Michigan vs. Washington Expectations (Hour 3)

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Get six times longer lasting freshness plus odor protection with Downy Unstoppables in wash scent beads. Rock and roll in our number three of our radio program. That's right. It is the Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. I'm coming to you live from H-Town, Houston. National championship game tonight. I'll be in the building NRG Stadium. The Michigan Wolverines up against the Washington Huskies. Can't wait for the game. We're ready to roll. We're ready to see the game. And I'll give you my prediction. We'll get Moist Mike's prediction as well.

We'll get Stu's prediction coming up in a matter of moments. But we do know our seven playoff teams in the AFC, seven playoff teams in the NFC. Playoffs? Playoffs?

You kidding me? When we get to those matchups and we take a look at everything that transpired in week 18, we know the Browns are going to play the Texans. That's a 50-50 game. Dolphins play the Chiefs. I think the Dolphins are alive to upset the Chiefs even though it would make no sense after what we saw from the Dolphins just last night. The Steelers play the Bills. You would anticipate the Bills would win the game, but you can't really trust the Buffalo Bills.

But somehow, someway, when it looked like for a majority of the season they were going to disappoint, they were going to miss the playoffs. Not only did they go 11-6, not only did they win the AFC East, but now they're the number two seed in the AFC playoffs. So all that takes is Baltimore, who's the best team in the league right now, going down in the divisional round and the next thing you know Buffalo takes care of business and they could have a home AFC championship game. And then you also have the Packers-Cowboys, which is going to be awesome. Rams-Lions, awesome. And then Eagles-Buckoneers.

I think that's the worst game of the weekend. Like, you could maybe argue the Steelers, Mason Rudolph, I know he's been better as of late, they have a good defense. But Eagles and Bucks, both of those teams, like I'll give credit to Tampa Bay.

Let's not crap on Tampa Bay, I was about to do that for a second. Baker Mayfield's been a good story. They actually won more games this year than they did last year. And last year they had the GOAT in Tom Brady. Guys like Antoine Winfield Jr., Lavonte David, they have been just phenomenal for the Bucks.

And you've been able to see that. They win the division. Week 17 really meant nothing. I know they could have won the division in week 17. But they knew in their back pocket they had the most pathetic team in the NFL this year in the Carolina Panthers.

It's not like they had some great performance yesterday. Their defense did a great job up against an offense that has been incompetent. And their offense just didn't allow the other team's defense, which is also really good, to get a pick six. Or get a fumble recovery. You know, that game could have been a whole lot more interesting if DJ Chart just held onto the football. Because he was at the one, reached out, and then the ball fumbled into the end zone and the Bucks were able to get a touchback on it. But this Tampa Bay team, they are a three-point underdog. And it's kind of unfathomable that the Eagles are a three-point favorite against anyone in the NFL right now. Because Philadelphia has just been, maybe in the last five, six weeks of the season, the biggest train wreck in the NFL. You know, you want to hear something crazy?

You want to talk about a bad beat? A buddy of mine that I went to college with, Jared, he's actually Phil Martelli's nephew. And he's a local TV guy now. He does a good job.

I'm a big fan of my buddy Jared Phillips. He placed a future, he's an Eagle fan, he placed a future before the season started on the Eagles under 11 and a half wins. Now when they were 10 and 1, you would have never thought that he would cash that ticket. The Eagles, when they were 10 and 1, have only won one game since then. And now they're 11 and 6.

So he ended up hitting that bet. But to lose to the Giants is one thing. To get blown out by the Giants, and I know AJ Brown got hurt, and I know that Jalen Hurts had a finger injury. But for that game to be non-competitive at halftime, and you call off the dogs, and you know that your team has no shot, it just shows you that there's a bigger problem in Philadelphia. It shows you that there is an internal problem, and a chemistry problem, and a disconnect in that locker room. And at least AJ Brown did talk about it last week, and he said it was on the players, he said it wasn't a coaching issue. But the more and more you see from this team, there is a disconnect not only with the players, but there's a disconnect with the players and the coaching staff. And the Eagles went from a team last year, where everything was right, it was just greatness after greatness after greatness, over and over and over again. Until they got a 10 point lead in the Super Bowl and they couldn't slam the door shut. But this year they started off 10-1, 10-1, and you had people bitching and complaining that 10-1, there were flaws, there were warts with this team, and I was like, oh nonsense.

