Blowouts, scandals, and perfection: How Michigan reached the College Football Playoff

Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Roman Wilson (1), Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) and Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrate a successful trick play as Michigan hosts Ohio State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25 2023.Jacob Hamilton | jhamilt3@mlive.com

Playoff, on the field, was relatively smooth. The Wolverines are 13-0 and enter their Jan. 1 Rose Bowl matchup with Alabama as the No. 1 seed.

Off the field has been a different story. Head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the school for the first three regular-season games and by the Big Ten for the last three.

Michigan was hardly challenged until November and stepped up in its biggest games. Below is a game-by-game recap of how Michigan made it to Pasadena.

East Carolina (Sep. 2): The opening statement

Many Michigan fans were scrambling to figure out how to find Peacock, as the season opener against East Carolina was Michigan’s first-ever game on a streaming-only platform. Those who were able to watch witnessed a sign of things to come: a dominant defense and highly efficient quarterback play in a 30-3 win at Michigan Stadium.

J.J. McCarthy completed 26 of 30 passes with three touchdowns, all to wide receiver Roman Wilson, and Blake Corum added a touchdown on the ground. McCarthy wore a “FREE HARBAUGH” shirt before and after the game, and he and the rest of the offense saluted their suspended coach by lining up in a single-file formation and holding up four fingers (a reference to Harbaugh’s jersey number during his playing days) before a first-quarter snap. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was the acting head coach.

Michigan’s shutout bid ended on an East Carolina field goal with three seconds left. The Pirates finished the season 2-10.

UNLV (Sep. 9): A similar script

Michigan’s second game looked a lot like the first, from the score to the stats, as Michigan breezed past visiting UNLV 35-7. McCarthy was 22 for 25 and found Wilson for two touchdowns, while Corum ran for three scores. Special teams coach Jay Harbaugh was the acting head coach for the first half and running backs coach Mike Hart handled the second half.

The Rebels did not score until a 20-yard touchdown run with 2:43 left. After there was some mild concern over the Wolverines not registering any sacks in the opener, they recorded five against UNLV. The Rebels ended up surprising people with a 9-3 regular-season record and appearance in the Mountain West championship game, where they lost to Boise State.

Bowling Green (Sep. 16): Primetime vs. former Wolverine

Scot Loeffler, a former Michigan quarterback and assistant coach, brought his Bowling Green team to the Big House for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Falcons gave Michigan a first half scare, trailing by just a point late into the second quarter and 14-6 at half before losing 31-6. McCarthy finally looked human, throwing interceptions on back-to-back possessions (he finished with three). In between, Michigan lost a fumble on a kickoff return.

With Bowling Green’s starting quarterback ruled out before the game and the backup knocked out early, Michigan’s defense took advantage, forcing three turnovers and holding the visitors to just 205 total yards. Michigan outscored Bowling Green 17-0 in the third quarter. Offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was Michigan’s acting head coach in the final game (so we thought at the time) without Harbaugh.

Rutgers (Sep. 23): A stunner, then a stomping

One minute into Michigan’s Big Ten opener, on the third play from scrimmage, Rutgers hit a 69-yard touchdown on a short slant pass to stun the Michigan Stadium crowd. The Wolverines responded with 31 unanswered points for a 31-7 victory.

Harbaugh, in his 2023 debut on the sideline, could look at the box score and smile: His team cracked 200 yards on the ground and through the air. Mike Sainristil had an impressive 71-yard interception return for a score. Corum added two more rushing touchdowns to boost his total to eight through four games.

Nebraska (Sep. 30): A complete husking

Any folks concerned about Michigan’s offense liked what they saw on a hot afternoon in Lincoln. In their first road game of the season, the Wolverines shredded Nebraska for 436 yards in a 45-7 win.

The Cornhuskers entered the game with the nation’s best run defense, and Michigan ran wild. The highlight of the game, however, was Wilson’s touchdown grab to open the scoring in which he somehow pinned the ball to the back of the helmet of a defender as they landed in the end zone.

Minnesota (Oct. 7): The Little Brown Juggernaut

Michigan’s defense outscored the Minnesota offense in a primetime matchup in Minneapolis. On the second play from scrimmage, Will Johnson intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. Keon Sabb did the same late in the third quarter, and Michigan mauled the Golden Gophers 52-10 to retain the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota managed just 169 yards of offense

Indiana (Oct. 14): One heck of a run

It was hard to believe afterwards, but Indiana actually led in this game. In fact, the Hoosiers were the first to lead against Michigan beyond the first quarter. That was all easily forgotten after Michigan’s 52-7 victory.

The Wolverines smothered both of Indiana’s quarterbacks and the run game, forcing four turnovers in the process. Michigan completed 19 of 22 passes, four of which went for scores (Jack Tuttle was 5 for 5 with a touchdown), while running back Donovan Edwards found the end zone for the first time since the previous season’s Big Ten championship.

