There is nothing more satisfying than watching your college football team run the ball down another team's throat.
And there is nothing more infuriating than watching your team stop running the ball when they've been running down another team's throat.
Balance is great and all, but sometimes you've got to throw out convention and just keep handing it off. Michigan seemed to understand that when they beat Penn State during the 2023 regular season. So what changed in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game?
The Wolverines were gashing Washington on the ground early on. Donovan Edwards had 93 yards on just three carries. Blake Corum added 84 yards on eight carries. Each went for a long jaunt.
Yet, with a 17-3 lead, Michigan went three-and-out on a drive with two incompletions, then turned the ball over on downs when they called a pass on fourth-and-two. Going scoreless on their final three drives, Washington somehow turned a budding blowout into a game with a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-10 going into halftime.
The headscratching approach on offense from Michigan left CFB Twitter confused and frustrated.
Michigan when they can run the ball to put the game away. pic.twitter.com/Mm3sdQ9uNO
— Alicia de Artola Castillo (@PenguinOfTroy) January 9, 2024
Sometimes you don't overthink it. That was literally the worst option for Michigan in going for it on 4th-and-2 from the Wash 38. I'm OK with a punt. I'm OK with using a punishing running game to pick up 2 yards. I'm not OK with throwing a long sideline pattern to a covered WR.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) January 9, 2024
After averaging 20 yards a pop on the ground in the first quarter, Moore and Harbaugh said “you know what’s gonna secure us a national title? The guy we haven’t asked to drive the car all game.”
— Diante Lee (@DianteLeeFB) January 9, 2024
Today is not the day to work on JJ McCarthy’s draft stock.
Every play by Washington that isn’t a pass is stupid. Every play by Michigan that isn’t a run is stupid.
— Brandon Walker (@BFW) January 9, 2024
Every so often, it feels like Michigan runs a "we need to give J.J. McCarthy enough stats to be the best QB ever" play and it's so annoying. Just run on them! https://t.co/y0xj5QzQz8
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) January 9, 2024
Michigan truly could have run away with the title game if they had employed the same strategy as they leaned on for the second half of the Penn State game. Washington had no answers for the Wolverine rushing attack.
On the plus side, this was a positive development for the neutrals. No one but Michigan fans actually wanted to see a blowout develop the way it did last year between Georgia and TCU.
Michigan allowing UW to keep it close was the best possible development for the college football audience at large.
The question is whether Harbaugh and company will come out of halftime with their focus on the run game and whether Washington can grab hold of the lifeline they got in the first half and keep climbing.