College Football

Washington's offense vs. Michigan's D, and other key matchups in CFP title game

Updated Jan. 5, 2024 11:56 a.m. ET

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:

Washington's offensive line vs. Michigan's defensive line

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.

Kris Jenkins and Jaylen Harrell are the most impressive of the bunch, but you can pick out any of Braiden McGregor, Mason Graham or a host of others who are capable of having an impact at any moment. Despite being at a notable size disadvantage in the Rose Bowl, the group notched seven sacks against Alabama's OL, five of them in the first half.

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Michigan DBs Will Johnson and Rod Moore vs. Washington WR Rome Odunze

Odunze is the big-play threat for the Huskies, leading the country with a whopping 63 receptions of more than 10 yards. He tortured Texas defensive backs throughout the Sugar Bowl, and even when he wasn't catching bombs down the field, wound up drawing several pass-interference calls. Johnson won't exclusively have coverage one-on-one against Odunze, but he is the Wolverines' top option when it comes to slowing down the Biletnikoff Award runner-up. Moore, who locked up the win over Ohio State with an interception and was key to limiting Alabama's threats over the middle in the Rose Bowl, will need to provide help over the top and ensure nothing gets past him. Don't be surprised if the pair brackets the star receiver quite a bit as well.

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy vs. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

These are the two names on the marquee for the title game, the ones you'll see in every promo, and where all the TV cameras will be trained on before, during and after kickoff at NRG Stadium. Though they will not directly go up against each other, the two signal-callers will do so in a way, given how they're capable of controlling the pace of the game. Should Penix, who is trying to lead the country in passing as he wins a ring, hit some of those big plays down the field early and find the end zone with some quick strikes, that could put more pressure on McCarthy to press a bit and try to match. That's not Michigan's game, however, and it will be interesting to see just what version of the quarterback we see on Monday — the one not trusted to throw a pass against Penn State, or the one who threw for three scores against Alabama? Don't discount how much this will play into the NFL's thinking about the pair, either, as the victor could emerge as QB3 in the upcoming draft.

Joel Klatt breaks down Washington's dominant offense

Washington WRs Jalen McMillan and Ja'Lynn Polk vs. Michigan DBs Mike Sainristil, Josh Wallace and Makari Paige

The thing that really makes the UW offense dangerous, and a key reason the team leads the country in passing yardage, is the presence Odunze's running mates McMillan and Polk. The latter has been a really strong presence and should be capable of handling any sort of physical press from Wolverines DBs, but it is McMillan who is the real difference-maker. He battled health issues off and on this season, but when in the lineup he is a game-changer with his ability to get into and out of routes over the middle. Sainristil and company are terrific at forcing you to be uncomfortable in the passing game and know just when to hang off in order to pick off balls that are not delivered with 100% accuracy. Odunze rightfully gets the attention in Washington's passing game, but a title game like this will need his fellow wideouts to step up and make some big plays — especially on third down — too.

Washington RB Dillon Johnson vs. Michigan LB Junior Colson

Johnson notably suffered an injury on the final drive of the Sugar Bowl, but he is expected to play on Monday night according to head coach Kalen DeBoer. That's big for the Huskies, because, for as much attention as their prolific passing game gets, the Mississippi State transfer has proven to be the critical piece in providing a bit of balance so that opponents cannot just drop eight defenders back into coverage. In addition to not quite being 100% for the title game, Johnson will also have to contend with Colson roaming around as a tackling machine who goes sideline-to-sideline. He's a big body at 6-foot-3 and is adept at shooting the right gap to meet running backs in the backfield before they even get a chance to get going.

National championship keys for Michigan's defense

Michigan OL Karsen Barnhart and Trente Jones vs. Washington DL Tuli Letuligasenoa and Zion Tupuola-Fetui

The loss of All-American guard Zak Zinter in the Ohio State game forced a bit of a reshuffle along the right side of Michigan's offensive line, but they held up well in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa and were superb in keeping McCarthy upright against a host of SEC bodies in the Rose Bowl. Edge rusher Bralen Trice has been the most impressive of the Huskies defenders this year but ‘ZTF' and Letuligasenoa will be pivotal in controlling the line of scrimmage against the still suspect right side of the line.

Michigan WR Roman Wilson and TE Colston Loveland vs. Washington DBs Jabbar Muhammad and Asa Turner

This Wolverines side will hardly be confused with an Air Raid attack, but does have some weapons that are capable of turning in big plays. Wilson is the team's top option in the passing game and made several critical catches despite some imperfect ball placement in the semifinal last week. He's excellent at running sharp-breaking routes and knows how to efficiently use his leverage when defensive backs get into him. Loveland is far more of a threat getting up the seam than he is as an extra blocker, but his flexibility in moving around the formation can ensure he gets a favorable matchup over the middle. Both will need to bring their A-game against the UW secondary, which made some excellent plays in the red zone to preserve the win against Texas.

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Washington LB Edefuan Ulofoshio vs. Michigan RB Blake Corum

In many respects, Ulofoshio is the quarterback of Washington's defense and directs traffic like the best of them as a sixth-year senior who has seen plenty during his time on Montlake. He's a sure tackler and is surprisingly quick when shooting a gap on a blitz, too. He'll have his hands full shadowing Corum, however, who makes the Wolverines offense tick and makes Michigan unbeatable (31-0) when he finds the end zone.

Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.

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