Analysis: What the Huskies need to do to beat Michigan in the national championship game – The Seattle Times

Unlike their thrilling 37-31 win over No. 3-ranked Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal Jan. 1, No. 2 Washington won’t have a month to prepare for No. 1 Michigan when the teams meet in the national championship game.
The Huskies get just seven days to prepare for the Wolverines in — and this is not an exaggeration — the biggest game in the 135-year history of the program.
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Well, it’s the first trip to the CFP national title game for Washington, which claims championships in 1991 and 1960.
It’s the fifth time two 14-0 Division I college football teams have squared off in the CFP era and it’s the last game in the four-team playoff format before it expands to 12 next season.
Washington, which has won 21 straight games, is also looking to snap a streak of 10 consecutive losses against No. 1-ranked teams. (UW is 1-13 all-time in those matchups.)
So, it goes without saying that coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff, who like to say, “Job’s not done,” have one last job: devise a game plan to beat Michigan.
And we’re here to help with five keys to the game.
Michigan’s defense recorded five sacks against Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and seven tackles for loss in the first half, which set the tone in the Wolverines’ 27-20 overtime win over the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide in the CFP semifinal.
The Wolverines finished with six sacks, including two from edge Braiden McGregor. But here’s the thing, Michigan created most of its pass pressure with blitzes or a five-man defensive front.
It’s one thing to blitz Milroe, a redshirt sophomore and first-year starter who completed 16 of 23 passes for 116 yards against UM.
And it’s an entirely different gamble to blitz Michael Penix Jr., the nation’s passing leader who will be playing in his 49th game and has thrown for over 13,000 yards in his six-year career.
If Michigan blitzes with any regularity, it’s imperative UW offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb gives Penix chances to burn the Wolverines with deep shots and drop-offs to Husky receivers in single coverage.
And this is where UW’s deep and talented receiving corps comes into play.
Michigan boasts arguably the finest secondary in college football led by nickel Mike Sainristil, a 2023 first-team All-American with 100 tackles.
Conceivably, UM cornerback Will Johnson, a 2023 All-Big Ten first-team honoree, will follow UW star receiver Rome Odunze in a must-see matchup.
It remains to be seen if Michigan can get to Penix before he finds Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan and Jack Westover downfield.
The Huskies didn’t necessarily shut down Texas’ rushing attack, which churned out 180 yards on 28 carries, but Washington better devise a plan to contain running back Blake Corum.
The two-time first-team All-American who ran for 3,603 yards during his four-year collegiate career, including 1,111 and 25 rushing touchdowns this season.
Edge Bralen Trice, who had two sacks and three tackles for loss, and cornerback Elijah Jackson, who saved the game with a pass breakup on the final play, were UW’s defensive stars in the Sugar Bowl.
However, the Huskies will likely need key performances from defensive tackles Tuli Letuligasenoa, Ulumoo Ale and Faatui Tuitele, who combined for just one tackle in their previous outing.
Michigan received the Joe Moore award, which recognizes the best offensive line in the country, in 2021 and 2022 before Washington won the award this season.
Despite the loss of their best O-lineman, Zak Zinter, a projected third-round pick in this year’s NFL draft who broke his leg in November, the Wolverines ran for 142 yards against Alabama.
The Huskies were exceptionally disciplined during the Sugar Bowl while collecting just five penalties, which tied for the fewest this season, for a season-low 38 yards.
Washington, which ranks 129^th among 130 Division I teams while averaging 71.4 penalty yards per game, can’t afford to make unnecessary mental mistakes against a disciplined team like Michigan.
The Wolverines rank first in the nation in penalties per game at 2.9 and second in penalty yards per game 26.2.
Who knows if running back Dillon Johnson, who was carted off the field after suffering an apparent foot injury on UW’s final offensive play in the CFP semifinal, will be available Monday.
This past week, DeBoer and Grubb said they expect Johnson will return, saying he’s been dealing with this injury during the second half of the season.
But if Johnson is sidelined or limited, then it’s imperative the Huskies find an alternative runner because Penix and Grubb can’t throw it 60 times (as much as they might want to).
However, the drop-off — at least statistically — is dramatic after Johnson, who has started 13 games this season and leads UW with 1,162 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Tybo Rogers came in on relief for Johnson in the Sugar Bowl and had five carries for 19 yards. The 5-foot-11 freshman has played sparingly in 11 games and is third on the team with 182 rushing yards behind Will Nixon, who has 194.
Rogers had his best outing in Week 3, when he tallied 74 rushing yards on 15 attempts against Michigan State. Nixon hasn’t carried more than six times in a game this season.
You can twist yourself in knots trying to decipher any significance from previous encounters between Washington and Michigan.
Before DeBoer and Penix arrived on Montlake, the Wolverines crushed the Huskies 31-10 on Sept. 11, 2021, in Ann Arbor.
The key holdovers for UW are Edufuan Ulofoshio and Westover, who had 13 tackles and two receptions for 11 yards, respectively.
Penix, who played four injury-plagued seasons at Indiana, appeared in just one game against Big Ten rival Michigan.
On Nov. 7, 2020, he threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns on 30-for-50 passing and no sacks to beat the 25^th-ranked Wolverines 38-21 in Bloomington, Ind.
“I really don’t remember much,” Penix said. “I just remember winning really. … That was during the COVID year, but it’s a totally different ballgame.”
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