'Glorious': Michigan ousts Alabama in OT in Rose Bowl, to play for national title

Pasadena, Calif. — The plan for Michigan had been laid out long before the season by team leader Blake Corum. It was all about, they said, national championship or bust.

Now, they’re closer than ever to fulfilling that dream.

The No. 1-ranked Wolverines (14-0) in their third-straight College Football Playoff national semifinal appearance, have finally advanced to the national title game after 27-20 overtime spectacle against No. 4 Alabama before 96,371 at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Michigan had lost its two previous national semfinal games.

Michigan will face No. 2 Washington (14-0) in the national semifinal on Jan. 8. Washington defeated No. 3 Texas, 37-31, in the Sugar Bowl in the late semifinal Monday.

Michigan overcame sloppy special-teams play with a muffled punt return that led to Alabama's first points, a missed extra point on a bad snap and a missed field goal, but the defense had six sacks, and Corum took over in the end, scoring the go-ahead 17-yard touchdown in overtime, setting the table for the defense to take care of stopping Alabama.

"Great way to start the new year off," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Glorious. That was glorious. It was a tremendous football game. Congratulate Alabama on a terrific game and their great players and coaching staff and teir fans. It was an epic game. Glorious is how I feel. That was a tremendous win."

Derrick Moore stuffed Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe on fourth-and-three to end the game, unleashing the Michigan players from the sideline to storm the field in celebration.

"We kinda expected the quarterback to keep the ball," defensive tackle Mason Graham said. "We felt like they were going to live or die with the quarterback, so that’s what they did. We antipicated it, had a good play call and everyone played sound defense and we got it done."

It was a remarkable victory for Michigan that overcame special-teams miscues and an uneven offensive performance and relied on its defense that sacked Milroe six times, twice by Braiden McGregor.

More:Niyo: Michigan keeps J.J. McCarthy's promise, but 'job's not finished'

"It means everything," said McGregor, who starred in high school at Port Huron Northern. "Growing up I had a newspaper on my wall of Charles Woodson, hanging up, biting a rose, and that was before I played football. Tonight I walked off with a rose in my mouth."

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy was 17-of-27 for 221 yards and three touchdowns, including one to Corum. Corum had 19 carries for 83 yards and the touchdown and Wilson caught four passes for 73 yards and the game-tying touchdown.

"It just means everything," McCarthy said. "Just think about how far we've come, all the hardships that we went through as a team and as a brotherhood. Just being able to do it on this stage. It's been 26 years since Michigan won in this building (when Michigan's unbeaten 1997 team won the AP national championship). It's just amazing the way it happened, but ultimately it's everything that Coach said. We can't do it without the unity that we have. Everything that we went through this entire year made us unbreakble, and in the biggest moments, we were going to show up."

The adversity McCarthy referred to involved Harbaugh's two suspensions that covered six regular-season games this season, the first three games as part of a school-imposed suspension relating to an NCAA investigation into impermissable recruiting visits in 2021, and the final three games imposed by the Big Ten for a violation of the Sportsmanship Policy relating to an NCAA investigation into an alleged illegal scouting/sign-stealing scheme.

Alabama won the toss in overtime and chose to defend. Michigan needed two plays, and they were all Corum, who scored on a 17-yard run to give the Wolverines a 27-20 lead. Corum set Michigan’s all-time rushing touchdown record with that score, the 56^th of his career, breaking Anthony Thomas’ (1997-2000) record.

"It was a team effort," Corum said. "We're going to deal with adversity here. We had some adversity today, a little sloppy, but we came together as one. I'm my brothers' keeper, and I know my brothers had my back, and I told them, if we score this thing and go to overtime, we're going to win, and we came out on top."

The Crimson Tide got its chance and reached the Michigan 9-yard line before a key defensive play by Mason Graham, who threw running back Jase McClellan, who scored twice in regulation, for a five-yard loss making it third-and-14.

"That was one of the best moments of my life," Graham said of is sack, one of Michigan's six. "Everyone went crazy. I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life."

A pass from Milroe for an 11-yard gain made it fourth-and-three at Michigan’s 3-yard line. Then Moore made the game-ending stop.

It had been a sluggish second half for Michigan's offense that had been held to 23 yards in the third quarter and 41 until 4:41 left in the game. Michigan trailed 20-13 after Alabama had scored 10 unanswered points and the Wolverines tied the game, 20-20, after starting from their 25-yard line on their most efficient and critical drive of the game.

After consecutive runs from Corum, an incompletion from McCarthy made it fourth-and-two. McCarthy threw to Corum for a 35-yard gain but a block in the back call on Wilson for a 10-yard penalty gave Michigan a first down from the 50. On back-to-back big plays, McCarthy ran for 16 yards and then he hit Wilson for a 29-yard gain. Two plays later, Wilson scored on a four-yard pass from McCarthy with 1:34 left. The drive went 75 yards on eight plays.

"It was one of those games I had to keep my head in the game, keep going," Wilson said. "I kept telling myself, 'Bro, be ready, be ready."

The Tide had regained the lead, 17-13, in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter after an 18-yard run by Milroe reached the Michigan 3-yard line. Jase McClellan scored on the three-yard run, his second touchdown of the game.

Michigan went three-and out, but then got a break on the Tide’s next drive. Quinten Johnson forced a fumble from Milroe recovered by Josh Wallace, giving Michigan the ball as its 49-yard line. McCarthy completed a 20-yard play to Roman Wilson. The Wolverines reached the Alabama 31 but James Turner missed left on a 49-yard field goal.

Alabama added to its lead on a 52-yard field goal from Will Reichard, his second make of the game, with 4:41 left in the game.

For the Wolverines, this was the next step in fulfilling Corum's "natty or bust" promise from before the season.

"This is a game I’ve dreamed about since high school since I committed here, just like everybody else," Wilson said. "Just all the work, all the grind, all those long days, all the tough days, all the adversity, everything this team had to deal with and overcame, it all showed up today. This team’s amazing. I can’t stop saying I’m so proud of this team for what we’ve built. I hope it stays a long time, and I hope we can go get that next one next week."

achengelis@detoitnews.com

@chengelis