. Okay, so three of the four edge players had a sack, but Jalen Harrell impacted this game in so many different ways. I mean, he was dropping into coverage. He's playing against the run. I mean, he's just – he's a utility guy. No, he did not have a sack.

Sorry. He's a utility guy, man, and he's a guy that don't matter what you need him to do, he's going to make a play. And he's been a guy that's had a lot of playing time the last three years. A lot of people would have liked to see another higher-rated guys get ahead of him, you know, the pure pass rushers. But he's a big part of why this defense is so good because he knows – you know, just like Mikey Samerstel,

he knows everybody's responsibilities. He knows why this defense is so good. Cause he knows that, you know, just like Mikey Samer still, he knows everybody's responsibilities. He knows that playbook inside and out. You know, he's a, he's a, he's a senior leader. He's a guy that I'm gonna miss a ton whenever he, whenever he leaves Ann Arbor, cause he's been awesome. And you know, it's funny when he was a recruitment, he was kind of a late pickup. I don't know where like, didn't really know. I don't think there were any crystal balls and he quietly committed to Michigan and has been a massive impact player for Michigan

over these last three seasons and yeah he was he was phenomenal but man that who Braden McGregor unfortunately I don't think we're going to see him fully unleashed at Michigan because I think this is a performance and depending on what he does on Monday there's a performance you go to the NFL off of because he was he was he was dominant yeah he's he's uh i think this is it for him i think he's you know he's he's been ascending all year like he was pretty quiet earlier in the year and i feel like they just i think schematically too you you said it a number of times but i think jesse minner has gotten better finding the ways to help them each excel like what what works best what schematically can help free those guys up because they all have different skills they have different ways they can get to the quarterback and yeah it

just seems like it's coming together and he he was he was in the backfield a lot and it feels like we've been saying that for the last several games he's been playing really really well and yeah you know listen to us knows that early on the season i was a bit frustrated with him only because i had such high hopes for him uh you know that he just wasn't showing up to me early on the season. In the last four, five, six weeks, I feel like he's played just great football and playing some of his best football at the perfect time. Yeah, no, I mean, McGregor had two sacks against Alabama. He had the sack, the strip sack against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship.

He had a half a sack against Maryland. So he's been coming up big, man. And he's a guy, I mean, 2022 Ohio State, he had some big plays, some tackles for loss, some PBUs. I mean, he's a guy that steps up for the big moments. So yeah, man, I wish we would get him, but I think, you know, already thought he was kind of leading towards the NFL. That's a guy that I would take in maybe late third round, early fourth round because of that potential. I'm not saying he's going to be Max Crosby, but I think that's kind of the steal you potentially can get with a guy like Braden McGregor because he had that injury coming out of high school.

He graduated early and it was COVID. So he's not even able to go to the facility to rehab, right? He's not able to get in with Ben Herbert. Finally starts to get some confidence and, you know, get some of that positive momentum for himself as a player. And you see what he can be. He's, I think he's going to play in the NFL for a long time. You've been high on him all year for sure.

I have, and I wish he would come back, man. But again, this is a performance, you know, real quick talk about a rival too. You know, when I watched Jack Sawyer against Missouri, I'm like, that's a performance. You go to the NFL. You get three sacks, you go to the NFL. You show up at a bowl game, that's when you declare, right?

You save your best for last. It's kind of the same thing here with Braden McGregor, man. Like, I want him back, but, man, he's going to be a stud in the NFL. And Michigan's got some guys that we're going to talk about here real quick that are waiting in the wings. Josiah Stewart. I mean, can we talk about the fourth down stop i mean jc latham's what 65 330 i went and looked at jc latham's uh draft stock like i don't know what the website is but it it you know has all the draft mock draft boards and where he's at man he was anywhere from 6th to

20th i mean he's a he's a certified all-american you know top 20 potentially top 10 pick and he was on skates by a man who's got what 80 pounds less on his frame in josiah stewart coastal carolina transfer by the way a three-star coming out of high school man josiah stewart he had the sack on the first drive and which was a great play by the way for him to trip up miller because miller was about to get out of there um man he had the sack on the first drive, which was a great play, by the way, for him to trip up Millereau because Millereau was about to get out of there. Man, he had a hell of a game too. I think that was his best game as a Wolverine.

