If you could replace facing Washington with facing Texas for the National Championship, would you do it? Why or why not?
Texas looks a little bit like Michigan-lite. If you squint a little, they are similar to Michigan, with Michigan having the slight edge at some key positions. You know what you would get, with Michigan having an overall slight edge.
Washington is a wild card. Their advantages are extreme and so are their disadvantages. They are very different than Michigan, it’s unpredictable asymmetrical warfare. You are not sure what you are going to get.
If you had a choice between the two – a known slight advantage or an unknown advantage that could be big for you . . . or big for them – which would you choose?
January 7th, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^
No. Win or lose, this game is going to be fun to watch. And that it's 2 Northern schools is cherry on top.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:46 PM ^
This. There are no OSU or SEC fans in this show.
Ohio State, gone.
Alabama, gone.
Texas, gone.
If you're a fanatical fanbase that places such extreme importance on football that you'd sell your grandmother for a 5-star, your season is fucking done. Ha-ha, losers.
I love that this season’s trophy is guaranteed to go to a team with fans that. . . love football, but it generally doesn’t consume them into miserable little Gollums.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:13 PM ^
I would switch it in a second. Coaching matters a ton. Would love to face a totally mediocre coach with a lifetime 59% winning rate, v. a dude with a 90% winning rate. I also think Ewers isn't a big-game QB and Penix is.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:48 AM ^
Nope. Happy with it the way it is. All (future) big 10 final. Washington is a likable team. Coaches and players are likable. We have a great chance to win either matchup, but if we lose, I’d much rather lose to UW.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
Coaches and players are likable.
I don't know. I seem to remember Giles Jackson being one of the guys that was pointed out as a locker room problem in 2020. And he was a bit salty after the 2021 loss.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^
Nobody likes losing to their old team, I get it. But he DID come off as kinda a dick.
14 catches this year, half his production from last year. He’s probably getting targeted at most 4 times this game. So his opportunity to impact the outcome mostly comes on personal fouls. Hope it’s worth it…
January 7th, 2024 at 12:21 PM ^
He sat out most of the year so he could redshirt which is why production is down
January 7th, 2024 at 12:29 PM ^
For injury reasons, right?
January 7th, 2024 at 11:49 AM ^
No. Would not want to play Texas @Houston which is essentially a hoke game for them. Also I think it's easier to match up against a more 1 dimensional team (washington offense and defense) rather than a more balanced one).
I think we beat either one but I wanted the Washington matchup.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:52 AM ^
There's an interesting typo in here.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:05 PM ^
He may have been aware, but not fully aware.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:53 AM ^
If it would be a "hoke" game for them, then we'd win easily
January 7th, 2024 at 12:16 PM ^
Depends on the season. A Hoke poops gold game (a la the Hoke Sugar Bowl) would be bad. A Hoke claps while Rome burns would be good.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:16 PM ^
So a "hoke" game is one where the HC doesn't wear a headset and his only adjustment is to clap on the sideline, and sometimes yell out "make a play" to the huddle?
January 7th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
clapclapclap dot gif
January 7th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
Good point about it would have been a home game for Texas.
As I live in Dallas, I will be there tomorrow with what I hope to be a huge Michigan crowd. We will have many more Michigan fans at NRG than would have been the case had Texas beaten Washington.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
Are you kidding? I would love for them to have to play a Hoke game.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
I would not be keen on playing Texas in Houston for a national championship, no, although I do think they would be a slightly more favorable matchup schematically.
The thing about Washington that scares me is their explosiveness.i don't feel great about any team that can move the ball quickly in the air. It's really just a personal preference.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:14 PM ^
Agree on all points. Playing an explosive passing game gives the “death from above” type feels. Conversely though, if that isn’t working, UW is in some serious trouble.
I don’t think Washington is a “one trick” team by any means (as some here have intoned). But, I think they do need their main thing to go really well. I like our coaches chances of disrupting any asymmetric scheme.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:50 PM ^
Agreed. Texas beat Bama, yes. But they never seemed like a dominant team and played a bunch of mediocre games. Their qb is good but not great. And their coach is mediocre.
UW has a scary offense led by a QB the likes of which we haven’t seen all year. In fact, we haven’t seen ANY top-tier passers all year. We’re gonna have to score more than we usually do, eat clock on offense, and hold W to some FGs. I see this as a close game that hinges on turnovers.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:53 AM ^
Texas losing freed up tickets for our fans. Both teams are good. I'm assuming we are playing the better team of the two because the better team usually wins.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:57 AM ^
Sure seems like playing Washington is like playing 21 OSU again. Great offense, soft defense against the run. Limit the long plays, keep them kicking FG and run the damn ball
January 7th, 2024 at 12:15 PM ^
Oh I like this comparison. That OSU team had a lot of great receivers. A great QB. And we would bend but not break. Our defensive line frustrated the QB. And our RBs and play calls worked great for that defense. I think this would be great for us, if accurate. In fact, I think Stroud > Penix but Deboer > Day.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:50 PM ^
Those receivers made some incredible catches on 3rd & long to keep their drive going. Brian's column seems to indicate that UW receivers as a whole are better compared to 2021 OSU. I find that to be a tough task given what we have already seen from them even with Hutch. We will see how this pans out tomorrow.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:57 AM ^
I wanted no part of playingTexas in Houston, but Washington is clearly the better team.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:58 AM ^
Go, Blue!
