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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
LOS ANGELES — For the second year in a row, Michigan finds itself in a familiar position. The Wolverines are in the College Football Playoff hoping to do the one thing they haven’t been able to do in their three straight semifinal appearances – win.
Last season, Jim Harbaugh’s team was the favorite in a Fiesta Bowl matchup against TCU and played the part of the superior, more confident team well. That is, until the Horned Frogs shocked them with the upset. As they hope to avoid another semifinal loss this year, quarterback J.J. McCarthy is convinced his and the team’s approach is much-improved.
“I felt like last year I got caught up in the noise and all the emotions of it,” McCarthy said Friday. “I’m just trying to stay simple, trying to focus on dominating meetings, dominating practice.”
McCarthy, who said he is “100 percent” healthy heading into the matchup with Alabama, led the Wolverines to an undefeated season this year while throwing for 2,630 yards and 19 touchdowns. While McCarthy posted similar numbers last season, when it came to having to face TCU, the junior threw two interceptions in the loss. When asked if that had been his worst moment as a quarterback, McCarthy couldn’t help but agree.
“In terms of just the moment that it happened, yeah I’d say it is,” he said. “I’ve just been focusing this entire offseason to make sure I’m locked in on all the little details and that doesn’t happen again.”
“Last year I think it was a lack of focus, execution, obviously,” tight end Colston Loveland said. “I think that’s just one thing that we’ve been focused on is just … we’ve got to be going in there, everything perfect. All the little details, really focusing on them. And I think that’s one thing that we learned from last year.”
Following back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, three wins over Ohio State and three Big Ten championships, the Wolverines are aware that the only thing left they need and want to accomplish is a national title.
“I think the guys are very unsatisfied with everything that’s gone on this past year,” offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore said. “They’re craving more, they want more. The goal has been set from the very beginning of what they want and they’re not satisfied until they get it.”
The challenge at hand is not easy and the Wolverines know it. If there was any part of them that overlooked TCU last season, that is not the case with Alabama, whose history as a winning program precedes them.
“I don’t think you can hold anything in this game,” Moore said of how his offense will attack the Tide’s defense. “I think it’s all bets are off. You’ve got to play physical. You’ve got to play to win, and that’s what we’re going to go do.”
For some players, winning the next two games is less about erasing what happened the past two seasons against Georgia in 2021 and TCU last year, but more about etching their name in Michigan history.
“I think everyone wants to change the narrative of Michigan Football or how we can’t win postseason games or we haven’t won a [national title] in forever or whatever it may be,” offensive lineman Drake Nugent said. “They are motivated not just for that reason but motivated to solidify their legacies in Michigan football.”
Nugent said that earlier this week the team spoke to offensive tackle Jon Jansen, who was part of the 1997 Michigan team that won the national title by finishing an undefeated season with a Rose Bowl victory. Jansen’s speech, Nugent said, was centered around the fact that while he loves talking about the ’97 team, while hating it because it means nothing of equal significance has happened for the program since.
“We all know that if we win this whole thing that it really galvanizes Michigan football history forever,” Nugent said. “That’s what is in the back of everyone’s mind. I think that’s probably the biggest motivating factor for us.”