Tough to argue. I think the edges were just such a difference. I mean, so many sacks and set the tone early. They were their presence all the way throughout the game. I mean, Millereau just could not get any confidence, you know, whether it's scheme, whether it's the players, the edges, you know, was it our most sacks in the season other than like early on versus Bowling Green? But I think it was, you know, it was just a it was a master class against the big bully. Yeah, no, absolutely. And then Derek Moore.

He's a guy, big-time recruit, has flashed a lot, had a great move to get that sack. I mean, these edges were unbelievable. And this Alabama offensive line, it's had its struggles. They've given up four or five sacks multiple times this year. I said that going into the game. I thought Michigan was going to be able to get after Melrose, and they did, and they did a great job of scheming things up which is going to lead us to

Mike Barrett who had a free rush on Milrow uh in the second quarter and I mean that was a fantastic design by Jesse Minter but Michael Barrett got there in a hurry he had another big hit on a swing pass that he lit a dude up it reminded me of the hit he had against Ohio State and I believe 2022 where the ball gets out and he hits him right at the line of scrimmage, knocks him out of bounds. One of Mikey Barrett's best games in a winged helmet as well. He's been awesome this year. I feel like almost the opposite of Braden McGregor for me. I feel like he's a guy that's been undersized his whole career.

Seemed like he's playing a little bit out of position. He's that guy that coming into the season, you're kind of hoping, you know, one of these higher rated, bigger, stronger, faster type guys comes in and takes his spot. And he's done nothing but been a great leader, a great player, made a bunch of big plays all year. And, you know, he's playing his best football at the right time like he so happy for him i mean i love the kid you know what i mean it just his

physical traits aren't necessarily suited to play power five linebacker i mean the guy was recruited to you know he played was a running back and he's actually a quarterback in high school you know think about that a guy that's a quarterback in high school comes and he's a multi-year starter a program like michigan so uh great performance for a great kid and super happy for him and i think he's a guy that you know he stuck around in ann arbor for a long time i think he's gonna get drafted in a reasonably high spot and then you know contribute you know he's he's uh i expect big things for him and he's just got such a good work ethic and such a good head on his shoulders. I think that he's poised for some good things.

Yeah, me too, man. He seems like a great dude. I love seeing his dad's tweets on Twitter, man. His dad is hilarious. Comes from a great family. Yeah, I think his dad last year was at one of our tailgates. I didn't talk to him, but I'm pretty sure he was there. Not many people you see walking around with a Michael Barrett jersey,

especially last year in the non-conference, right? I think that was his dad. But, yeah, great kid. people you see walking around with a Michael Barrett Jersey, especially last year in the non-conference, right? Like kind of a, I think that was his dad, but yeah, it's great kid. And I, man, he's got a, I'll tell it to you after it's, it's, it's nothing bad. It's just, I don't want to spoil anything that I'm about to put on my Twitter after, you know, Michigan was a national championship. It's a, it's a Michael Barrett quote. I'll say that. That's all it is. So,

you know, before we move on about the defensive front linebackers, part of the game was some of the snap issues that Alabama had. And earlier today, we're recording on Wednesday or Thursday, Alabama center Seth McLaughlin, who started all season for them, has entered the transfer portal. Where's he going to go? Yeah, he's all the crystal balls crystal balls wherever they say he's making a visit to columbus ohio this weekend yeah there's there's a program there right please do it brian

do it just do it just do it man i uh you know there's a twitter account i believe it's uh you mishvers everybody's one of my friends um he tweeted yesterday he tweeted and he tagged ohio safe football he's like hey you should look at this guy like don't watch his film but you should take him and today he's visiting there and he's just like i i don't know i don't know how i called that but uh that would be hilarious so yeah that was uh he had some issues man even on that last play you know that caused milroy to hesitate for a second which allowed michigan to blow that up um but yeah i thought junior colson man just keeping it with the linebackers,

I thought he had a really solid day. Definitely. You know, didn't really get burnt on anything. I thought, you know, he played one of his better games. You know, one of the things we talk about is how athletic, how talented he is. It's just in between the ears, man. And not to say he's not a smart football player, but there are some times where there's just – it's a learning curve, right?