You can't blow out every team, but those people were right. This Eagles team is a disaster, and quite frankly, I thought for sure before the season started, the Eagles were the best team in the NFC. You know, not by leaps and bounds compared to the 49ers, but I gave them the edge.

I'm surprised Ryan in Santa Barbara hasn't called us up recently to yell and basically not understand any word he says, but just rub it in my face. But I thought the Eagles were better than the Niners, and I'll be the first one, I tell you this all the time, I'll be the first one to tell you I'm right, I'll also be the first one to tell you when I get it wrong. I'm not one of these talk show hosts that won't admit when they're wrong, but I was dead wrong on Philadelphia. I was 1000% wrong on Philadelphia, and I thought this team had championship DNA, but I will not bet on the Eagles, I will bet against the Eagles until they go down. Like, I can understand that you make the argument that the Eagles will beat the Bucks on Monday night, I'm not picking it, because this team just lost to the Cardinals and the Giants. Let me repeat that, they just lost to the Cardinals and the Giants, and three weeks ago on Christmas when they played the Giants the first time, that was not an encouraging victory. So there's no reason to believe in this Philadelphia team. Now I will say this, the team I'm most intrigued about entering the playoffs are the Buffalo Bills.

I went to college, I'm good friends, actually I was talking with them last night, with Dion Dawkins and Tyler Metikevich, Dion's joined us before on this show, and Tyler's going to join us later in the week. And the elation I've heard in their voices, after beating the Miami Dolphins last night to win the Bills their 4th straight AFC East championship, I'm really curious how far the Bills can take this now. Because the Ravens are the best team in the AFC, the Ravens are the best team in football right now. But, we've seen teams before be dominant in the regular season, and then this is the beauty of a single elimination tournament, it's not the NBA where it's best of seven, it's not baseball, right, where you gotta win four games or three games depending on the round.

It is not hockey where you gotta win seven, it's one win, you advance, one loss, you go home. And for the Ravens, you would anticipate when we're in Las Vegas, we're seeing a Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson in it. But if Lamar doesn't get there, and let's say the Ravens choke, I want to see if Buffalo could seize this moment and this opportunity. Because you saw the highs and the lows of it last night up against the Miami Dolphins, they were moving the ball, and then it was Josh Allen turnover, Josh Allen turnover, Josh Allen turnover. But then when they needed Josh Allen to be great, he was great. And in a year where we've seen so many quarterbacks get banged up and see their seasons come to a close, Josh Allen's still standing. And now we'll see how healthy Gabe Davis is, you know the run game is starting to come alive, James Cook got to catch that football last night.

But you got James Cook, you got playoff Lenny, Leonard Fournette in the mix, Stephon Diggs, we'll see if they get him going. But this has been a team in Buffalo over the last few years, they were supposed to be the team, and the farthest they could ever go was the AFC Championship game. And the last two years they regressed, bowing out back to back years in the divisional round, and now for most of this year we already wrote off the bills. And after the Chiefs victory leading into the Cowboys game, I said I'm going to put a future on them to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. And they beat the Cowboys and even though they had some sloppy performances up against the Pats and the Chargers, they still won.

And it was sloppy up against the Dolphins, but they won as well. You know, the bills, I just don't know what to expect out of them. Like you could tell me the bills lose this weekend to the Steelers, which I think would be shocking, but it's not like oh my goodness gracious shocking. Like I believe most people will take the bills to win this week, but with how inconsistent the bills have been, I guess I would say it would not be inconceivable that Buffalo would lose. But then you could also tell me that the bills are in the Super Bowl, and I would believe you just as much as well. And that's what makes this season of Buffalo Bills football so frustrating but also still good because you have hope.

