Props to UW, Dillon Johnson, Michael Penix et al.
Between the Rose Bowl and the CFP championship, I managed to watch about 8 games of UW full length, (not just highlights) and goddamn that offense was scary. Time after time Penix would hit receivers who were covered and just put it on the correct side of the body and they'd be getting 50 yard td's. Johnson would slash through defenses for killing yards when least expected.
Injuries suck. Johnson obviously wasn't 100 %. Penix got roughed up and it was actually hard watching him walk up the tunnel holding his ribs. Our defense played lights out. And it's all the more amazing because of how awesome that offense has been all year. And their coach is a great football mind. I love the creativity of their offense and I'm really glad he turned down Bama.
Let's just say Bama with Tommy "I fumble passes" Rees as OC was not as scary as with any of the UW offensive minds.
I can't believe we get to redo this game as a conference game in a few months albeit with a lot of departures.
Anyways, mad respect to UW, and even more respect to our D and our D coaches for finding a way to limit them.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:43 AM ^
Yes, Washington was a great team with great players. Hats off to them. Finishing as a national runner-up is a great accomplishment. But man, winning the whole thing is just so hard and so special, and our team did it! Go blue!
January 9th, 2024 at 8:43 AM ^
Kind of felt bad for Johnson. Kid was playing in a lot of pain. He got absolutely mauled on the interception return also.
January 9th, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
That guy is an absolute warrior. What an effort.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:44 AM ^
They were battered and bruised literally but they gave everything they had. Mad respect 👍
January 9th, 2024 at 9:06 AM ^
Yep, watching them stay on the field afterward to spend time with each other and soak in the moment even in a loss. They cared deeply, too. I know most players care, but there's caring at that deep emotional level where you allow yourself to be hurt (like BMac and Brian have discussed).
You can see UW was similar to UM in terms of team camaraderie and togetherness. Like us, they had tons of guys come back for 6th years or tell the NFL to wait a year.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:47 AM ^
I'd say Joel Klatt's boa constrictor adage has aged well. As much as we lose talent/coaching most other top teams until the playoffs do as well mostly at QB. Time for the next Leaders and Best, culturally speaking.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:47 AM ^
Washington played like warriors. They were overmatched and some players were hurt, but they kept up the fight.
Much respect to them.
They are a worthy addition to the Big Ten.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:49 AM ^
They played hard, but Penix post game comments were garbage. He basically said them losing was more on Washington not executing vs Michigan playing better
January 9th, 2024 at 8:52 AM ^
Agree, not a fan of Penix. I think he played himself into the 3rd round last night. He throws a great deep ball which is great for a college but you can clearly see he's going to struggle making accurate shorter throws under pressure which is absolutely required in the pros.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:53 AM ^
He's lights out in a clean pocket, but Michigan got to him and made him pay.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:57 AM ^
This. Before the game, it was clear we were going to give The Shield a look at Penix performing against an NFL-style D. He had never faced one at UW. And… yeah, he was meh. Mid/round draft. Journeyman QB in NFL. Not great under pressure, and he will see that pressure every down of his NFL career.
By contrast, last year, Straud played well (once very, very well) going 1-1 against two NFL-style defenses.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:58 AM ^
Exactly. His accuracy fell off the table when the pocket forced him to shuffle.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:20 AM ^
100% Penix cost himself millions of dollars at the end of that game in the NFL. You got 100 players out there playing with injuries I'd be bedridden with, and he wants to act like he done been shot on a couple hits.
I told my wife he better have a broken rib or he just played himself to the late rounds. Every NFL team just saw you just got to hit him a few times and he goes away.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:02 AM ^
meh. it's fine. he was hurting both emotionally and physically but still gave it his all. I don't really have a problem with whatever he says in right after the rawness of a defeat that his team worked hard for as well.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:45 AM ^
It was the ski mask thing that I had more of a problem with. Hunter Dickenson had the tweet of the night.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:55 AM ^
I'm never gonna hold what a twenty something kid says in an emotional moment against them. Sports are hard. Penix battled like a warrior. Let's wait till the midweek or post-season interviews when people have time to reflect and put things in perspective.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:27 AM ^
You can forgive a guy saying stuff like that in the aftermath of a tough loss.
And to be fair and honest…Washington straight up missed about 3 TD-worthy plays. The Michigan defenders had been beaten on those plays, Penix had gotten the ball out with that amazingly fast release he has…and just missed.
There were about 60 defensive snaps that were all about skill. And another 11 where we got lucky or unlucky.
I can understand Penix being salty with himself about missing those plays.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:10 AM ^
No one likes a salty Penix.
