Michigan Secure Comeback Win Over Alabama to Head to National Championship

Sports Illustrated

The Michigan Wolverines took down the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl on Monday, 27–20, in overtime to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff national championship.

Transcript

00:00 Michigan is heading to the national championship after a 27 to 20 win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl.

00:05 Claudette Montana, Bridget Johnson here, postgame at the Rose Bowl.

00:09 And let's start off by talking about Michigan's offense tonight.

00:12 It was a little bit of a slow game, but really things picked up in the end there.

00:16 Blake Corham with the game winning touchdown.

00:18 What can you say about how the offense executed in the final stretch?

00:21 Well, we were upstairs probably like third quarter.

00:23 You looked at me and you said, it's going to get spicy in the fourth quarter.

00:26 And you were right.

00:27 It got real spicy in the fourth quarter.

00:28 Obviously, Alabama goes up 20 to 13.

00:31 You know, it's one of those things where you're like, man, the momentum is really on Alabama's

00:34 side.

00:34 Michigan misses a field goal.

00:35 You're like, you don't really like how this is going.

00:38 But credit to Michigan, credit to J.J. McCarthy, credit to them in their third time in this

00:42 semifinal game for finally paying it off.

00:44 They've been so close.

00:45 They've lost in two different ways, but they didn't let this one get away.

00:49 And I think that is so important for a team that has talked about facing so much adversity

00:53 this season and overcoming that external forces, all the stuff that's happening with Harbaugh,

00:57 the suspension, all that stuff.

00:59 But they rose above today in this game.

01:01 And it's really cool to see a team like Michigan win it their way, right?

01:05 They win it with their defense on the field last, tackling Jalen Milrow right before the

01:10 goal line and winning the game.

01:12 And let's talk about their defense.

01:13 They had a lot of big stops tonight, but especially at the end of the game on fourth and third,

01:16 which sealed the game.

01:17 Six sacks on Jalen Milrow.

01:19 What can you say about the way they performed tonight?

01:21 Yeah, it wasn't even so much that they were physically dominating Alabama.

01:24 They were just confusing Alabama in pass protection all night.

01:26 I mean, the stunts, the twist, the loops, they really played well up front.

01:30 And Jim Harbaugh kind of said here after the game, he was like, I knew we'd win the game

01:34 up front.

01:35 And that's exactly what they did.

01:36 So Michigan's going to take on the winner of the Sugar Bowl, Washington or Texas.

01:40 What adjustments do you think this team needs to make before the national championship in

01:44 Houston?

01:44 Well, you know, it depends on who they get.

01:46 If they get Washington, obviously you're going to get a team in Washington that's going to

01:48 try to dam the torpedoes, throw the ball deep with their three really, really good receivers

01:53 and try to score like that.

01:54 If you get Texas, for me, my question is, can Michigan run the ball in Texas?

01:58 Because Texas is about as good up front on defense, stopping the run as any team in the

02:02 country.

02:03 So two distinct challenges for two distinct opponents in a potential national championship

02:07 game.

02:07 All right.

02:07 Well, Michigan looking for their first national championship win since 1997.

02:11 We'll see if they can get it.

02:12 Marjorie, thanks so much.

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