It looked like they were out, but here they are now through all those ups and downs, and they're sitting as the number two seed. So Buffalo is a ten point favorite. Oh man, that's begging you to take the points with the Steelers. And usually when Vegas is begging you to do something, the other thing happens, but I don't know how you wouldn't plus the points right now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I do think Buffalo will win the game. I'll see where I'm thinking about that one coming up on Friday. But Sam, do you see a lot of quarterbacks?

I want to see if you can get this. Who does Josh Allen as a player remind you of? Is there a quarterback that Josh Allen reminds you of, just wondering? Yeah, I'm thinking a big, strong, and mobile, so maybe like Ben Roethlisberger could be one of those guys. Yeah, someone like that, someone who's big, strong, and mobile, who doesn't need to rely on his legs but can, but also has a strong arm and can take hits in the pocket, get out of it, and still make plays.

So I was thinking about this last night, and I did think of Josh Allen just because like you said, the big burly structure, but also being athletic as well and being mobile as well. But the guy that I'm thinking of is Brett Favre. Brett Favre was a gunslinger. Brett Favre took so many chances. Brett Favre would throw two, three interceptions in a game, and then Brett Favre would also throw four, five touchdown passes. When I watch Josh Allen, I see a lot of Brett Favre, where he takes chances, and he makes a lot of mistakes, but you've got to live with the mistakes because more times than not, you'll walk away at the end of the game saying, wow, even though this rollercoaster ride was crazy, even though at times when it was spinning upside down, you thought that the rollercoaster was going to come crashing, burning down, and that was going to be the end of you.

But at the end of the rollercoaster ride, you're like, oh, that's bleeping awesome, and wow, the magician did it again. I really see, you know, I'm talking about on the field, not off the field. I see a lot of Josh, Brett Favre and Josh Allen.

So that's who I see. I thought you were going to chime in there and have a little back and forth, but that's fine. Anyway, let's get to the national championship game predictions for tonight.

I'll start things off. I like Michigan to win the game. This game could go either way. I would not be surprised whatsoever if Washington wins. This Washington defense down the stretch has been criminally underrated.

They are better than what they get credit for. Michael Penix Jr. has been one of the better players in college football, not just this year, but also last year. There was a big push at the end of last season for Michael Penix Jr. to win the Heisman. We know the three wide receivers for Washington are impeccable. Remember at the end of that Washington-Texas game, when you had the injury timeout, that was Dylan Johnson, their running back.

He said he's going to give it a go tonight. I do not know how effective he will be. If he's not in the game and Washington can't run the football, well then Michigan should just blitz Michael Penix and blitz him all night long because you know they're going to be throwing the football a ton. Ultimately, people are looking at the Michigan defense up against Michael Penix Jr. I am looking at the Michigan offense against the Washington defense. That is what I think determines this game tonight. Michigan's going to run the ball early, they're going to run the ball often, and they're going to try to run the ball all night long. We know Harbaugh in a big game likes to draw up a trick player too. Don't be surprised if Alex Orji throws the ball.

They tried to do it last week, wasn't successful, but McCarthy with his mobility will use his legs a little bit. He'll make a big play in the game, but I really do believe the key tonight in the game is Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. And Donovan Edwards has not been as good this year as he was last year. I think he has a big run tonight. Blake Corum is on the verge of having 60 touchdowns in his career at Michigan.

He's at 59. Corum, the last two years, has been a touchdown machine. He's one of my favorite players ever in college football.

And this dude finds the end zone like no other. I am going to trust Michigan to run to the national championship trophy tonight. I like Blake Corum, I like Donovan Edwards, and I like the Michigan Wolverines to win by a score of 31-24. I think we're getting a great game tonight, a little bit of a high-scoring affair, Michigan and Washington. But ultimately, Michigan will control the clock and control the tempo of the game, doing what they do best, bully ball, physical in the trenches, run, run, run, run, run, and win the natty tonight. Stu, what do you got in this national championship game?

