HOUSTON — That extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season is paying off for the teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday night.
Among Washington’s 22 offensive and defensive starters, seven are in their sixth seasons and seven are in their fifth. Michigan has one starter in his sixth season and eight in their fifth.
“It’s one of the factors in both teams getting here,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said Saturday. “Guys have been through a lot. Guys have played a lot of football. They’re experienced, and you see it show up in key situations where older players tend to understand how to handle the moment better than young players.”
Washington has five sixth-year players and four fifth-year players who start on defense, and co-defensive coordinator William Inge said he’s certain that experience played a role in the Huskies’ ability to stop Texas when it drove deep into their territory in the final seconds of a 37-31 win at the Sugar Bowl semifinal on New Year’s Day.
“When you have individuals who have sweat equity in your program, playing time and maturity, they understand how to win, how to practice, how to prepare,” Inge said. “That’s something we’re getting to experience right now.”