By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – Washington quarterback Michael Penix will lead a lethal Huskies passing attack against fellow undefeated team Michigan in the most anticipated National Championship game in recent memory on Monday in Texas.
Penix has been college football’s leading passer the last two seasons as the Heisman Trophy runner-up has transformed Washington (14-0) into an offensive juggernaut.
“Big-time arm talent, tremendous presence in the pocket, sees the field really well, so polished,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said of Penix this week. “It’s at an elite level.”
Penix is coming off a dominant Sugar Bowl performance where he led the Huskies to a thrilling 37-31 win over Texas, and another strong showing could further boost his position in April’s NFL Draft.
He will look to carve up Michigan’s secondary with help from his favorite target, star wide receiver Rome Odunze, who has 87 receptions for 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
But standing in their way is a veteran Wolverines squad who, under Harbaugh, play a physical game designed to overpower their opponents on both sides of the ball.
That will start with Michigan’s experienced offensive line and star running back Blake Corum, who will try to impose their will on a potentially vulnerable Washington defense.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s pass defense ranks second in the country and, combined with their impressive pass rush, should put up more resistance than Texas did on New Year’s Day.
Michigan is coming off a 27-20 overtime win in the Rose Bowl over Alabama on Monday that delivered them into the final of the four-team College Football Playoffs, which will be replaced by a 12-team playoff system next season.
Whoever wins will end a title drought. The No. 1 Wolverines last claimed a national title in 1997 and the No. 2 Huskies last hoisted the trophy in 1991.
Win or lose, attention after the game will turn to Harbaugh’s future and whether the fiery coach, who led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2013, will stay in Michigan or return to the NFL.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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