Yeah, it's funny. I've doubted Washington this whole year. I thought they would lose to Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game. I thought they would lose to Texas. But with that said, I just think Michigan is too tough. I don't think they've played anyone as good as Michigan. I think Michigan will kind of dominate that line of scrimmage.

I don't think they're going to blow Washington out or anything like that, but I do think they win maybe 7-10 points. Pretty comfortable win for the Wolverines. Okay, so one prediction to Michigan, another prediction to Michigan. Now all the pressure is on Michael Samter, because you know this and I know this. If we all three of us pick Michigan, I think we are setting it up for Washington to win the national championship.

So Samter, what say you? Oh man, we are screwing Jim Harbaugh. Oh no. We are screwing him. Please take Washington. Please take Washington. Please take Washington. Please take Washington. Please take Washington. Take Washington. For my sanity, take Washington, gosh dammit. Okay, I will be honest.

My heart says Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. Do you have a heart? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Wow. I feel like on the radio, hold on, let me be clear about this. On the radio, I don't think you have a heart. But, when I see you off the air, I think there's a kind, thoughtful, and heartfelt person that is Michael Samter. But I think on the air and off the air, you're two totally different people. I mean, that hurts. That hurts. Well you picking Michigan hurts me right now. No, I like to think that my on-air takes are rooted in fact and rooted in objectiveness and they're not heartless or cruel.

They're just sports takes based off of information in front of me. However, if that's not how it comes across, then so be it. I'm teasing you. So be it. Cruella Deville is my new name apparently.

Yes, go ahead. You know what, here's the thing. I really think that I want Jim Harbaugh to win a title, but Michael Pennix is such a good dude and he's such a great story.

And he's a lefty, and I'm a lefty, and I love lefties. There's something that Michigan hasn't faced that type of air attack yet. They've faced a lot of good rushing teams. And yeah, Ohio State had a really good receiving corps and running game, but not a great quarterback. They haven't faced an elite level passing quarterback. Jalen Murrell, same thing.

Elite, but he's more of a runner. And they're a great pass defense, but you are right. It's not like they've faced these great quarterbacks this year. So it's going to be interesting. Yes, they have a great pass defense, but is it a great pass defense because they haven't faced great quarterbacks? Or is it a great pass defense because that's just what they are? It's going to be interesting. You know, they're going to be challenged in ways that we haven't seen yet. And Michael Pennix can throw that ball deep, deep, deep, deep. And just like, you know, a heavyweight fighter who might get his butt kicked throughout the game, but then have two or three really big punches that just knocks the guy out. Michael Pennix can just have a couple of those throws.

So you know what? Screw it. Let's go Washington.

Yes! 34-27. Michael Pennix is going to throw for over 350 yards and four touchdowns. I'm going 34-27. Washington Huskies, let's go to end the Pac-12.

Good job. This is my favorite conference. Michael Pennix is going to do it. It's going to happen.

Kellen DeBoer. And there you go. Wow.

Thank you. You bailed us out from all going on Michigan. Because if we all went on Michigan, they absolutely would have lost. Now, I think it's truly a toss-up 50-50 game because Samter spoke to the sports gods there by trying to level the playing field taking Washington. Who takes Michigan? I take Michigan 31-24.

Samter, I guess he is going with Washington is what I take away. No, no. The more I talk about it, because I want Harbaugh to win and I think that I was making my Harbaugh prediction based off of... Are you changing your pick now?

No, no, no. So I was initially going to pick Michigan, but then I started to realize that it's because I really want Harbaugh and Michigan to win one. I think Washington is the better team. I think Washington is going to throw the ball all over the field. I think Pennix is going to look incredible. And at the end of the day, I really have faith in Michael Pennix to throw the ball against a team that's been untested. They might be great, but they've been untested in that backfield with this kind of firepower. So I talked myself into it and I actually now really convinced myself that it was my heart trying to tell me that Michigan was going to win.