January 9th, 2024 at 12:35 PM ^
He just missed? There was one "just miss" that I saw. Penix was not pressured and after the play he and the receiver had some words. The other "just missed" plays Penix was under pressure, real or imagined and so was just flinging the ball downfield. I've little doubt that had he a clean pocket, hadn't taken hit after hit, or been forced to run for his life, he would have made a lot of spectacular State Street passes for reception.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:28 AM ^
In his defense, if they execute a few of those wide open passes and don't hold on the one big pass then that game becomes a lot different. One of those the defensive line rushed him, one he just outright missed, the other was the hold. So technically if they do execute 2 out of those 3 things look a lot different and Penix gains some confidence. I'm not saying what he said is correct, Michigan obviously dominated, but from his side I can see where he's coming from. On top of that, Washington kept getting offsides penalties that put them behind the sticks and they were hurting themselves. Michigan obviously won this game, but if I'm Washington I can see how 5-7 plays seem like they would make the difference.
January 9th, 2024 at 11:08 AM ^
I hate these arguments, because I could pretty easily pick a handful of plays that IF Michigan executed properly, they win by 40+. These are college kids. I've not seen any of these teams play a perfect game. On the pass that CJ dropped, Roman is wide open for a TD down the seam. CJ was open and that's clearly the read so not knocking JJ for not seeing it, but both teams can play the "what-if" game.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:33 AM ^
He's probably referring to some of those absolute 'gimmie' throws he missed. Those weren't the difference in the game though.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:39 AM ^
Meh, that's just how players are. They, unlike fans, have agency in the outcome of the game so they blame themselves for losing. Even, then he still credited us for being a good team.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:50 AM ^
Hats off to Washington. Played with complete class.
Welcome to the B1G
January 9th, 2024 at 8:52 AM ^
Those players and coaches deserve a lot of respect. Ditto for Alabama and even Ohio State this year. All crazy talented and schemed like hell to beat us. But 2023 UofM cannot be beat! Go Blue!
January 9th, 2024 at 8:53 AM ^
Washington played a clean game - there wasn't any unnecessary stuff going on. Same with Bama. Hell same with OSU. It just shows how toxic that gross school in EL is - you can get high level football - the highest level - with 2 teams who just go at it.
Felt bad they kept Penix out there on the last drive he was broken physically. Agree on their RB - what a warrior. If he was only 70% and the coaching staff trusts him to be out there more than the backup that says a lot. Could see he lacked burst.
Hats off to their team - I thought Oregon was the best team in the P12 incorrectly. They physically mauled Oregon in their championship game as a 9.5 pt underdog. Sounds like they like us are a very senior laden team with a lot of guys coming off a terrible coaching situation a few years back that has been fixed.
If we had a functioning offense in Q2 and Q3 this would have been a blow out early. Michigan was clearly better.
Props to the ACC crew as well; I thought it was a well called game. Apparently the twitter verse is beside itself as Michigan was "holding" the entire night. lol
January 9th, 2024 at 8:59 AM ^
M got away with some holding. So did UW. IIRC the only holding called on the OL was when the UW RT tackles MacGregor en route to a likely sack. Uh, yeah, can’t do that. But otherwise the refs let them play and that went for both teams. Not seeing the bias.
However, I expect ESPN coverage highlighted more of M’s apparent non-calls after the fact than the opposition’s, and maybe some of their talking heads are making a stink about it, thus their overt bias is likely clouding the judgment of those less sharp football fans in the world.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:57 AM ^
I can't take any opposing fan seriously if they bring up holding. I mean, jebus fucking christ, our DTs get held on nearly every fucking play. And it never gets called. Check the discord for when I call out the most egregious examples mid play only for them to not be called.
January 9th, 2024 at 12:40 PM ^
I thought the tackle got McGregor by the face mask. His head definitely got pulled around, so if not the facemask, then the collar of his pads.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:43 AM ^
I'm with you on Penix. The game was over but for a prayer and Penix kept hobbling back up to the line and taking yet another body shot. Dude was an absolute warrior that just got beat by our better warriors. I know you never give up in the national championship game, but man, watching Penix that last drive felt bad.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:58 AM ^
Washington was an incredible team
-Great coach
-Experienced Players
-The best receivers 1-6
-Excellent QB in Penix
Glad to see our players and coaches were able to respond physically and mentally to the challenge.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:00 AM ^
Incredible team and fun to watch all season. Lot of heart on that sideline.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:01 AM ^
Agree OP!
Had Michigan not been in the championship, I would have been pulling for Washington. I don't like Ohio State or Michigan State or Notre Dame or Alabama and when we play those teams, a hatred for some reason builds beneath where I am saying words to the TV that I shouldn't. None of that surfaced during the game for me with Washington.
I really commend their team for battling as long as they could and look forward to their addition to the Big 10.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:11 AM ^
+1
Those guys were beat up but they did not quit.
Hey, Ohio - UW is a tough team.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:22 AM ^
Absolute warriors. Both were in incredible pain,
January 9th, 2024 at 9:26 AM ^
Congrats to UW. They were overmatched but they played hard, played smart, and frankly kept me nervous until the Mike Sainristil interception with 4:30 left in the 4Q.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:28 AM ^
Yeah, huge shout-out to those guys. They're really talented and while I still think UM wins in the end not having a 100% Johnson and then Penix getting hurt made it an even greater hurdle for them to overcome.