He hasn't been playing football that long. He's another guy I think when he goes to the NFL, if he gets coached well and is in a scheme that fits his talent, I think he's going to play in the NFL for a long time because he's a really good athlete. He's a great tackler. I don't know if you can become instinctive, but if you can, he's going to be a guy that's going to play in the NFL for a long time.

Playing with one hand, the guy was a monster tackle. He's had a good tackle. He had the highest tackle grade on the team in 85.1, 85.2 rather. Yeah, I mean, you could, you know, the announcers were saying how you could just hear the pads. He was bringing it and just made so many great tackles in the open field. He had a monster day. He did, man. Ernest Houseman comes in, you know, he only had 14 snaps.

But, you know, I think we heard his name a couple times. He's a guy I think is going to be in the mix for one of those starting spots next year. Really good ball player. Comes from a great family in Columbus, Nebraska. Much better Columbus, by the way. It's not much there, but it's much better than the one in Ohio. You set a really low bar there.

I did. I did. Defensive backs, man. Millereau is one of the best deep ball throwers in the country. How about the deep shot that they took and Rod Moore was covering it perfectly? Rod got back to form. We talked about it. The injury hindered him early in the season.

He has been lights out the last few games. We're down 17-13 at that point, right? And everybody was waiting for Alabama to take a deep shot, and there it was. And, I mean, I think that's like teaching tape how well he covered that. You know, he had the inside part of the field, and then as soon as he broke, he broke the outside, played it right in that guy's grill without anybody even thinking there could have passed interference on that play.

I mean, it was just a master class. So that guy's been so good. And, yeah, he was really good. And talk about a guy that was bringing the wood. He had a lot of really big tackles like that you could hear on your TV. That guy's a really good player. I mean, if Michigan somehow gets him back next year, because I think he's one of the best safeties in the draft,

but, you know, you got to put film out there, right? And so he has a lot of freshman, sophomore year film. But if they get him back next year, he can't stab. Come on now. Will Johnson. This will be a short segment. Did not target. Maybe twice.

Two targets. Two targets. No catches allowed. Right. Stud. Stud. The fact that he gets to come back. The fact that he has to play college football is great for us.

Don't think he should have to because I think he'd be a top 10 pick in this draft. I think he'll be the best player in the conference next year. He'll be preseason first team All-American for sure. He'll be a favorite to be the defensive player of the year. Is it the Chuck Benerick Award? Is that the DB? Yes. He'll be in all the award conversations. He'll be on the preseason watch list. Going to be a battle against Roma Dunzay and Jalen

Hyatt. Is that? No. What's the other receiver? I'm thinking of the kid from Tennessee. Who's the receiver for Washington? They got Roma Dunzay. They got a three-headed monster that are all studs. Jalen Polk. Jalen McMillan. Yeah.

It's going to be a battle with him uh obviously mike sanger is still you know he got got for that touchdown and he was fantastic uh otherwise you know he he came up and made some stops in the run game um you know just uh just a tough play on that touchdown man i mean there's nobody there. And one of the tackles just got demolished. That hole was wide open. And he just puts a little stutter step on him. And, you know, it's tough. There's not really a lot you can do, especially with that running back. That McClellan kid is going to be a stud.

I mean, he's only a freshman. And he had a big touchdown in that game, obviously. So, outside of that, Mikey was awesome. Josh Wallace had some big, big moments. He had the fumbler recovery. He had the stop on third down to get the ball back, which went to the one yard line as we discussed, but still I thought he played well. He was the highest graded DB, one of the highest graded players overall. By the way, I know we talked about this pre-show. I just want to say this. Will Johnson should get a hundred grading.