No, no, no. My mind is telling me it's Michael Pennix Jr. Alrighty, Zach Guilbe here with you. Zach Guilbe shows CBS Sports Radio live in Houston for the national championship game tonight. We've got some pro football to talk on the other side with a little no huddle offense. No long term commitments or contracts.

That's Stamps.com code program. Touchdowns, sacks, upsets and last minute heroics. Another NFL Sunday is in the books and we've got you covered with the biggest plays and sound bites from another wild week in the National Football League. It's time for no huddle offense on the Zach Guilbe show. Alrighty, live in Houston for the national championship game.

Michigan and Washington. It is the Zach Guilbe show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We do got to get to no huddle offense. And we start things off in Indianapolis where Texans fans are very happy because they punched their ticket to the playoffs. And also the next day the Jaguars would lose to Tennessee so the Texans are AFC South champs but the end of this game there was a lot of controversy as all they needed was one yard. It was fourth and a yard and Shane Steichen dialed up this play.

As big a play as you'll have all season. Fourth and one at the Houston 15. Minshew in the gun. Minshew to throw.

Minshew swings it out to the back left side. It's incomplete! And the Texans take over on downs with 103 to go in the fourth quarter. What a stop. Colts can't complete it. Texans have it. Yeah I wouldn't really say it was what a stop.

I get it. It's the home broadcast, the euphoria, you know you're going to the playoffs. The play call was actually set up to succeed. As Gardner Minshew threw the football was not a great throw but the young running back had two hands on it and he dropped it. But the running back wasn't Jonathan Taylor and it wasn't Zach Moss. And I know Jonathan Taylor left the game with an injury but then he came back and he had a wonderful performance. But how is Jonathan Taylor not getting the football or bare minimum, because you can use them as decoy, being on the field when you need a yard and your season is on the line.

That is something I just can't settle for. And it's kind of fitting that the Colts season started with them disrespecting and mistreating Jonathan Taylor. And it ended with them not giving the football or even having their best player, not just best offensive player, their best player on the field.

Crazy. And Tyler Goodson had six catches on the season. How are you throwing it to him? Forgot him being on the field. Why is he there and why are you throwing it to a guy with six catches?

You're not wrong. But once again, he should have caught it. But he shouldn't even have been on the field. You need to have Jonathan Taylor on the field in that spot. Bare minimum being used as a decoy.

Bare minimum. But man, for what was such a positive season for the Colts, I wonder how much of this is a carryover effect. Because you got to question Steichen who had a really good year with the decision at the end. And I know that Anthony Richardson comes back next year.

He could stay healthy. He was looking like he was going to be a promising quarterback. But I'm fascinated to see what the Colts do moving forward after this adversity. And Goodson, to his credit, after the game he took all accountability, faced the music, and that's someone that I can root for. Kind of like the Marcus Williams situation where he whipped on that tackle in the Minneapolis Miracle and Safon Diggs wound up in the end zone. I know that was more expected out of the safety than the running back for the rest of their careers. But Marcus Williams turned out to be a good player in the NFL.

I hope that's the case for Goodson as well. And now for the Texans, it looks like they're building a contender. I don't care how their season ends. I don't care if they lose to the Browns by 30. What they were able to do this year, it just shows you when you hire the right coach and you draft the right quarterback, anything is possible and it can turn around rather quickly in the NFL.

Jacksonville and Tennessee is our next stop. Let's get Trevor Lawrence trying to go air Trevor at the one yard line that was third and goal at the one they passed and fourth and goal at the one they ran this play. Lawrence under center. He takes the snap. He tries to sneak. He reaches the ball. I don't think he got it in. He used his 6-5 frame to try to do a basketball stretch.

