Michigan Outlasts Alabama in an Overtime Thriller at the Rose Bowl To Advance to the National Championship Game

For three and a half quarters, the Rose Bowl felt like a September Big Ten West game. We had seven fumbles, seemingly a dozen blown opportunities to take control of the game from both sides and neither team really looked interested in playing for a national championship.

Then a thriller broke out.

Michigan went 75 yards in eight plays to tie the game late in the fourth quarter on a drive which included a 4th and 2 from the Wolverines' own 33-yard line. It then forced an Alabama punt which was muffed and barely kept out of the end zone for what would have been the game-winning safety. It took everything in UM's power as well as some incredible luck just to get this game to overtime.

Once this game went to the extra period, however, it looked much more like a truncated version of the heavyweight bout we were expecting. Michigan scored in just two plays before Bama took its turn with the season on the line. It all came down to a 4th and goal from the 3-yard line for the Crimson Tide with a chance to extend the game ...

Wow. Not sure that's the play I would have gone with if my center had been messing up snaps the entire game, but I guess that's why I'm not on the sideline making the big bucks.

It seemed for 55 minutes like Michigan's mistakes were going to be the story of this game, but the Wolverines somehow found a way to make the plays they needed when it counted the most and will now play for a national championship to cap off a tumultuous season. It would be easy to point to all the miscues from UM in this game, but you have to feel good if you're a Wolverines fan knowing how much better this team can play against Texas or Washington.

And I'd imagine it feels pretty good to win a million-dollar bet, too.