After it ended so quickly, where do you start?
With the opening drive, where Georgia ripped through Michigan’s defense? With Michigan’s failure to respond?
With Stetson Bennett’s first nine passes, all of which were completed? With Hassan Haskins’ first five carries, which totaled 13 yards?
With Cade McNamara’s poor decisions under duress? With Michigan’s pass rush that wasn’t?
Everywhere you looked, the Wolverines were strangled with one of their strengths. And the Bulldogs’ blemishes vanished. Did they ever even have any? Georgia is bigger, stronger and faster, and Michigan wasn’t nearly good enough to overcome it in a 34-11 loss in the Orange Bowl.
"Wasn’t our best,” said Jim Harbaugh, "but certainly was theirs.”
It's not that Michigan lacks talent. It brought the best offensive line in the country to Miami, the Joe Moore Award winners who helped Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum pile up yards while keeping McNamara clean all season. But Georgia showed up in Miami with the best front seven in modern history, featuring three probable first-round picks. Combined, Haskins and Corum hadn’t been held to fewer than 90 rushing yards in a game this year; they were held under 50 on Friday. McNamara hadn't been sacked more than twice; he was sacked four times in three quarters on Friday.
Michigan had to be perfect. It wasn’t. That includes the game plan. On defense, its linebackers were exploited in coverage. Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, its own first-round talents up front, were neutralized by Georgia’s quick passing game. On offense, nearly every yard was a struggle. Michigan’s protection broke down under pressure -- and pressure came often in the face of so many passing downs. Michigan faced third and 16 more often than it faced third and short.
“Gotta give them credit,” said Harbaugh. “They executed well. Their game plan was good, and we weren’t able to keep pace.”
Michigan wanted to run the ball and Georgia knew it. A group of Wolverines took the field in warmups wearing t-shirts that literally spelled things out: Run The Damn Ball. So Georgia stopped the damn run. And perhaps it stalled the coronation of Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis after he was named the top assistant coach in the country this season -- over former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.
"There was a little chip on the shoulder of the defensive guys," said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. "Their offensive coordinator is the Ryan Broyles Award winner over Coach Lanning, who we think did a hell of a job."
Michigan wanted to rush the passer and Georgia heard it. Smart said the Bulldogs' starting offensive tackles "listened to everybody talk about those guys rushing, and they're good pass protectors." Left tackle Jamaree Salyer said before the game he wanted Hutchinson's best and then he gave Hutchinson his own. Right tackle Warren McClendon kept Ojabo off the stat sheet altogether.
"Their offensive line, the Joe Moore Award, somebody made that decision that's a lot smarter than me," said Smart. "But we've got a hell of an offensive line, too."
Georgia, it turns out, has a hell of a team. Michigan was a hell of a team this season, in every sense of the word. The players came together last winter and resolved to change the trajectory of the program. They succeeded. The buzz around Michigan is back. But Georgia is a buzzsaw and the Wolverines weren't at their best. It was a story of stolen strengths, over as soon as it began.
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