Every now and then, the bad guy comes out on top. It just happens.
Thanos finds all the infinity stones in Infinity War. Emperor Palpatine converts Anakin to the dark side in Revenge of the Sith. Kevin Spacey finishes off all his targets in Se7en.
The 2023 Michigan Wolverines won the national championship.
Villains win from time to time. They just do.
Jim Harbaugh’s squad was massively impressive in a 34-13 win over Washington to clinch Michigan’s first undisputed national title in the modern era.
It got me thinking – Has a team in any sport won a championship in the same season that its head coach was suspended for HALF of that season’s games? I didn’t do a ton of research, but I don’t think it’s ever happened.
I’ll admit it: The first suspension was kind of soft. However, Harbaugh’s second absence at the end of the season was a pretty serious sign-stealing scandal with far-reaching ramifications that made the program the clear villains of the 2023 season.
It’s also worth noting that the fallout for the program is still unclear, and the NCAA could come down on the Wolverines in the future. There’s some sort of chance last night’s result gets vacated entirely.
Nonetheless, nothing will change last night’s result, a definitive championship win for one of college football’s most illustrious programs. Thanos snapped, and Order 66 was carried out. The Michigan Wolverines are national champions, which feels like a fitting end to a season in which the Maize and Blue dominated headlines from start to finish.
The Wolverines completely steamrolled their schedule, including Penn State and Ohio State, beat Alabama in an incredible Rose Bowl, and limited one of the nation’s most explosive offenses en route to a championship. There’s no way to deny what happened on the field.
A week after Michael Penix lit up Texas, he looked overwhelmed last night against Michigan. I was shocked. Penix clearly felt the pressure from the Wolverines all night and was thrown off his normal groove. Even when Michigan didn’t get pressure, it was obvious that Penix wanted to get the ball out of his hands as soon as possible.
Not to mention he left the field looking like he had just fought in an active war zone.
Michigan was dominant. We could talk about Washington’s potentially game-winning drive being killed by an awfully soft holding call, OR that the Wolverines got away with penalties that the Huskies didn’t, but I truly think it wouldn’t have mattered in the end.
Penix barely completed 50% of his passes and threw two costly interceptions (I’ll give him the first one – His ankle was getting cleated by a 300-pound man). Michigan ran for over 300 yards and didn’t turn the ball over. JJ McCarthy only needed to complete 10 passes all night.
In short, the Wolverines were always winning that game.
This result might be painful for college football fans, but solace may be on the horizon.
Even when a villain wins, the victory never lasts for very long.
The Avengers eventually time-travel their blipped friends back into existence and defeat Thanos. Anakin’s kids poetically destroy Palpatine’s empire. Kevin Spacey dies at the end of Se7en.
Jim Harbaugh could realistically leave for the NFL, and Michigan still has a looming NCAA investigation.
Michigan might have a title now, but I don’t see this turning into a long-term run, a la Alabama or Georgia. Harbaugh leaving could ease the potential NCAA penalties, but it would also immediately hurt the program’s chances of being this successful again.
Before Harbaugh, the Wolverines dealt with seven painful years of Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, during which the program went a mediocre 46-42. And even early into Harbaugh’s tenure, there were serious calls to fire him after losing key games to Ohio State.
If Harbaugh leaves, Michigan has to go back to square one to find that championship culture again, and the school already has a track record of fumbling head coaching searches after a school legend leaves.
I mean, Rich Rodriguez? Seriously?
My point is this. Michigan fans – Soak this in for as long as you can. The Michigan program faces a lot of uncertainty and rough waters in the coming years, but you should be happy.
If you’re going to sell your soul, you might as well win a championship while you’re at it.
Follow Nick Hedges on Twitter (@nicktrimshedges) or Instagram (@nicktrimshedges)