Though neither school will finish with as many wins or boast as many NFL Draft picks as last year, Saturday night's matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies offers a ton of intrigue, if only because the two teams that played in last year's College Football Playoff National Championship Game are now Big Ten rivals.

This time around, the game won't be played at a neutral site in Houston, Texas. It'll be played at Husky Stadium in front of 70,000 fans who will be eager to see Washington exact some revenge against Michigan. The good news for head coach Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines is their two of their most impactful defensive stars are likely to return to the lineup after missing last week's controversial win over Minnesota.

Per senior college football reporter Matt Zenitz:

“There’s continued optimism that Michigan will end up having both star cornerback Will Johnson and star EDGE Josaiah Stewart back today vs. Washington after both were out last week vs. Minnesota, sources tell 247Sports/CBSSports.”

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For good reason, Will Johnson is considered by many to be the best player in college football regardless of position. In four games this season, Will Johnson has logged 11 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Johnson has 9 interceptions in his two-plus seasons with the Wolverines, including one on the first play of the 2nd half in the National Championship Game versus Washington this past January.

Josaiah Stewart had an impactful performance the last time he played the Huskies as well, finishing with 5 tackles in the title game. This season, the former Coastal Carolina transfer has gotten off to a hot start, notching 14 tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in his first four games of the season.

With Johnson and Stewart back in action, it's possible that even on the road in hostile territory, Michigan's defense will be able to smother a struggling Washington offense that is only averaging 25 points per game this season under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch. Michigan's offensive struggles have been well-documented, but since turning to Alex Orji, the Wolverines have relied even more heavily on a rushing attack that is averaging nearly 200 yards per game.