Michigan remains the class of the Big Ten Conference and will once again represent the conference in the College Football Playoff after a 42-23 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday.
Below are three final thoughts from the Wolverines' win over the Boilermakers.
They are who we thought they were... (Michigan, of course)
Usually, this phrase, made famous by Dennis Green, is typically used with a negative connotation when talking about a team. However, in Michigan's case, they were exactly who we thought they would be for weeks now. Big Ten Champions and national championship contenders. Saturday's victory put the bow on one hell of a regular season for the Wolverines.
The work starts now.
If Michigan continues to play the way it has, consistently, all season, then there aren't many teams in the country that will be able to beat the Wolverines at its own game. This is why I love the match-up with TCU in the semi-finals.
We saw what the Wolverines were able to do in picking apart a (far more talented) Big 12 defensive scheme in Ohio State. I have zero doubts the Wolverines can do so again against TCU.
No Corum? No problem
While Michigan's offensive system isn't exactly plug-and-play at running back, it's getting to the point where it's pretty darn close. Give Donovan Edwards a ton of credit, the fringe five-star recruit is special and will be perfectly capable of carrying the load for the Wolverines on a full-time basis next season.
A little more refinement in his game such as seeing holes opening up in the line and the Wolverines can replace a guy like Blake Corum without issue.
It's very likely that Corum will not play in the semi-final game so Edwards will need to step up once again. Of course, this team is better with Corum in the lineup but, if Edwards continues to play as he has in the last two games, the running woes of the Illinois game will be a far-distant memory.
Will Johnson will be an All-American when all is said and done
Maybe it's a bit of a hot take but if you look at the freshman's body of work this season, Johnson has quickly turned into one of the Wolverines' best cover corners on the team with a team that's filled with a lot of them on the top-end.
The way Johnson tracks a ball, can pick off a route and has the smarts and savvy to shut down a team's best receiver on any given day, we are witnessing what could be a very lucrative U-M career for the Michigan legacy.
The game against Purdue proves that Johnson has yet to scratch the surface of his potential and is only getting started.
That, alone, is a scary thought for other Big Ten offenses.
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