Michigan is a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff, heading into the postseason undefeated after its decisive 43-22 win over Purdue on Saturday in the Big 10 Championship game. But bringing a national title back to Ann Arbor for the first time since 1997 isn't the only motivation driving these Wolverines, with last season's blowout loss to Georgia in the CFP Semifinal continuing to sting.
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker was one of several Michigan stars who specifically called out the undefeated Bulldogs, itching for a rematch against the team broadly considered college football's best once again.
“We want revenge. We want to make up for our run last year,” he said after Saturday's game. “I know everyone's got that in their mind. This is amazing, I have no words for tonight, I'm so proud of everybody. But in the back of everyone's heads, we know what we need to do.”
Quarterback JJ McCarthy echoed those comments, specifying the Wolverines have been looking forward for another chance to beat the Bulldogs since the clock struck zero on their 34-11 loss a year ago.
“It drove me so much that this victory tonight doesn't really feel like anything,” he said. “That's something that's really hard to come by. I mean, back-to-back Big Ten championships is amazing, but that feeling that we had last year, this is just making sure that feeling never happens again. It was just a drive and a fire inside of us that was just ignited, and it's still burning.”
Unfortunately for Schoonmaker, McCarthy and their teammates, Michigan will have to wait to get revenge on Georgia until a possible matchup in the national championship game. The final CFP rankings were released on Sunday morning, with the No. 2 Wolverines set to face No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31st, while the top-ranked Bulldogs will tangle with fourth-ranked Ohio State at the Peach Bowl in the other CFP Semifinal.
College football fans have been waiting weeks for a possible showdown between Michigan and Georgia. The Wolverines have been waiting far longer, more motivated than ever to dethrone the Bulldogs after winning a second consecutive
Follow Us
Subscribe