Washington, Michigan, SEC lead winners and losers from college football’s bowl season

There’s only one game before the offseason: Michigan will face Washington in next Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game.

This was a big postseason for the Wolverines, who finally got over the hump in the playoff by topping Alabama in the Rose Bowl and will have the chance to capture the program’s first unshared national title since 1948.

In the second semifinal, Washington got past Texas thanks to a memorable night from senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the game’s offensive MVP.

While the Crimson Tide came up short, this was a pretty positive bowl season for the SEC. Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri captured wins against the Power Five, with the Bulldogs bouncing back from their first loss in two years to post a 60-point win against Florida State.

With just the national title to be decided, these teams are the biggest winners and losers from bowl season:

WINNERS

Michigan

After two playoff losses in a row to Georgia and TCU, Michigan took a big step forward as a program with a 27-20 overtime win against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. The second overtime game in playoff semifinal history ended with a puzzling call: Alabama running quarterback Jalen Milroe right into the teeth of the Michigan defense on fourth-and-goal. That stop tells the story of the entire year for the Wolverines, who have simply been the more physical and aggressive opponent in marquee wins against Penn State, Ohio State and the Tide.

Washington

The Sugar Bowl win against the Longhorns answered any lingering questions about Washington’s ability to match the standard of physicality set by the other three teams in this year’s playoff. And the Huskies can add to that some elite quarterback play: Penix was outstanding against Texas, as was his deep and experienced receiver corps. While slight underdogs heading into the matchup…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-michigan-sec-lead-winners-113519685.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-01-03 11:35:19

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