No signal. He lost the ball and the Titans have it. Wow, what a stand. A goal line stand by the Titans. And we find out after the game that Trevor Lawrence audible that I don't get throwing the ball on third down, but then on fourth down, you try to break the plane by going over the top. You did that from a full yard out, which is just crazy.

Half yard okay, not a full yard. And by the way, if you're watching us on youtube.com slash CBS Sports Radio, I didn't change any light settings from before the show. It is just getting really dark really quickly here in Houston. It's been raining all day and they have a beautiful setup here inside our CBS Sports Radio Odyssey Studios in Houston. It looks like they're going to get a rainstorm that like I've never seen before. I'm looking to my right right now and it is so cloudy, so dark in the sky.

This is, I feel as if I'm in like a movie scene as the world is about to come to an end. Kind of crazy. But anyway, congratulations to the Texans. They're AFC South Champs and the Jaguars. They are outside of the Chargers, the most disappointing team in football this year.

And this year is on Trevor Lawrence. I understand he got hurt, but there were games where he was healthy and that offense just did not show up. And with the season on the line, you're about to get in the end zone. Maybe you get the two-point conversion. You tie this thing up at 28-28, have a tie game in a game that you had no business being in because of how lethargic you were for most of the game.

You audible into a jump over the line and try to get a full yard out, go airborne, just absolutely makes no sense. Packers, go Pack, go, are back in the playoffs. First year with that Aaron Rodgers, no problem.

The Packers return to the postseason. Here is a Jordan Love 12-yard pass at Ontavian Wicks who had two touchdowns in the game. Down to two. Here's the snap. Love throws over the middle.

Got his man. Inside the five. Reaching for the end zone. Touchdown. Dontavian Wicks beating Kyler Gordon on a slant off the left side. And the Packers have a 13-6 lead.

There was a big question about two months ago. Would Jordan Love be the quarterback for the Packers next year? He will definitely be the quarterback of the Packers next year. Now I'm not ready to say he's going to be elite. He's going to be a top ten quarterback. This year I said going into the season, the wins and losses for me were irrelevant with the Green Bay Packers. At the end of the year, I just wanted to see enough signs that could suggest that Jordan Love was going to be the guy.

And clearly he's done that. Down the stretch improving and also getting this team to the postseason. And now all eyes are on the Bears too.

You lost both games this year to the Packers. You have the number one overall pick. Are you taking Caleb Williams? Are you taking Drake May?

Or are you trading back and keeping Justin Fields? Cowboys and commanders, Dak Prescott. You find C.D.

Lamb. You find the NFC East championship. This made it 28-10. Prescott's in the gun. Back to throw. Looking right. Scrambles left.

Still got it. Scrambles back right. Throws it in the end zone. Caught for a touchdown in the back of the end zone by C.D.

Lamb. So now the Cowboys enter the postseason. The Cowboys will be welcoming in the Green Bay Packers.

Mike McCarthy will be welcoming in the team he coached for I believe 13 seasons. Dak had a good season this year. I usually, like Dak's easy to root for the person. But Dak Prescott I think is just a good quarterback, not a great quarterback.

Regular season this year, he was fantastic. Now it's about taking that next step in the postseason. Because we talked about how in the AFC the team to beat the Ravens. Well in the NFC the team to beat is the 49ers. Now the Cowboys are the two seed. So they don't have to see the 49ers until the NFC championship game. I don't think the 49ers will go down before then. But if they do, you have no excuses. So for Dallas, Cowboys fans are taking like a bow now.

That's the wrong approach. You got to get the job done in the postseason and bare minimum get to your first NFC championship game since the 1995 regular season. Let's go Bills or 1995 season.

Let's wrap this up with Bills and Dolphins. Here is Deontay Hardy a 96 yard punt return to give the Bills a little life and make you want to shout to tie this game up 14 apiece. Jake Bailey punts this one away. It's a wobbler backing Hardy up to his own 5. Gets to the 10, to the 15, through a hole to the 20, 25, 30. He could go.

