TLDR: As the College Football Playoff National Championship approaches, we’re bracing for a blockbuster with Michigan facing Washington, teams that will share the Big Ten conference come next season. This matchup features top seeds with Michigan’s formidable defense up against Washington’s potent passing offense. The Wolverines are pursuing their first outright national title since 1948 while Washington is riding high on a winning streak. Michigan’s strategy is clear: use their crushing defense and potent ground game to maintain their legacy. Washington brings a high-scoring offense and confidence under Kalen DeBoer’s coachmanship, setting the stage for a riveting contest that will cap off an era and hint at the future dynamics of Big Ten football.

As a lifelong fan of Michigan football, I’ve weathered plenty of highs and lows, but the upcoming National Championship game is set to be a real barnburner. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher that we’ll be welcoming Washington into the Big Ten fold next season, after they’ve just snagged their last Pac-12 title. Talk about stirring the pot!

October 5 will have Michigan trotting over to Husky Stadium, playing against a team that by then will be a conference rival. That’s going to put a different spin on the old phrase “keep your friends close and your opponents closer.”

This game isn’t just about who takes home the championship—it’s practically an oracle for college football’s future, considering the conference realignment shake-up. We’ve got Michigan’s top-notch defense squaring off against Washington’s aerial arsenal led by Michael Penix Jr., and Jim Harbaugh’s unique brand of coaching magic against Kalen DeBoer’s impressive win record.

Both quarterbacks, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Washington’s Penix, have Big Ten experience already, and wide receivers from both teams seem to almost be from different realms given their catching capabilities. Michigan’s aiming to make history with its defense, trying to keep their points-allowed average under ten. Meanwhile, Washington, which isn’t exactly known for a steel-curtain defense, has blitzed through to this game with an offense that’s been dropping 40 points like they’re hot potatoes.

Looking at Michigan, it’s not just another game; it’s a chance at their first clear-cut national title since the Truman administration, and let’s not overlook that they’ve made it to 14 wins for the first time in program history. In the other locker room, Washington isn’t only on a 21-game heater, but Coach DeBoer is also proving to be something special, especially when you look at his record against ranked teams and in one-score games.

There’s a pinch of nostalgia here too: Michigan is a Big Ten original, dating back to when folks were just getting used to those newfangled horseless carriages, while Washington is singing its Pac-12 swan song. And if we squint at the horizon, the Big Ten could be tipping its hat to a champ in advance, courtesy of either Michigan’s brute force or Washington’s high-flying act.

Michigan’s got to stick to its playbook: crank up the ground game and let the defense do its thing. But Washington’s pass game is the bee’s knees, and that’s going to be a melon scratcher for Michigan’s squad to puzzle out.

The stuff that’s unfolded on the gridiron this season has been nothing short of a scriptwriter’s dream. Harbaugh’s been rebuilding Michigan’s legacy one play at a time, and DeBoer’s turned Washington into a football titan in no time flat.

What this boils down to is a story of potential: the potential of a team, the potential of players like Penix reviving his career at Washington, and Michigan’s continued march under Harbaugh’s unique leadership. As a Michigander, I’m buckled in and ready for what’s sure to be a doozy of a showdown.