JJ McCarthy shares how he prepared for overtime playoff matchup

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy led the Wolverines on a late touchdown drive in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl against Alabama. That score forced overtime where Michigan ultimately won the game.

After the Rose Bowl win, McCarthy shared how he prepared for that overtime situation in a Playoff matchup.

“Yeah, you know, just having the month that we had to prepare, I just wanted to leave no stone unturned,” JJ McCarthy said. “Going back to 2017, 2018, 2019, all the way up until the present moment, just making sure that I was locked in on all cylinders in every situation, fourth quarter, overtime, 4th down, and that big completion to Blake [Corum]. Just everything about it was just making sure I was the most prepared guy on the field so I could go out there and help my teammates as best I can.”

In the end, McCarthy didn’t need to throw the ball in overtime. Michigan scored quickly, only running two plays, both of which were hand-offs to running back Blake Corum. After that smash-mouth drive, the defense got a stop and Michigan won in a single overtime.

Still, JJ McCarthy was clearly prepared for the moment and his impact was felt throughout the game. That impact is why his head coach, Jim Harbaugh, said he’s the best quarterback Michigan and college football as a whole has ever seen.

“I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in University of Michigan — college football history,” Harbaugh said. “Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT. He lapped the field when it comes to that. But in a college career there’s been nobody at Michigan better than JJ.”

JJ McCarthy on beating an SEC team to reach national championship

In the history of the College Football Playoff, six of the nine champions have been from the SEC. That won’t be the case this season, though, after Michigan knocked out Alabama and the final SEC team standing.

For JJ McCarthy, beating an SEC school to reach the national championship was a huge deal.

“It just means everything. 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, and the second most appearance out of any college in the entire country playing in this game,” McCarthy said.

“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 unbreakable, and in the biggest moments we were going to show up.”