Paul Finebaum explains why Washington upsetting Michigan would be surprising

Paul Finebaum isn’t confident in the Huskies. Ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship, the SEC Network analyst admitted he isn’t expecting Washington to defeat Michigan.

“I would be (surprised),” Finebaum said. “They’re a really good team but they were also on the verge the other night of maybe the biggest choke job I’ve ever seen and that concerns me the way they let that game get away.

“I think Steve Sarkisian wasted way too much time. He had a couple key fumbles but he could have done a lot more running on them, attacking them and he didn’t.

Washington entered the fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl with a convincing 10-point lead against the Texas Longhorns. However, with one second left in the game, Texas was 13 yards away from stunning the Huskies in comeback fashion.

In the fourth quarter alone, Texas rattled off 251 total yards. Further, the Longhorns boasted this offensive explosion without a ground game. Texas only rushed the ball seven times for a combined 35 yards in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Michigan ready to use its ground game

Finebaum believes Michigan will utilize its rushing attack far more than Texas. Further, Finebaum claims the Wolverines will find success due to their size.

“They’re a phenomenal team but I really worry about how Washington sets up against the physicality of Michigan,” Finebaum said. “Again, maybe I’m a little bit biased having just gotten back and watched on the sidelines, Michigan manhandled a team that I thought was in much better shape, much faster. None of that turned out to be true.”

It won’t be easy to slow down Michigan’s rushing barrage. The team averages 159.5 rushing yards per game, but has relied more on its ground game as the season dwindles. Michigan ran the ball 43 times against Alabama for a total 172 yards.

Michigan running back Blake Corum alone exploded for 83 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Finebaum isn’t the only one who knows Michigan’s physicality will challenge Washington. Nonetheless, former Washington QB Brock Huard still has faith in his alma mater.

“Washington has faced — with Texas and with Oregon twice — they have faced defenses, who to a man, are bigger, stronger, faster, longer, mix schemes, show different things, well coached, they have seen it,” Huard told On3’s Andy Staples.

“They have seen it with both Texas, who had five weeks to get ready for them and with Oregon in their own conference three times in a calendar year and could not handle them.”