And yeah, DeBoer and Grubb are fantastic offensive playcallers and I assume they'll get some NFL looks sooner rather than later.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:39 AM ^
I did feel sorry for Penix near the end. I also thought he shouldn't have been out there for that last series. He looked to be in a lot of pain, and there was no way they were going to win. Why risk a potential NFL career? But in general, hats off to the Washington team and coaches. They're first class.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:40 AM ^
In my mind I typically build up some sort of distain for our next opponent throughout the season. I just couldn't find a reason not to like these guys. They were the underdog in so many games and just kept plugging along winning close games. Deboer is a great coach who is going to bring another high octane offense to the Big Ten. You better have your I's dotted and T's crossed cause he even confused Michigan defense with the presnap frippery a few times and thankfully they didn't cash in! Tip of the cap Huskie nation worthy opponent
January 9th, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^
I see UW under Deboer as an annual top 4 team in the B1G.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:47 AM ^
Kalen DeBoer would be my first choice if Harbaugh decides to go for that elusive Super Bowl.
January 9th, 2024 at 12:19 PM ^
Was thinking the same thing. He'd be my first call.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:58 AM ^
Penix was an absolute warrior last night. An incredible amount of respect to him for pulling his aching body over the finish line even when it was clear they had lost.
It was also probably a stupid move (taking more body shots), but still very, very gutty.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:59 AM ^
DeBoer got a 4-8 team to 14-1 and a national title appearance in two years. That was a tough team Michigan beat last night. Just made a few too many errors. Some forced, some unforced.
If Harbaugh leaves DeBoer is the guy I want leading Michigan. He is a legitimately great coach.
Penix’ postgame comments are perhaps salty, but there is truth to them. Washington missed some golden opportunities and made critical errors. Michigan played a big role in the latter. But his overall point has a validity. That does not take away from what Michigan accomplished last night.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:35 AM ^
You've got to give major kudos to Michael Penix for refusing to come out of the game after it was well over, when it looked very likely that he was dealing with bruised ribs (at best, cracked or broken might be more likely with how much pain he looked like he was in). The man wanted to finish what he started, so even though he lost, you've got to respect that.
January 9th, 2024 at 10:50 AM ^
Sure I'll give them some respect, but Im sure as shit glad we beat their asses up and down the field all night. It was quite clear who was more physical...
Their fan base is not as "nice and neat" as the perception seems to be right now. I live in the burbs of Seattle and the amount of trash comments that came my families way this week was pretty surprising, my kids took the brunt of it at school and I felt for them. Wearing their M gear all week in the heart of the enemy territory, all I told them to do was keep quite and say "we shall see".
Coug fans are huge Michigan fans right now, I'll tell you that! The amount of texts I got last night, it was glorious.
Credit to their players, good group, but as for their fans....well, Im about to buy a lot of natty gear for my family and all we are going to say is "what happened, I thought that oline was going to kill our dline? I thought Penix was going to lay 400 yards on us?"
I can't wait for the game here next season, I hope to see many of you. UW loses so much talent next year, and with our defense as it looks to be next year, I expect a similar outcome.
Hail the the mother fuckin victors
January 9th, 2024 at 11:03 AM ^
Agree, hats off to Washington. I’m not so sure that Penix wasn’t playing with a broken rib or worse. Dude got beat to hell but kept on fighting. I figured Johnson playing was all BS but the guys a warrior. Finally, Minter is a bad ass mofo. Some of the best coaching and scheme I think I’ve ever witnessed.
January 9th, 2024 at 11:23 AM ^
I don't give a shit about the B1G any more, in my mind, after all that happened this last season, the other B1G teams and their fans can eat a dick.
HOWEVER, that said, I live in Oregon and I don't think I can hate Oregon and Washington fans. I think football means a lot to people here- just not in an existential way like in the SEC. Even Oregon vs Washington, while there is a lot of trash-talking and rivalry-type moments, I've never seen it devolve like it can in other parts of the country. I'm sure it can, but football is not the only thing people care about here.
Even last night, I just couldn't hate the UW team, they fought hard and left it all on the field. I think they deserve respect for the great season they had.
January 9th, 2024 at 12:00 PM ^
DeBoer & Penix had 3 years together, and they made it to the top. And when they got there, they acted like they'd been there before. Hell of a lot of respect for them & the UW program. Johnson was out there trying to run on a stump. Amazing that they were in it until midway thru the 4th quarter.
That team had to beat their elite rival twice in the same season. That shows you they have heart & grit.
I dont think there's any way UW let's DeBoer go, but he's on my short list to replace Harbaugh. Along with Jedd Fisch & whoever can keep most of our assistant coaches.
January 9th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
Our family wanted them to take Penix out on that last drive. We were hitting him every play at that point. Just a defeated OL who couldn't hold up anymore. I wonder if he has a broken rib or something, we'd him in the shoulder and he'd grab his side instead. Dude is an absolute warrior along with Johnson. They fought to the bitter end.