He has a 70.8. I don't know what you're supposed to do. I know we don't want to harp on this, Brian. I just had to say that. Give the guy 99. Cause I, nobody targets you. That's that's, that's cause you're that good. Yeah.

Like you're, you're a EA sports. Great. You're mad. You're going to be right. Right. Absolutely. Maybe that's why we get so clouded in these PFF grades of what we expect that. Right.

I thought the whole defensive backfield was awesome. I mean, QJ, again, we talked about guys that could have left, that could have transferred, bid their time. And, man, QJ came up with a big play. Miller has the ball in his right hand. QJ comes in, strips it. You know, Macari – anytime I don't hear Macari Page's name, I know he played well. You know what I mean?

He is that true deep safety. He's that true lanky, rangy, free safety style. If I don't hear Macari Page get his name called, I know he played well. I think that's what I'll say about Macari. Just cool and steady, man. He had the second best tackle grade on the team. He came and he was bringing the wood. tackle grade on the team like he came and he was bringing the wood two things about the defensive backs one quentin johnson he's the

ultimate program guy right came in as a fairly highly rated guy you know was you know been on the fringe of the depth chart pretty much from the jump like you know every year you think he's going to play a role and he's never really played a big role he's played a really big role this year he's played a ton of snaps played a ton of football for Michigan this year, but a guy that could easily transferred and had a lot of takers and stuck around five years and making a big impact. Secondly, Josh Wallace, for my money, I think when the story of this team is written, however it ends up, I think a guy that will not get enough of the enough print, as you say, is Josh Wallace. Week in, week out, through injuries across that position group, through

injuries on the team, through just every circumstance, every week, that guy has shown up and played damn good football. And, you know, with all the other big names on the team and all the other accolades that get thrown on this team, I just think he's got to be at the top of the list of most, not underappreciated because everyone appreciates him, but a guy that doesn't get the notoriety he deserves. I'm a huge Josh Wallace fan and want to find out the portal he's been. No, absolutely. And then you mentioned Keyon Sebb as well. Only had five snaps, but was very impactful in those five snaps.

I believe Makari came off for a little bit. I think he's fine. I haven't heard anything. So, you know, I think Keon coming in played well. He had the big hit on Burton to keep it to a one yard gain. And Brian, to your point on that, man, you know, I talked about this earlier, you know, having a baby and, you know you want to get a house uh you know certainly love um buying a house for the first time when interest rates are where they're at and where it's at it's a lot of fun um but the thing that i want to do man we get a basement like i always said that i was going to get like three frame jerseys and it was going to be quorum it was going to be mccarthy and it was gonna be hutchinson right because those are the three guys to me that have completely changed the perception of this program, changed the reality of this program,

changed the trajectory, all those things. And now I'm like, man, I need like 75 frames, dude. I got to get everybody up here, man. I got to get Mason Graham. I got to get KG. I got to get Mikey. You know, man, I mean, I don't want to, you know, I can't go overboard, but I'm like, man, I'm going to get an Agent zero jersey framed up there, too. You know what I mean? And I just kind of, you know, just say that because it just the amount of guys on this team that means so much to this to this program, to this university, to this fan base, to to this community. Like, there's just so many guys that like you're just proud of, man. Like, I don't know these dudes personally for the

most part like i met a couple of them or whatever like not not not a brag like i just you know being around some guys like and i they're all just good kids man and and they play great football they play they play with relentless just passion and and they play their ass off man and they're one game away from a national championship i could have never imagined this three years ago. Yeah. You know, before we move on to Washington, just a couple of things. The win over Alabama, what does it mean, right? Like all the narratives around Michigan coming out of COVID, can't get to Indy, can't beat Ohio State, can't win a bowl

game, can't compete with the SEC. It felt so good to, you know, obviously advance the final, but just one of the greatest parts, most enjoyable thing of this run the last few years as a Michigan fan is quieting the narrative or quieting that backtalk from rival fan bases, uh, about all these things, you know, first it was getting to Indiana and beating Indianapolis and beating your rivals. And, you know, everything I just said, it just felt so good. It was so good to win a bowl game. That's a college ball playoff game against Alabama. You was just true elation to knock that off. Just so great to knock all those narratives away. It is, man.

