What Did Michigan Football Coach Say Of Washington Superstar?

On Wednesday, just days before the No. 1 Wolverines and No. 2 Washington Huskies face off for the national title, Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh had a lot to say about U-W superstar Michael Penix Jr., who was a star at Indiana and a Heisman Trophy finalist this season. Here is what the Wolverines’ legendary head coach had to say about his elite opponent’s quarterback.

Michigan football coach no stranger to Washington, Penix

On Monday, Michigan football downed No. 4 Alabama, earning its first-ever College Football Playoff victory and punching the program’s ticket to its first-ever national title game against the Washington Huskies. Now, next Monday, college football’s final two unbeaten teams will square off with seasons and legacies at stake.

The last time that Michigan faced Michael Penix Jr. was in 2020 when the Washington superstar was with the Indiana Hoosiers — he led IU to a 38-21 victory over the Wolverines, breaking one of the longest losing streaks in the game’s history.

On the other hand, the last time that Michigan football faced Washington was in 2021, when the Wolverines ran away with a 31-10 victory over the Huskies, eventually going on to win the Big Ten for the first time since 2004. All this to say, there are a lot of familiar faces on both sides in this year’s national title game matchup.

Jim Harbaugh elaborates on Michael Penix Jr.

On Wednesday, we heard from Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, who had a chance to talk about Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ahead of Monday’s title game bout.

“Super great,” Jim Harbaugh said. “Thanks for that question. He’s a super great player. My impressions of him when he played at Indiana were the same.

“Big-time arm talent, tremendous presence in the pocket, sees the field really well,” he added. “He is so polished. Watching him and his accuracy, decision-making, and timing, he has really just continued to have this tremendous presence of going through progression, feeling pressure, and will drop it off to a check-down. Yeah, (he is) at an elite level.”

The future is uncertain, but the national title game is near

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Michigan football program right now, seeing as JJ McCarthy, Jim Harbaugh, and so many others are about to have NFL decisions to make. Additionally, the sign-stealing investigations will likely be an offseason storyline for the Wolverines, as well as the “Burgergate” fiasco.

In a world of unknowns for the Maize and Blue, one thing remains clear: Michigan could make history on Monday, and all that this team has worked for is just 60 minutes from becoming a reality. That’s right: in just a few days, Michigan football and Jim Harbaugh could be crowned national champions.

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