The Michigan Wolverines won their first national championship since 1997 and it capped off a season that was nothing if not eventful.
How did the Wolverines get to the title game and win it with everything that surrounded the program this season?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Michigan Wolverines chase to the national championship.
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Michigan Wolverines roll through Jim Harbaugh’s first suspension
Harbaugh was suspended for the first three games of the season by Michigan because the school was being investigated for alleged recruiting violations when a dead period was imposed during COVID-19.
Harbaugh, trying to get ahead of any possible sanctions, took a self-imposed three-game suspension for his role in the violations the NCAA was investigating, which was purported as not cooperating or misleading NCAA investigators.
To fill in for Harbaugh, four different assistants took the role of interim head coaches in the first three games.
- Sept. 2, Game 1: Michigan, ranked No. 2, defeated East Carolina 30-3. Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy wore a “Free Harbaugh” shirt in warmups.
- Sept. 9, Game 2: Michigan defeated UNLV 35-7. Harbaugh ran the chains for his son’s high school football game.
- Sept. 16, Game 3: Michigan defeated Bowling Green, 31-6. Sherrone Moore was the assistant to coach the team during Harbaugh’s absence. We’ll hear his name again.
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Jim Harbaugh returns, Michigan begins to bully opponents
Michigan got through Harbaugh’s suspension by beating up on lesser teams. When his suspension was over, the Wolverines jumped right into the Big Ten schedule, against a lesser team.
- Sept. 23, Game 4: Michigan defeated Rutgers 31-7: The Wolverines had 201 yards rushing, averaging 5 yards a carry, and gave up 77 yards.
After that game, Michigan pummeled it’s next five opponents – Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue – by a combined score of 239-37.
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Connor Stalions issue and the Michigan Wolverines get big wins
Oct. 19: Yahoo Sports breaks story that Michigan is being investigated by the NCAA for impermissible in-person scouting.
Oct. 20: Connor Stalions, a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain who began working with the program in a formal capacity in May 2022 , was suspended by Michigan with pay for his alleged role in the sign-stealing.
Nov. 10: Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for his team’s three remaining regular-season games. Tony Petitti, the commissioner, said that the school had violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy.
With Harbaugh out, Moore is named interim head coach.
- Nov. 11, Game 10: Michigan beats Penn State 24-15. Corum ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
- Nov. 18, Game 11: Michigan beats Maryland 31-24: The first real scare of the season. Maryland got within five at the end of the third quarter, but Michigan’s defense shut it down the rest of the way. This was the 1,000th win for the Michigan program, the first school to get that many.
- Nov. 25, Game 12: Michigan beats Ohio State 30-24: Defensive back Rod Moore sealed the win with an interception in Michigan territory with 25 seconds left.
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Michigan gets into position to win the College Football Playoffs
- Dec. 2, Michigan beats Iowa 26-0: Harbaugh is back on the sideline and Michigan dominates an Iowa team that had trouble scoring all season in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. With Georgia losing to Alabama in the SEC championship, Michigan moves to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
- Jan. 1, Michigan beats Alabama 27-20: When Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was stopped near the goalline on fourth down in overtime, Michigan secured its first spot in the national championship game. Corum scored the winning touchdown on a 17-yard run on the second play for the win.
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Michigan Wolverines win the national championship
- Jan. 8, Michigan beats Washington 34-13: An interception on the first play of the second half by Michigan’s Will Johnson set the tone for how this game ended. Michigan was up 17-10 at that time, but the Wolverines began to assert control on defense at that point.