It is. And, man, if they can go win a national championship, it does so much, obviously, just to get that and just to experience that joy and jubilation and all the different emotions that you feel from that. But it also shows you can win a national championship in the modern era at the University of Michigan. You can go toe-to-toe with the SEC.

You can go and beat everybody on your schedule. So it elevates Michigan from, hey, they can win the Big Ten, maybe not a playoff game, maybe they'll compete in a playoff game. No, they are an elite program, and they can be an elite program in this modern era of college football. So Washington, man, we've been recording for 75 minutes here, but we'll try to keep it brief, man, because I do have some work to do. Washington, man, so 14-0 Huskies.

Can you imagine telling a Michigan fan and a Washington fan two and a half years ago, hey, you're going to play in the National Championship in 2024. I would have said, are you smoking, brother? Give me some of that. You know? Like, what did you drink? How much did you drink to be telling me this? Crazy, man.

A rematch of the 2021 game in Ann Arbor. And, you know, a preview of next year's game in Seattle. Yeah. You know, very, very interesting that a rematch will happen next year. Rematch would happen either way, by the way, which is crazy. Michigan plays the Texas, you know, Texas and Washington in the 2024 season. An amazing offense. Michael Penix Jr., we've seen him.

We have seen him. It was not fun. That's a much different Michigan team. He's on a completely different team at a different program after playing for iu to start his college career uh just he's a he just seems like a great kid you know always always easy to root for the adversity he's overcome a lot of injuries um you know for some reasons lefty quarterbacks don't get as much love the kid could sling it he's got beautiful throwing motion he He's got stud receivers. I hope Dylan Johnson's okay.

You want to be full strength in these games, right, to see who the true champion is, one of the running backs to transfer from Mississippi State, I believe. And that old line won the Joe Moore Award, man. So this offense is no joke. I mean, they've got three first-round talent guys at receiver. Giles Jackson's still there, by the way. And then Mississippi State's transfer, Jeremy Bernard.

Is that how you say his name? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's a guy who's played well this year. But Roma Dunzay, man. I mean, you talk about probably the closest guy to Marvin Harrison Jr. in college football this year. I've seen a lot of people say he might be better. They think he might be better than Marvin Harrison.

So, you know, a guy that Will Johnson's going to have his hands full with. But we saw what Will could do to Marvin Harrison Jr. You got to think Jesse Minter is going to come with some different looks, disguises, coverages, you know, delayed blitz, a lot of those different things to try to confuse Pennix because they put up a lot of points this year. Pennix has been fantastic. You can't really go back to a game in October and be like, well, this is the blueprint. But I think when you watch Washington play Arizona State – Arizona State finished 3-9, by the way, one of the worst defenses in the country. And they held Washington at 15 points.

And I think one of those touchdowns was a pick six. So there's certainly some things you can take from that film. I think what Arizona State did really well was really get after Penix. So Michigan's going to have to get after him, not sit back, you know, with two safeties in the parking lot and let him pick you apart, but you've got to bring pressure, man. So the edges and the defensive tackles have to come ready to play. You know, Minter's going to have some different stunts and twists on

for his guys to try to get home. I mean, that's a really good offensive line, right? They're really good at pass pro and at run blocking. So it's going to be a battle when Washington's on offense and Michigan's on defense, that's going to be, you know, one of the bigger storylines and what's going to decide the national championship. You know, and I think one of the scarier things,

the notion that the national championship was beating Alabama, Washington was ranked number two, Alabama was ranked number four, rankings don't mean everything. Alabama lost to Texas in Tuscaloosa. Washington beat Texas on a neutral field. You forget about the helmets and the names on the uniforms. This is a really good football team. Like you said, it's loaded with NFL talent, loaded with first and second round pick NFL talent.

This is a really good football team. I've been a Washington fan all season. I just love the way they play football. I love their quarterback, their coach really well. They're a fun team to watch. Vegas has it as a four and a half point favorite for Michigan at 55, just 55 and a half over under. They see it as a close game.

