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No. 2 Washington is set to play in its first national championship game in program history against No. 1 Michigan on Monday night. The Huskies missed a bowl game and went 4-8 two years ago but have been unstoppable since hiring coach Kalen DeBoer. Washington is 25-2 under DeBoer’s watch, including a perfect 14-0 in 2023. Still, Vegas considers the Huskies 4.5-point underdogs heading into the matchup.
The Huskies entered the year outside of the AP top 10 but survived one of the toughest schedules in the country to reach the final stage. Washington now has three wins over top-10 teams after beating No. 3 Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl, while DeBoer earned several national coaching awards for his success. However, Michigan presents a unique challenge.
Washington and Michigan feature a stylistic clash unlike many in recent memory. The Huskies use their aerial attack to spread defenses and create explosive plays. Michigan uses physicality and a tough run game to grind down opponents. Here are five keys that could determine whether the Huskies come home with the sport’s ultimate prize.
1. Withstand the run
Washington can lose the game on this one aspect. The Huskies ranked No. 125 nationally in opposing rushing success rate and No. 86 with more than 4.4 yards per carry allowed. Washington gave up 123 yards and two touchdowns to Oregon State’s Damien Martinez and 127 yards to Oregon’s Bucky Irving in their first matchup this season.
That said, Michigan’s rushing offense is a different kind of animal. The Wolverines rarely break off long rushing plays, compiling just 56 all year, good enough for No. 82 in the country despite playing 14 games. Instead, Michigan simply wants to bludgeon opponents with All-American Blake Corum and a physical…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/national-championship-2024-five-keys-to-washington-upsetting-michigan-winning-college-football-playoff/
Author : Shehan Jeyarajah
Publish date : 2024-01-06 17:40:38
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