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Washington vs. Michigan football: National predictions back U-M in CFP championship game
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- Washington vs. Michigan football: National predictions back U-M in CFP championship game
The 2024 College Football Playoff championship game between Michigan football and Washington is set to be a heavyweight battle between the two remaining undefeated Power Five teams in the country.
Michigan finally got over the CFP semifinal hump this season with a 2 7-20 overtime win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl that came down to a stop on the final play of the game . Washington beat Texas later that night in the Sugar Bowl, 37-31, also coming up with a defensive stop — a batted pass in the end zone on the final play.
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Michigan is looking for its first national championship since 1997 (which was also the last time the Wolverines won the Rose Bowl). Washington is looking for its first national title since 1991, when the Huskies beat Michigan in Pasadena, California, to grab the coaches poll's top spot (while Miami was No. 1 in the AP poll).
SHAWN WINDSOR: Michigan football has the secret to beating Washington. And it has Ohio State to thank.
The game will be a battle of two of the best units in football: Washington's high-powered offense , led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and its award-winning offensive line and receiving corps, and Michigan's top-ranked defense that has no problem generating pressure, containing the line of scrimmage and forcing turnovers.
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On the other side of the ball, Michigan will lean on the balanced attack of Blake Corum on the ground and J.J. McCarthy through the air to solve Washington's defense, which has been susceptible to giving up yards and points at times this season, but has delivered in clutch situations to help the Huskies to an 8-0 record in one-score games this year.
Michigan is a 4½-point favorite to win its first national championship in 27 years, according to BetMGM . Here is a breakdown of how national pundits are viewing the CFP title game.
Michigan vs. Washington predictions
ESPN: Michigan
Michigan has a 74.3% chance to win the title, according to ESPN Analytics .
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ESPN's Stephen A. Smith agreed with his company's analytics and predicted a Michigan victory, but added "it wouldn't surprise me if Washington got the upset." He was talking with college football reporter Paul Finebaum, who also predicted a Michigan victory .
CBS Sports: Michigan
On CBS' college football podcast, " Cover 3 ", co-hosts Danny Kanell, Tom Fornelli and Chip Patterson predicted a win for Michigan, while Bud Elliott said he leaned Michigan while acknowledging the margins between the two teams' ceilings are close.
"I think this is Michigan's year," Kanell said. "I think the challenge everyone is looking for is Washington's offensive line versus Michigan's defensive front seven. I think they are both elite, but I do think they (Michigan) are going to be able to get to Michael Penix. Any good quarterback, no matter how good they are, I think you're thrown off your game by pressure and I think they will be able to do that."
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Fornelli also wrote that Michigan was the best bet as a 4½-point favorite.
More: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh once hilariously questioned Greg McElroy's love of football
The Athletic: A tossup
Four college football writers for The Athletic — Chris Vannini, Ari Wasserman, Dan Santaromita and Austin Mock — gave their picks for the game against the point spread set by Las Vegas. Wasserman and Mock both chose Michigan to cover the spread, meaning a Michigan victory, while Santaromita and Vannini chose Washington to cover, which could mean a tight Michigan victory or a Huskies' upset.
The Sporting News: Michigan wins, 34-28
The Sporting News ' Bill Bender also believes Michigan will get the job done in "(Jim) Harbaugh's best chance at a national championship.
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Bender continued, "This promises to be a great infomercial for the Big Ten for 2024, but in this case the Wolverines learn the lessons from last year's loss to the Horned Frogs. The emotion from the victory against the Crimson Tide will carry over."
Of Sporting News' seven-writer panel , four of the writers, including Bender, backed Michigan while predicting a close game.
Yahoo! Sports: Michigan wins, 26-23
Yahoo! Sports college football writer Nick Bromberg expects a close game that could go either way, but predicts Michigan will get the job done.
"Ultimately, it's hard to go against Michigan, though we're taking Washington to cover — and an outright Huskies win won't be a surprise at all," Bromberg wrote. "Jim Harbaugh's tumultuous season will end in a national title and we'll all continue to ask if the NFL beckons."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football has pundits' backing in CFP championship game
