Michigan, Washington CFP wins become instant classics; Every NFL playoff-clinching scenario

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🏆 Good morning to everyone but especially … 

THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES AND THE WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Two wild, unforgettable, instant-classic semifinals. One enticing title game coming up between two teams both looking for their first championship this millennium that will be conference rivals in a few months. College football, you’ve truly outdone yourself.

No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington are heading to the College Football Playoff national championship after hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

Let’s start at the Rose Bowl, where it was deja vu all over again for the Wolverines. The types of self-inflicted wounds and mistakes they hadn’t made since last year’s CFP semifinal — and truly have no explanation for — were mounting.

Then came Michigan’s very best in full force. Blake Corum. J.J. McCarthy. That dominant defense. The Wolverines beat No. 4 Alabama, 27-20, in overtime, in a game that featured just about everything that makes college football great.

• After Jase McClellan‘s third-quarter touchdown run, Michigan trailed in the second half for the first time all season. Later, Will Reichard‘s 52-yard field goal put the Tide up, 20-13, with 4:41 left. 
• The Wolverines, to that point, had 17 plays for 44 yards and no points in the second half. It looked like Alabama was going to do what it does: Find a way to win.
• But with their backs against the wall, Michigan’s stars came to the rescue. McCarthy hit big passes to Corum and Roman Wilson, had a 16-yard keeper and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown to Wilson. The extra point tied it up.
• On the first drive of overtime, Corum ripped off runs of 8 and 17 yards, the latter a whirling dervish touchdown (watch it here), the program-record 56th of his career.
• Jalen Milroe then drove the Crimson Tide down to the 3-yard line, but the Wolverines’ ferocious defense stuffed him on fourth down. Ball game.
• When it mattered most, Michigan bullied the bully, writes Dennis Dodd.

That outstanding Michigan defense is going to have quite the test: Washington held on against No. 3 Texas, 37-31, behind a majestic performance from Michael Penix Jr. The lefty super senior made every throw imaginable en route to 430 yards passing, fourth-most in any CFP game. Watching him throw to future NFLers Rome Odunze (125 yards), Ja’Lynn Polk (122 yards, one touchdown), and Jalen McMillan (58 yards, one touchdown) is magical — a master at work.

But it was the defense that had to stand tall as this game, too, came down to the final play. The Huskies appeared to have the game sealed after recovering an onside kick late. Then all hell broke loose.

• Washington’s Dillon Johnson got hurt on a third-down run, which stopped the clock. Instead of getting the ball back with about 10 seconds left, the Longhorns got it with 45. And they got it in great field position due to a boneheaded kick catch interference penalty by Washington.
• Quinn Ewers hit Jordan Whittington for 41 yards and Jaydon Blue for 16 more to get Texas to the Washington 12-yard line with 15 seconds left.
• The Longhorns never got any closer, and Elijah Jackson knocked the ball away from an outstretched Adonai Mitchell as time expired.

Michigan-Washington will be an absolute barn burner. Any game between these four teams would have been, frankly, but I’m super excited about this particular matchup. We’ll get a terrific Michigan defensive front — fresh off six sacks — against one of the nation’s best offensive lines, which didn’t allow any sacks Monday. We’ll get stars on both sides of the ball. And, for the final time in the four-team CFP era, we’ll crown a national champion. Whew.

Here’s our early preview of the championship, complete with expert picks.

👍 Honorable mentions

• No. 8 Oregon stomped No. 23 Liberty, 45-6, in the Fiesta Bowl behind Bo Nix‘s record-breaking performance, and Malik Nabers set a program record himself in No. 13 LSU ‘s 35-31 ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin. Here’s our bowls roundup.
• Dallas Turner declared for the NFL Draft.
• Quarterback movement: DJ Uiagalelei transferred to Florida State, KJ Jefferson transferred to UCF and Cam Ward declared for the NFL Draft.
• Here’s how the Lions plan to move past the controversial finish against the Cowboys.
• Ahead of the Winter Classic, the Kraken dressed up as fishermen, the Golden Knights dressed up like Elvis, and Seattle cruised, 3-0, for its fifth straight win.
• Here are the men’s basketball AP Top 25 and the women’s basketball AP Top 25.
• We have 2024 predictions for the USMNT and the USWNT.
• Steven Taranto recalled the late, great Cale Yarborough‘s best moments.
• The USFL and the XFL merged.

