National Championship preview

Every New Year’s Day is celebrated with beautiful fireworks and a fresh start. But this year, we had some of the best college football we’ve seen all year. The first game was a defensive classic between college football’s heavyweights, the University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide, ranked No. 4 and the University of Michigan Wolverines, ranked No. 1. This game lived up to the anticipated hype between the two.

It was a classic coaching battle between the legendary Nick Saban and coach Jim Harbaugh. Every play, every down, every second matter in this game. The game was such a classic it needed overtime to crown a winner.

After Michigan scored to take a 27-20 lead, their defense held up the Tide’s last chance to score on a fourth and third play, winning the Rose Bowl 27-20.

In the second game of the College Football Playoffs semifinal, the University of Washington Huskies took on the University of Texas at Austin in the Sugar Bowl.

The first half was a display of offensive firepower. Two of the nation’s most prolific offenses went toe to toe for a spot in the national championship game. The first half ended in fireworks, with the game tied 21-21. But the Huskies would edge the Longhorns in the second half due to several key stops.

The Huskies won 37-31, setting up an all-time national title game between Michigan and Washington.

Michigan came into the game with their key strength being on the defensive side of the ball; as for Washington, the man behind center quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was the Heisman runnerup, had 430 yards passing in their Sugar Bowl victory vs Texas.

Like every team who faced the Huskies, the Wolverines will have their hands full in Houston, Texas, at NRG Stadium on Jan. 8. The game will be the first time in ten years a Southeastern Conference team wasn’t in the championship game. What an incredible run by a conference that will be even stronger next year.