PASADENA, Calif. — Monday night's Rose Bowl upended the principles of life and college football alike.
The first is that scammers never win.
The second is that Alabama always wins.
The University of Michigan advanced to the national title game amid a cloud of sign-stealing scandals, defeating the Crimson Tide 27-20 in overtime and squandering them to win the program's biggest championship since 1997. It was a victory.
The Wolverines will play the winner of Texas and Washington in the title game next Monday in Houston.
In last year's Fiesta Bowl, the University of Michigan lost in a shootout in the semifinals, but this time they succeeded in dramatic fashion, with JJ McCarthy scoring late to tie the game, and the Wolverines taking over from the third inning. won with a great stand. -Yard line.
With Alabama leading 20-13 with 4:41 remaining, McCarthy took Michigan on a historic eight-play, 75-yard drive over the next 3:05.
The Wolverines faced a fourth-and-2 from their own 33, and McCarthy found a break column 27 yards out on a flat patch of green grass and went for it.
McCarthy then held it, running 16 yards and finding Roman Wilson on a corner route for another 29 yards. He then flipped it back to Wilson in the left flat for a touchdown, tying the game at 20 and sending it into overtime.
It turns out the legend-making wasn't done yet for Michigan State, and this time it was running back Colm.
On the first possession of the extra session, the Wolverines reached the end zone in just two plays, with Colm bouncing off tacklers on runs of 8 and 17 yards to give Michigan a 27-20 lead.
All that was left was to generate the stop.
Jalen Milroe's pass to Jermaine Burton put the Crimson Tide in scoring position on third-and-14, and they were on fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
After a low snap, Milroe ran straight into the teeth of the defensive line, giving the Wolverines a much-needed dramatic win. Just seconds after the corn confetti fell on the Rose Bowl, the goalposts toppled over.
The Wolverines had the upper hand early in the game, but only led 13-10 entering the fourth. That's when Alabama woke up.
The Tide began imposing their will on an eight-play, 55-yard drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters.
As the Tide raced down the field, Judge Haynes and Milroe had runs of 9, 8, 10, and 18 yards, culminating in Jace McClellan's 3-yard walk-in score and Alabama's 17-1 lead. He led by 13.
Michigan was unable to capitalize on Milroe's fumble and James Turner missed a 49-yard field goal that would have cut the deficit to one point, and hopes seemed all but lost.
But after the Wolverines held Alabama to a 52-yard field goal of their own (Will Reichard made it to make it 20-13), they had possession and tied the game with 4:41 remaining. I got a chance.
McCarthy and Michigan followed.
Early on, it looked as if demons from the past were swirling around the Wolverines. McCarthy appeared to throw an interception on the first play of the game from scrimmage, but was later called back when Caleb Downs caught the ball wide, but Michigan had Semaj Morgan smothering the punt and nearly making it to the field. We had an early chance and turned the ball over.
Alabama gained 44 yards in four plays, culminating with McClellan's 34-yard touchdown. But the Wolverines quickly settled down and went on a 10-play, 75-yard drive over the next 5 minutes, 18 seconds to tie the game and calm everything down a bit.
Michigan took a 13-10 lead at the half after 30 minutes of constant pressure on Milroe and running the ball well.
This was the result of inconsistent play by the quarterback, with Michigan's only extra points being Tyler Morris' 38-yard score and subsequent failed extra point, and Alabama's only 50-yard field run at the end of the second quarter. The goal maintained the lead. death.
It felt a little like the Wolverines wasted a great half of the football. In the end, it was just barely enough.
Nothing more than a win will ease Michigan's struggles this season with multiple NCAA investigations, a sign-stealing suspension, the firing of its linebackers coach and multiple suspensions for coach Jim Harbaugh. . The same goes for the annual rumors of him leaving the NFL.
But for the Wolverines, this felt like vindication.