💔 And not such a good morning for …

THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE AND THE TEXAS LONGHORNS

At most programs, a national title within the last four years is a success. At Alabama, it earns you a shake of the head and an “I can’t believe it’s been that long.” The Crimson Tide are officially on their longest championship drought of the Nick Saban era, and they’ll view Monday night’s loss as one that got away.

Michigan kept trying to give the game away: two muffed punts, a poor snap on a failed extra point, a botched flea flicker, a missed field goal and several drops. Against so many of Saban’s Alabama teams, those miscues would have been killers, especially in games of this magnitude. But not this time.

• Aside from the six sacks taken, Milroe had an awful fumble and missed key throws.
• Seth McLaughlin derailed an entire drive with his wayward snaps, which he struggled with all night.
• The secondary, led by two potential first-round picks, allowed a ton of chunk plays, including a busted coverage on Corum’s 27-yard gain on fourth-and-2 early in the game-tying drive.
• The defense hardly put up a fight in overtime. Still, the offense had a chance to tie it before a messy final play.

These had been issues all season, though. Only Old Dominion and Colorado allowed more sacks. The Milroe experience came with magnificent highs and devastating lows. The team that defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship also needed a miracle to beat lowly Auburn the week before. That’s what made this coaching job by Saban so impressive: because this team wasn’t his best.

In the end, though, it’s another title-less season, and, no matter how much a team overachieved or improved, that won’t sit well in Tuscaloosa.

The feeling will be similar in Austin. Texas’ defense got burnt short, long and everywhere in between. The offense was good but not good enough, and two lost fumbles — one deep in their own territory, one deep in Washington’s — now loom even larger considering how shockingly close the Longhorns came. But close isn’t good enough. The Crimson Tide and the Longhorns now know that as well as anyone.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

• Christian McCaffrey (mild calf strain) will miss Week 18 … but it’s nothing serious, per Kyle Shanahan.
• The Rams are going back to Brett Maher at kicker after Lucas Havrisik‘s struggles.
• Bradley Chubb (torn ACL) is done for the year.

🏈 NFL Week 18 playoff-clinching scenarios

We’re into Week 18 of the NFL season, and there are still five playoff berths up for grabs … and 10 seeds to be determined.

Here’s what has been determined: In the AFC …

• The Ravens, Dolphins, Chiefs and Browns have clinched a playoff berth.
• The Ravens (No. 1, home-field advantage, first-round bye), Chiefs (No. 3) and Browns (No. 5) have clinched their exact seed.

In the NFC …

• The 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Eagles and Rams have clinched a playoff berth.
• The 49ers (No. 1, home-field advantage, first-round bye) are the only team that’s clinched its exact seed.

Now for what’s TBD: We have every single scenario here, but perhaps the craziest lies in the AFC South, where the Jaguars, Colts and Texans are all 9-7 and still alive for both the division crown and a wild-card berth. Jacksonville leads the division, and Indianapolis is currently the No. 7 seed; Houston is No. 8.

The Steelers need help to make it, but it’s impressive they even have a chance. Mason Rudolph — the third different starting quarterback this year — has led a surprising offensive resurgence, and he’ll be the Week 18 starter against the Ravens, Mike Tomlin said.

It could end up being straightforward in the NFC — the Buccaneers (at Panthers) and Packers (vs. Bears) have win-and-in contests — but there’s chaos if either falters. Remember, weird things do tend to happen in the final week.

⚾ Wander Franco arrested after failing to appear at summons

Rays shortstop Wander Franco was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Monday. The arrest stems from his failure to appear at a court summons last week, not from his alleged relationship with a minor that put him on MLB’s restricted list back in August.

• Last week, Franco did not appear at a summons at the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents to address allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with minors.
• Franco and his new attorneys met with prosecutors Monday morning to address the allegations. Franco will go before a judge by tomorrow at the latest.
• Per reports, at least two people have filed legal action against Franco; a third has accused him of improper behavior without seeking legal action.
• Dominican Republic authorities and MLB continue to investigate the allegations.

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

🏀 Bulls at 76ers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 No. 8 North Carolina at Pittsburgh (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Syracuse at No. 14 Duke (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Northwestern at No. 9 Illinois (M), 9 p.m. on BTN
🏀 Magic at Warriors, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 New Mexico at No. 13 Colorado State (M), 10:30 p.m. on FS1