Michigan prevails over Washington to win 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship
Michigan won its first national championship in the College Football Playoff era on Monday night in Houston, fending off feisty Washington, 34-13.
The Wolverines took a 17-3 lead in the battle of the unbeatens in the second quarter, thanks to an all-out assault on the Huskies' run defense. In the first quarter alone, Michigan ran for two scores and 100-plus yards.
Washington fought back as QB Michael Penix Jr. led two scoring drives to make it a one-score game, even as he was hindered by an ankle injury. But Michigan wore the Huskies down as QB J.J. McCarthy heated up and the run game finished what it started.
Jim Harbaugh returned to Michigan, where he played his college ball, in 2015 after four seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and this was why he wanted to come back: to lead UM back to the top. This Wolverines team might not be loaded with household names, but it's full of NFL talent.
Now the question turns to Harbaugh's future and whether he might consider a return to the NFL this offseason, as speculation swirls around some coach-needy teams.
Here are four NFL draft-related takeaways from Monday night's championship game:
There's no question that Penix's arrow is pointing up as an NFL prospect, but Monday wasn't his night.
Penix was intercepted twice -- both on bad decisions -- and couldn't rally the Huskies back. He suffered an ankle injury on the first of the two picks early in the third quarter and just wasn't the same after that.
Medical exams figure to play a significant role in Penix's draft evaluation. He's had multiple season-ending injuries, dating back to his time at Indiana. But the Heisman Trophy runner-up has helped his cause immensely since the start of the season, even if the durability
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