Interesting this week, predictions are starting to come out. Seems like a lot more people are picking Washington than picking Michigan in this game, which I absolutely love because, you know, everyone was picking Alabama. Everybody was picking Michigan last year to beat TCU. Like, give me that fuel of being, you know, people picking against us. But it does seem like, you know, if you're a Michigan fan, Alabama seemed so scary that just win that game and we'll get through it. This game, in a lot of ways, I'm more nervous for this game than I was about Alabama. I thought we matched up well with Alabama. I thought, you know, despite being scary, I saw some of the

weaknesses that their offensive scheme would, you know, being one-dimensional on offense is tough against a just Jesse Minter Michigan defense. And so Washington's dynamic. That offense is really, really dynamic. I think it's going to come down to, can they control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball? You know, that, that Joe Moore award, is it legit? You know what I mean? That they won and can, when Michigan's an offense, can they control the line of scrimmage and have Blake and Donovan, Kalil Mullings, and, you know, you mentioned JJ runs. I'd like to see JJ run the ball four or five times, you know, rack up the rush yards, and if they do, we'll be in good shape. No, absolutely, absolutely. I think the Michigan offense matches up really well with that Washington defense

because I think they struggle to stop the run. I think Texas was at six yards per carry, maybe a little bit more. So I think Michigan is going to be able to do some of those things with Blake, with Colell, with Donovan hopefully, and J.J. being incorporated in the run game as well, potentially Alex Orji coming in. So you have a lot hopefully, and JJ being incorporated in the run game as well, potentially Alex Orji coming in, right? So you have a lot of guys that can make plays in the run game. You know, Bredesen being involved, the tight ends blocking well.

But also I think Michigan's going to be able to throw the ball too. Michigan's extremely balanced. I mean, we're looking at the – I mean, JJ was in for 57 snaps, 27 pass plays, 27 run plays. I'm assuming the other three were kneel downs. So very balanced from Michigan's perspective. So, you know, you're not really able to kind of key in on one thing. And I saw somebody make this point.

I think it was a national writer from one of the national publications. Michigan can beat you in a variety of ways. And not to say that Washington can't, but it feels like their really best bet is on the arm of Pennix right so you can do things to disrupt that from a defensive perspective depending on if Dylan Johnson's healthy right like I mean he looked I don't know I want him to be healthy because I want it to be best on best but I mean it didn't look great right at the end of the Texas game so can Michigan make them one-dimensional I mean that's a pretty good

dimension to have right I mean, that's a pretty good dimension to have, right? I mean, what the, I would say the best quarterback in the country. I know it wouldn't the Heisman, but that kid's a monster at quarterback receivers. So can Michigan, you know, can they force mistakes from Washington? Can they, can they, you know, I don't want to go touchdown for touchdown. Like I want this to be a game that Michigan's able to control. I think you get into a shootout. It may be tough. Agreed. And, you know, their offense is electric. But I think the most impressive individual stat from the Rose Bowl, I don't think there's anything that comes close,

Michigan held Alabama to 288 total yards. It's the lowest yardage Alabama has had in seven years. Seven years. Like, think of wind condition games that can make things challenging all the different fluke things that happen seven years and so you know one thing the staff and this team has shown is they can make life difficult for you and so how do they respond when they can't move the ball how do they respond when they go three and out a few series in a row you know that that's what we have as Michigan fans uh and

Michigan coaching staff that's what they gotta as Michigan fans and Michigan coaching staff. That's what they've got to hope for. They've got to make them really uncomfortable. And they've been good at that all year long. They have. They have. It's for all the marbles. It's the national championship.

As a fan, I'm extremely excited to be here. But I know this team, man, they're on a mission. It felt like they've been on a mission all year long. Like, hey hey we're sick of this these playoff drought you know this playoff drought i should say we're sick of the narratives we're sick of being told we can't hang with the sec got one more game to go win a national championship and cement yourself as the greatest michigan team of all time of all time i don't care the 97 team amazing right and i was said charlesson said they win. They're the best team ever.

