Washington Beats Texas 37-31 In Sugar Bowl, Advances To Face Michigan In College Football Playoff Title Game
Jan 1, 2024, 11:10 PM | Updated: Jan 2, 2024, 2:07 pm
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) – Michael Penix Jr. passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns, and Washington held off Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night to advance to the College Football Playoff championship game, earning both the sixth-year quarterback with two surgically repaired knees and the beleaguered Pac-12 one more game this season.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS 🔥
Michigan vs. Washington in H-Town for the Natty 🏆 pic.twitter.com/K3v5kYniBC
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2024
The second-ranked Huskies (14-0) will face No. 1 Michigan next Monday night in Houston, looking for their first national championship since 1991 and the Pac-12’s first since Southern California in 2004. Washington is one of 10 schools fleeing the Pac-12 for other Power Five conferences next year, with the Huskies headed to join Michigan in the Big Ten.
But first, the final season of the four-team playoff before expansion to 12 in 2024 comes down to a Pac-12-Big Ten matchup, just like the first when Ohio State beat Oregon.
This is the play that secured Washington's berth to the national title game.
🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/YLDSUwRmFZ
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 2, 2024
No. 3 Texas (12-2) had four shots at the end zone after getting to the UW 12 with 15 seconds left, but Quinn Ewers missed on the last three. The final throw was a fade to a well-covered Adonai Mitchell that sailed long.
In Texas’ first CFP appearance and final football game as a member of the Big 12 before it goes to the Southeastern Conference, Ewers passed for 318 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t enough against Penix and his array of talented receivers.
