Tuesday, January 9, 2024

So now what?

 Finally, then, Blake Corum battered his way into the end zone one last time, and the clock ran down, and here were your Michigan Wolverines, champions of college football and situational ethics. They beat Washington 34-13, and it wasn't that close. And nary a discouraging word was heard.

Lots of revisionist history, though.

Because there was Jim Harbaugh, fresh off two stretches in the clink, saying none of that bothered his Wolverines because "we were innocent and stood tall and strong because we knew we were innocent." Which sounded a trifle odd coming from a guy who was suspended half the season for, I don't know, being innocent?

In any case, Michigan woulda won without its coach being shady, and to the victors go both the spoils and the ability to shape the historical narrative. After all, that the Wolverines were the best team in college football this season, with or without shenanigans, is beyond dispute. Last night closed all arguments otherwise.

Offensively, Corum ran for 134 yards and two scores and Donovan Edwards for 104 and two -- Edwards' sixes coming on his first two touches. The Wolverines ground meat to the tune of 303 rushing yards.

And defensively?

The Wolverines never really stopped Michael Penix Jr., but they slowed him to what passed for a crawl. The defensive front exerted enough pressure to make him uncomfortable and disrupt his rhythm, and the Michigan D-backs took away the deep ball and forced Penix to play dink-and-dunk. He wound up with 255 passing yards, but Michigan picked him twice and the Huskies averaged just 9.4 yards per completion.

Ultimately, it was decided where a lot of folks suspected it might be, up front. And Michigan owned up front on both sides of the ball. Telling stat of the night, perhaps: The Wolverines averaged 8.0 yards per carry on the ground; Washington, 2.3.

And now the question becomes, where do the Wolverines go from here?

Or, more specifically, where does Harbaugh go?

He wasn't saying last night -- actually got annoyed when asked, and it was hard to blame him -- but if you're laying money down, lay it on three letters: N, F and L. He has, after all, done what he came to Michigan to do. And, thanks in part to how he did it, the NCAA axe is now hovering over the program.

If the Bears or the Commanders or the Chargers or whoever comes calling, what reason would Harbaugh have for not answering now?

Of course, it would be an asshat thing to do, leaving Michigan to hold his bag. But again, Harbaugh has already shown how capable he is of asshattery. And it wouldn't be the first time a successful coach fled the building just as the flames were spreading.

Shoot. It's practically a tradition for some of them.

So, yeah, hoisting the Big Trophy likely will be the last thing Harbaugh hoists in Ann Arbor, except for his furniture into a moving van. But at least the Wolverines will always have last night. 

Future stretch in the Graybar Hotel or not.

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