Think about their schedule. People have talked a lot of crap about their schedule, but now it's turning out, hey, play Penn State on the road. Play Ohio State. Play Iowa, who's ranked, but they lost four games. But still, then you play Alabama, and then you play number two. So you would have played four top ten teams, five ranked teams. This is a gauntlet this team has been on. And everybody else has been on one too, right? I mean, everybody's got their tough games at the end of the season.

But, you know, for all the talk about Michigan's schedule being so weak, I don't care. If Michigan was the national championship, it don't matter. They were the best team. Well, the best team and then, you know, that narrative of, like, are they good because of connor stallions and you know you just talked about the call they were on post then you know i can't believe i do this you know hell may have froze over but because it's a guy that i can't

stand but you know paul feinbaum one of the biggest michigan haters jim harbaugh haters you know he said earlier in the season he said michigan's national championship i won't recognize it one thing i didn't know is he spent time with the team this week and he he said earlier in the season, he said, Michigan's national championship. I won't recognize it. One thing I didn't know is he spent time with the team this week and he, he, I will read the quote because I won't do it just otherwise. This is Paul Feinbaum said this Tuesday morning, he said, being around the program all week, I walked away immensely impressed with the players and their coaching staff.

Listen, Harbaugh is an enigma. That's the way he likes it. What Michigan did in the final three games of the regular season, Big Ten Championship, and obviously yesterday in Pasadena, they've shown that they can win without sign stealing. That has to make an impression. The fact that they beat Alabama, they beat the great Nick Saban on the grandest stage in the sport is really going to quiet all that down, especially from someone like me. So I think if Michigan, if they win, they'll hoist the trophy. There'll be haters out there, but most people I think are going to go, congratulations, you are the best team in the country.

You know, to convert him, a hardball hater, I think says a lot. Best team, you know, take your asterisk and put it where you know where, and let's get it done and let's party. Absolutely, man. One more game, all the marbles. It's going to be the biggest game of my lifetime. I think the biggest game for a lot of people's lifetime as Michigan fans. But this team's ready for it, man.

I felt good going into the Alabama game. I feel good going into this one. And I think if Michigan's able to force pennix into early throws get pressure he's going to be a lot to handle but i have a feeling that mentor is going to be ready i have a feeling that all these guys that we just talked about are going to be ready and i can't wait for monday night man it's going to be amazing it's uh we should all enjoy it because you don't get this i've never had this i've you know how long I've waited for Michigan to be in this position? My entire life.

I'm almost 30. I'm not that old, but I'm almost 30 years old. And the first game that I remember truly having memories of watching Michigan was 2003 Ohio State. I was 8 years old. And I was like, oh, this is what happens. This is what Michigan does. Little did I know, Brian.

It was not so simple. So enjoy this. We've all been through a lot. These players have been through a lot. This coaching staff. Jim Harbaugh has been through a shit ton of stuff the last nine years. And it's gotten to a point where we all thought it could go. And Michigan is one win away from a national championship.

And I've said it eight times now on this show. And it feels great every time I say it. So I'm going to keep saying it. Michigan is one win away from an undisputed national title to go 15-0. They already had the most wins in program history. Broke the record from last year in 97. Going to break this record a week later. So Houston, anybody that's going to Houston, man, let us know.

I know Justin's going to be there. Our boy Caleb's going to be there, who's part of Fluid90 as well. Doesn't do any of the podcasts, but hooks us up with a lot of different graphic design stuff. I know he's stoked to be going. So everybody going to Houston, man, safe travels. Hope you guys have a great time. Enjoy the warmer weather.

I don't know what it's probably 60s-ish. I don't know. I don't know southern Texas weather At this point of the year But everybody man thank you guys so much For a great season it's been so fantastic Being able to do this show Brian with you man it's been awesome

And hopefully we can do one more of these And it'll just be us screaming You won't be able to understand a word Incoherent screaming for an hour I look forward to it. All right. You can follow us on Twitter at Blueby90. Check out Blueby90.com.

You can follow our podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music. Shout out to North Peak Brewing. We appreciate you. Go Blue. Go Blue.