Beat Washington.
January 7th, 2024 at 11:59 AM ^
Never crossed my mind. Now isn’t the time to be picky.
I will say, it is sweeter having beat an SEC team (Bama/UGA in particular) to have gotten here. Validation wise, more respect has been earned nationally. If we shut down Penix, we’ll be looked at as one of the greatest defenses of this era.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
Nope. Styles make the fight. Washington is a better matchup for us despite being better than Texas.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:06 PM ^
I firmly believe Texas is setting up to be dynastic. Long term, that program has the money cannon, fanatic support, recruiting footprint, history, hunger, to be a fixture.
And they're going to be SEC next season.
Nope. Give me Washington. Either team will give Michigan a challenge, so might as well take the one that is going to be Big Ten.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:13 PM ^
They've had the advantages of a) infinity money and b) being the flagship school in the most talent-rich state forever and this is the first time in a decade they've been particularly great. Maybe moving to the SEC is a game changer, I guess.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:33 PM ^
NIL clears obstacles from programs with money to get that money to players.
Used to be SEC could do that better than anyone. Now if you got more money you don't need bag men specialists.
Also Texas state legislation specifically foils ncaa investigations against Texas schools.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:34 PM ^
Counter point, Texas has been mostly irrelevant in the Big 12. It is entirely plausible they fall of the face of the earth again.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:08 PM ^
Wildcard bitches!!!!
January 7th, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^
No. I don't want to play a road game, I think Texas is probably better at most positions and Washington will need a transcendent Penix performance to win. And while far less important, a guarantee of a northern team winning the title (first non-Ohio State team to do so since we did in 1997!) is great.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:14 PM ^
No, for three reasons:
1) Washington IS the top remaining team. As scary as their offense is, they deserve to be here.
2) Texas has LEGIT scary interior defensive linemen, and would have a better chance of bottling up both our running and passing game. Against Texas, we might be treated to a Harbaugh Special where we’re protecting a 7 point lead for the entire game.
3) Houston is their turf. Not interested in playing what would be a home game to them.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
Completely agree with point three. The airport in Charlotte, and by all accounts from other traveling family across the country, is decidedly pro-blue. This will be a home game for us. It was about 30-1 for me
January 7th, 2024 at 12:18 PM ^
I wouldn’t change it.
Traditional Rose Bowl opponent for the national championship.
Yes, please.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:20 PM ^
I’m sure ESPN and sports media in general would rather have a Michigan-Texas game from a viewership ratings and clicks standpoint, but I would absolutely hate to see Texas win a national championship at our expense.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^
I think yes. I like our chances here, but Texas is sort of just an inferior version of what we do imo (although I'm not 100% on that, I don't know the team that well).
Washington is a contrasting style that we match up well against, but that introduces more uncertainty. Plus there is an outside possibility that Penix just won't be denied, seems less likely for Ewers.
January 7th, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
I think your Texas take is bad. The only real comparison is that they have two All American type DTs. The rest of their defense is mostly Jags.
Offensively, Texas was running all over Washington but did not commit to it.
January 7th, 2024 at 5:18 PM ^
It may be a bad take. I got loads of em!
January 7th, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^
I'm good with playing Washington. It's who I wanted to play. I was on the fence about going to the game but ended up passing on it. I wanted to play the flashier team, and I don't like playing a team in a bowl game in their own backyard (well at least in the same state). Also like the idea of the last BigTen vs PAC 12 game being for the National Championship.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:26 PM ^
No.
As Brian said “I don’t want to run Duo against the best DTs in the country.”
Especially in Houston
January 7th, 2024 at 12:26 PM ^
No. We spent the past two days in Austin. It would’ve been less enjoyable getting heckled with “hook ‘em” during our stay here.
Some weird Alabama fan decided to come up to me in a boot store, put his hands on my shoulders and give me a “roll tide”. Whatever you need to cope with the Rose Bowl defeat buddy.
January 7th, 2024 at 1:28 PM ^
My go to in that situation would be to reply with a hearty “Roll Tears!”
January 7th, 2024 at 12:27 PM ^
I'm glad it isn't Texas just due to the game being played in Houston. Other than that I don't care, just win out.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:27 PM ^
Absolutely not. I think Michigan matches up much better with Washington and I do not want to try to run against the Texas DT's.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:37 PM ^
Yes absolutely. Texas defensively is just as mediocre as Washington except for their two elite interior DLinemen. But the rest of their defense is not scary whatsoever. Honestly, the Texas secondary might be worse than Washington's. And there is no way everyone wouldn't rather see our DL swarming Ewers and sacking him 5+ times as he struggles to get anything going. Plus, Deboer has demonstrated he's a better playcaller in college than Sark.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:46 PM ^
Two northern teams is awesome, and not just "northern", but both a short drive to Canada from border states.
January 7th, 2024 at 12:54 PM ^
No.
I like that UW is one dimensional on offense and doesn’t play great defense.