Michigan State (Oct. 21): A blowout for Bunyan

Two days before the game at Michigan State, reports surfaced that Michigan was under NCAA investigation for alleged improper scouting and filming opponents’ sidelines in what became known as the sign-stealing scandal. The Spartans were made aware of the allegations and, as a result, supposedly changed the way they signaled plays. Michigan suspended analyst Connor Stalions.

The Wolverines played angry — or at least very focused — that Saturday night at Spartan Stadium and won 49-0 for their first shutout since the third game of 2022 against Connecticut. A day before National Tight Ends Day in the NFL, Michigan’s tight ends were the leading receivers, with A.J. Barner and Colston Loveland combining for 12 catches for 178 yards and three touchdowns as Michigan kept the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

Sainristil had another long interception return (72 yards) for a touchdown, giving Michigan four pick-6s against just three passing touchdowns allowed on the season. The Spartans managed just 10 first downs and 182 yards of offense. There were no incidents after the game.

Purdue (Nov. 4): Dominant amid the noise

Michigan had a bye week after Michigan State, during which details dripped seemingly hourly about the sign-stealing saga. Stalions resigned. Certain Big Ten coaches reportedly demanded swift punishment.

The players blocked out the noise and delivered another strong performance on the field, beating Purdue in a home night game 41-13. Corum had three more short touchdown runs — he’s money near the goal line — and McCarthy threw for 335 yards, 143 of which went to Wilson. Purdue hit a 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 18 seconds left to reach the end zone for the first time.

Penn State (Nov. 11): First serious test

As dominant as Michigan had been to this point, it was reasonable to note the schedule was not all that challenging. Penn State was ranked No. 10 in the country, so a trip there was by far the biggest test to date for the Wolverines.

They passed, winning 24-15 despite Harbaugh learning after he’d arrived in State College that he’d been suspended — this time by the Big Ten — for the remaining regular-season games. (Moore filled in as acting coach.) The Wolverines, through their apparel and attitude, embraced “Michigan vs. Everybody.”

Michigan ran the ball on 32 straight offensive plays to end the game, not attempting an official pass in the entire second half (the lone throw was wiped out by defensive pass interference). Edwards and Corum had scores of 22 and 30 yards, respectively, with the latter giving Michigan a 24-9 lead with 4:15 left.

Maryland (Nov. 18): Late-season scare

Michigan survived a scare in its final game before The Game. Playing at Maryland, the Wolverines got points from their offense, defense (fumble return), and special teams (blocked punt for safety) in a span of 1:47. They led 23-3, but Maryland capped three long drives with one-yard touchdown runs from its backup quarterback, who was specifically brought in for QB sneaks. The last one cut Michigan’s lead to 29-24 entering the fourth, but Michigan held on for a 31-24 win.

Maryland was hit with its second safety — this one for intentional grounding in the end zone — for the game’s final points, and Sainristil had two second-half interceptions. Michigan had entered the game outscoring opponents 117-0 in the third quarter but finally cracked in this one, allowing two touchdowns. This was Michigan’s NCAA-leading 1,000th win. No. 1,001 would be even sweeter.

Ohio State (Nov. 25): Three in a row

With Ohio State driving with a chance to win, Rod Moore’s interception at the Michigan 21-yard line set off an eruption on the home sideline. Minutes later, many fans would rush the Michigan Stadium field to celebrate a 30-24 victory, Michigan’s third straight over the Buckeyes.

Just like the past two years, a trip to the Big Ten championship was on the line. Both teams were 12-0, with the Buckeyes ranked second and Michigan third. With the conference expanding and doing with divisions next season and the playoff swelling to 12 teams, the stakes may never be higher than they were, at least in the regular season, in this year’s version of the rivalry.

Will Johnson’s first-quarter interception set up the game’s first score, Roman Wilson had another highlight touchdown catch, and kicker James Turner was clutch all afternoon, hitting a 50-yard field goal and a 37-yarder with 1:05 left for the game’s final points. Once again, the Wolverines were headed to Indianapolis.

Iowa (Dec. 2): A three-peat in Indy

Iowa had the country’s worst offense (by yards per game), Michigan had the best defense (by points allowed), and the Big Ten championship went about as expected. Michigan won 26-0.

The Wolverines didn’t generate a ton of offense, also not terribly surprising considering Iowa’s strong defense. Four Turner field goals, two Corum touchdowns (giving him 55 for his career and tying with Anthony Thomas for the program record), and three fumble recoveries were more than enough. Sainristil was the game’s MVP.

Harbaugh returned to the sideline and ended up on the winner’s stage at Lucas Oil Stadium again, though he let offensive lineman Zak Zinter — who broke his leg against Ohio State — accept the championship trophy from Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

Michigan’s win and Georgia’s loss to Alabama in the SEC championship earlier that day pushed Michigan to No. 1 in the final playoff rankings, setting up the Rose Bowl showdown with Alabama.