HOUSTON – Slap an asterisk next to their name if you want.
Choose to remember Connor Stalions, the lower-level staffer who led an alleged sign-stealing, in-game scouting scandal, when you recall how this 2023 college football season unfolded.
On the field, Michigan left no doubt.
Monday night, it completed a perfect season its way – with a dominant defense, a punishing ground attack and a clutch quarterback who made big plays when they were needed.
It shutdown Washington’s top-ranked passing attack and pummeled the Huskies on the ground, cruising to its first national championship in 26 years with a commanding 34-13 victory inside NRG Stadium.
In the Wolverines’ third trip to the College Football Playoff in as many years, they finished the job.
The defense didn’t allow more than 24 points all season and only two of Michigan’s 15 wins were decided by a single score despite coach Jim Harbaugh missing six of them due to a pair of three-game suspensions.
In mid-October, the sign-stealing scandal broke. It didn’t sidetrack these Wolverines. They kept on winning, and doing so convincingly.
In what may be Harbaugh’s final game coaching his alma mater – he could return to the NFL – Michigan owned the first and fourth quarters, outscoring Washington, 28-3.