In college football, styles, they say, make fights. If “opposites attract” also rings true, then we should have quite the national championship game on Monday night in Houston (7:30 p.m., ESPN), as high-flying Washington battles methodical (future) Big Ten rival Michigan in a worthy clash of undefeated teams.
The sides have taken very different approaches to building a program and playing the game, but find themselves in the exact same position — 60 minutes away from winning it all.
While the contest will largely mark the end of an era as the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams and a host of realignment moves will become official over the summer, it’s also a great injection of nostalgia on the way out the door as the two schools will be looking to capture their first national title since the 1990s (Michigan in 1997, Washington in 1991).
So, whether you’re dyed in the wool maize and blue or you’ve bled purple all your life, here are some of the top matchups to watch at NRG Stadium as the season concludes with a fitting meeting of great teams in the national title game:
It might not be the most exciting to casual college football fans, but among coaches and NFL scouts, this is one of the most intriguing matchups to watch.
The Huskies won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best offensive line and then backed it up by keeping quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
upright all game against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, giving up zero sacks to a tremendous interior DL combo of Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat.
Washington’s tackles — Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten — are particularly excellent, and they saw a host of some of the best edge rushers in the country out West.
The thing is that Michigan’s defense is the best in the country, and it all starts up front with a line that rolls six or seven deep.
