‘(The players) did things the right way’

J.J. McCarthy addressed his team’s sign-stealing scandal on a teleconference ahead of Monday’s national championship game between No. 1 Michigan football (14-0) and No. 2 Washington (14-0).

Michigan’s junior quarterback — named Rose Bowl Game offensive MVP after he completed 17 of 27 passes for 216 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions — was asked how he would feel, hypothetically, if the Wolverines were to win a national title only for it to get vacated down the line, like USC’s 2005 championship.

“From an outside perspective it would be very unfortunate just to not get recognized for all the hard work we put in and everything we accomplished over the last year,” McCarthy said. “But at the end of the day it won’t change the amount of accomplishment and amount of pride for being on this football team. … We know what we’ve put in.

“We know we did things the right way as players. Whatever happens without the outside controversy is outside of our control, whatever the NCAA wants to do is out of our control. We’re going to appreciate the things we can control and the things we did accomplish.”

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy speaks from the podium after the 27-20 overtime win in the Rose Bowl over Alabama at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.

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Head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke during the first half of the 40-minute phone call with reporters Wednesday morning and though he did his best to keep the focus on Washington, the final task remaining before his team, seemed more irked by the same question than his players were.

“Getting ready for this game, one-track mind,” he said. “I guess you want to live in the world of Rumorville or speculation, we just don’t really have any room to be…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-footballs-j-j-mccarthy-191439586.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2024-01-03 19:14:39

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