In a season in which the Wolverines have been questioned for their sportsmanship, their ability to follow the rules and their alleged spying on opposing teams, they have reached the top of the college football world.
The University of Michigan won the national championship for the 12th time in school history – the first time since 1997 and just the second time since the modern era of the AP poll in 1960.
Michigan was able to stun its opponent – the University of Washington – early in the game with a coordinated ground attack, which they used effectively to overwhelm the Huskies, ultimately winning 34-13.
That ended a season in which head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended for a total of six games – three games for a player recruiting violation and then another three because he was at the center of a coordinated sign-stealing scandal in which coaches recorded opposing teams' signals. There are enough scandals to make college football fans wonder whether the time might come when the NCAA strips the Wolverines of this national title.
“We are innocent and we stood strong and steadfast because we knew we were innocent. And that's what I want to point out,” Harbaugh insisted afterward.
There was little doubt Monday night that the Wolverines are the best team in college football – they finished their season undefeated.
The Michigan Wolverines' fast-paced running game led them to win a national title
Blake Corum (2) rushed for 134 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns on the night
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr (9) had problems all evening
Michigan managed 443 yards on offense, with a shocking 303 of them gained on the ground.
Compare that to Washington, which managed just a measly 46 while star running back Dillon Johnson battled an injury he suffered in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.
But the most shocking performance came from the Huskies' vaunted passing game – particularly their star quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr.
Penix regularly overthrew or missed his targets. Some of the few lively finishes were withdrawn due to penalties. He only managed one completion of 20 yards all night – a far cry from his normal output – as he completed just 27 of 51 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He probably could have thrown more.
But just as guilty was the receiving corps itself. Rome Odunze, a top-three receiver in the upcoming NFL draft class, missed a catch that would surely have scored a Huskies touchdown. He finished the night with five catches for 87 yards.
Jalen McMillan was the only receiver to catch a touchdown all night. He finished with six catches for just 33 yards.
While Washington's offense deserves criticism, the team's defense was equally responsible for allowing the Wolverines to overrun them, ruining their chances.
Blake Corum was this team's main executioner. 21 runs for 134 yards and two touchdowns repeatedly smashed the Washington defensive line.
Penix barely completed half of his passes on a night when passers and catchers let each other down
Washington's star receivers failed tonight – with Rome Odunze missing, that would be a TD catch
Donovan Edwards broke off two big runs on Michigan's first two drives and built a big lead
After Edwards' early dominance, Corum got going and had a phenomenal game
When Corum wasn't on the field, Donovan Edwards was fully capable of doing some serious damage. On the first drive, he broke off a 41-yard run for a touchdown.
On the next offensive attack, he ripped the Huskies open again, throwing a 46-yard rush to the house to give the Wolverines a 14-3 lead.
While Washington was able to respond – with Penix McMillan hitting McMillan for a touchdown before halftime to make it 14-10 – they kept getting in their own way.
The first play of the second half was an interception by Penix. This led to a field goal for Michigan, to which Washington responded, increasing the score to 20-13.
Six punts followed before Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy hit Colston Loveland for 41 yards with his longest pass of the night. Four plays later, Corum rushed for a touchdown that made the score 27-13.
The game essentially ended when Penix threw his second interception of the night just 30 yards from the end zone. He threw a prayer punt on 4th-and-13 that was intercepted and returned by Mike Sainristil 81 yards to the Michigan 8-yard line.
JJ McCarthy finished the night with only ten passes but 140 yards
Michigan fans will go to bed happy tonight, but after a season filled with scandal, the question will be whether they will remain champions or whether the NCAA will strip them of the title
It only took two plays for the running game to reach the end zone again. The rest of the night was a formality.
In years to come, questions may remain about this Michigan team and how “deserving” it is of a national title. In a vacuum, this game showed they more than deserved it. But the NCAA never operates in a vacuum.
So while Michigan may go to bed tonight as “The Winners,” there may come a day — not tomorrow, but possibly one day — that they wake up to a colder reality than the one they live in now.
“These guys are innocent,” Harbaugh claimed. “The problems off the field… (that) overcome… it wasn't that hard because we knew we were innocent.”