50, 40. They're not going to get him. Deontay Hardy going the distance for the touchdown and we're an extra point away from a tie ball game. I was extremely disappointed with the Dolphins last night because Josh Allen from 75 to 80% of the game tried to gift wrap you a victory. And at the game on the line, it kind of reminded me like the Kansas City game in Germany. You had a chance to go win it or tie it and you threw an interception. And Tua almost threw a pick to play before and then threw another pick.

Just inexcusable. And it makes no sense but for some reason, and we'll see if I keep this energy and I keep this belief on Friday when we make the official picks. In a year that makes no sense and I don't like the Chiefs this year and I don't trust the Chiefs. It wouldn't shock me if Tua gets a job done with Tyreek next week or at the end of the week at Arrowhead on a Saturday night game on Peacock.

All the Swifties are going to be getting Peacock subscriptions and all that jazz. I'll tell you Buffalo, how they're the two seed is wild. It really is. Because they looked like they were dead after that Eagles loss. But they found a way to not only get in the playoffs but also win the AFC East. What a choke job down the stretch by the Miami Dolphins. Alrighty, that is a no huddle offense.

This is that Gelp show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll come on back from Houston, the site of the national championship game. We will put a bow on the national championship game in the college football season. And also, we got a big reunion weekend in the NFL. A lot of reunions happening on wild card weekend where the NFL wants me to call it super wild card weekend. But I will protest against doing that because I just think it's stupid to call it super wild card weekend.

I think it's kind of stupid to say super wild card weekend. Update time, what's in the back door of New York City studios. Here is the Ackman, Rich Ackerman. It's time to answer Ask the Pros question of the day and it's brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Ethan in Portland says, Zach, what are the biggest keys to this national championship game tonight? You could submit a question by tweeting at CBS Sports Radio or at Zach Gelp using the hashtag askthepros.

Think O'Reilly Auto Parts, where your car care needs get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts. I think the health of Dylan Johnson in this game is big. The running back for Washington who got hurt in the final minute of the semi-final game. If he can't be effective, then Michigan who got home very easily up against that big Alabama offensive line. I would anticipate with their defensive line and then also their secondary which is a very athletic secondary is going to be blitzing Michael Penix Jr. all night.

So that's something to watch the health of the running back and then if he can't give it a go or can't be effective, who else steps up for Washington? I think the biggest key to the game is Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards just eating up clock, maintaining the time of possession and running and running and running and running. We've seen Michigan in the second half against Penn State just say run, run, run, run, run and that's it. And not even throw the football. They're going to throw the football tonight. But Corum and Donovan Edwards can control and win this game for Michigan. And then the third thing, I don't believe special teams is that much of a concern for Michigan even after the Rose Bowl where they could not feel the punt to save their life. And the reason why I say that, as long as you feel the first one tonight.

If you feel it cleanly tonight, I don't think it's a problem. But in the Rose Bowl, that's an outdoor stadium, the sun was setting and I think that could have impacted both punt returners. Tonight you're playing an indoor stadium. So I do believe the special team punt return storyline for Michigan is a little bit overblown. But I will say the trick play factor, you get into a game like this, you know both these teams tonight, you empty out your playbook, you find a way to dial something up that you haven't run before. And to see who's going to hit on their trick play, whether it's an Alex Orji pass, whether it's a fake punt by Washington, whatever the circumstances, you know DeBoer is super duper aggressive.

And that's another thing. In what probably will be Jim Harbaugh's final game as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, his alma mater, will he match the aggressiveness of Kalen DeBoer? Because DeBoer is a super duper aggressive coach, even though when you talk to him he's like the nicest man and like the calmest guy that you'll ever interact with. And Harbaugh, when he needed to, with under four minutes to go, fourth and two backed up, he dialed up that dump off pass to, it was I believe Blake Corum, and it got called back a little bit but it got a first down, and there was a bad block by Michigan.

