A pair of relative newcomers to the College Football Playoff scene will battle to leave their mark on the postseason’s 2022 edition when No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU square off in the Fiesta Bowl for a spot in the national championship.
While Georgia is the reigning champion and Ohio State has made the CFP in three of the past four seasons, TCU is making its playoff debut and Michigan just made its first-ever playoff appearance last season. The showdown between the Wolverines and the Horned Frogs will also mark the first time the two programs have played in football, and you could not ask for higher stakes or a better setting for the series’ first meeting.
Michigan’s 13-0 campaign was powered by a ruthless efficiency on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines are one of just two top-10 teams in both scoring offense and scoring defense. That well-rounded dominance was on full display when Michigan went into Columbus and handed rival Ohio State a 45-23 defeat, the second win in as many years against the Buckeyes for eighth-year coach Jim Harbaugh.
But while Harbaugh has spent nearly a decade building the program to this peak of beating Ohio State, winning Big Ten titles and making the College Football Playoff, Sonny Dykes has soared with TCU to the top of the sport in just his first season. TCU, 5-7 in 2021, finished the regular season 12-0 before falling in overtime to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game. That seven-win turnaround has been powered by one of the most explosive offenses in the country, a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback in Max Duggan and a team that has shown resiliency in tough spots with a 5-1 record in one-score games.
Michigan’s dominance over its opponents has made it the favorite, but there’s plenty more about this matchup that stands out before we get to picking the game.
Michigan vs. TCU: Need to know
Donovan Edwards carrying the load: Michigan running back Blake Corum was a Heisman Trophy candidate before a knee injury vs. Illinois on Nov. 19 effectively ended his 2022 campaign. Though he suited up for the regular-season finale vs. Ohio State, he logged just two carries while Donovan Edwards took over the top running back duties. Despite missing the Big Ten Championship Game, Corum’s 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns are still good enough to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
Having Corum would be preferable to not having him…
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