And he wasn't afraid to go for it in that spot. Now that was with the game on the line, late in the game, Harbaugh was aggressive. I wonder if Harbaugh kind of empties out everything tonight and is a little aggressive from the start. As I said earlier, I like Michigan to win the game, it won't surprise me tomorrow if we come on in here and Washington wins a close one, I don't think Michigan's blowing out Washington, and I don't think Washington is blowing out Michigan.

I think we're getting a good game tonight, and I think that this is going to be Michigan 31, and it's going to be Washington 24. Now, when we go to just an NFL thing to wrap it up, there are some great matchups this weekend. But, when you look at these storylines, sometimes, right, when you have that joke, oh the NFL is scripted, you get these storylines and you go, how did the NFL win again?

But that's what the NFL does. You get Tyreek Hill this weekend, with the Dolphins, now he's not going to win the MVP, but he had an MVP quality season. He's going to Kansas City, where the Chiefs have been struggling and the Chiefs have been missing Tyreek Hill. You have the Rams and the Lions going up against one another, where Jared Goff was basically two deals in one, and he was not the main thing that the Lions were trading for, the Lions were trading for draft picks. And I don't want to say Jared Goff is a franchise quarterback, but Jared Goff has done more than what was expected out of him with the Detroit Lions. And now you have Stafford, who was their franchise in Detroit, who now has won a Super Bowl with the LA Rams, in his first year with the Rams, coming back to Detroit for his homecoming. And the Lions have won their first division championship since 1993, and are looking to win their first playoff game since the 1991 season.

Tremendous storyline. And then, obviously, how about them Cowboys? You have the drama Dallas Chokin' Cowboys, who are awaiting to return and prop back up right in their playoff time, where this is when they start to be who they are and who we always know they are. But the Cowboys are led by their coach now, Mike McCarthy, and even though Rodgers no longer with the Packers, this would have been a little bit more bonanza, but now you have the Cowboys going up against the Packers. There are some great reunion storylines this weekend, and not that the NFL needs any more theatrics, not that they need any more drama or flair to their product, because the NFL is just sensational, and we know that there's always a story each and every week, and just when you think you have it predicted, something crazy happens, like how many times a year we say this is the team to beat, and then that team loses the next week.

It really is crazy. But now you get these three storylines, and they're right with the six games that you got this weekend, the two on Saturday, the three on Sunday, and then the one on Monday night, where from a intrigue and from a storyline and tell the story all throughout the week, Roger Goodell and the NFL, they have to be jumping up and down like fat kids in a candy store, because those three storylines, to just get one of those, like if we just had just Tyreek going back to Kansas City, we'd all be like fangirls here. But to now get Tyreek going back to Kansas City, Stafford going back to Detroit, and McCarthy saying, come on out to Dallas, and Green Bay, let's see what you got. Man, that's going to be fun.

It really is. And, you know, I'm elated for Packers fans. I know we're on the fan in Milwaukee and across a few, you know, in a few stations across the wonderful state of Wisconsin, and I feel really good for Packers fans, because the last two, three years it was ugly, it was sloppy, it was uncomfortable for a lot of people. When you have a franchise legend, but you have a regime that's trying to replace your franchise legend, and the fact that they look like they got it right, it's pretty damn remarkable. Now I'm not ready to say that it's going to be far to Rogers, to Love, but they are giving you a reason to believe that Jordan Love could be the guy, and the reaction to these three games, I think it would go like this, where Tyreek beats Kansas City, you know Tyreek is going to run his mouth and say how much the Chiefs miss him. Stafford beating the Lions I think would be the most gut-wrenching because of what Lions fans have been through, and how much they cheered for Stafford as they should when he won a Super Bowl with the Rams, but the potentially most embarrassing one, even though there's not a lot of players on those Packers teams that were coached by McCarthy, you have a few, but the Cowboys are a better team on paper than the Packers. And with those three, I think the most is on the line for McCarthy, and there's even been some speculation that if McCarthy goes one and done, or how he loses in the postseason, maybe he ends up losing his job. Alrighty, that is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio, I'd like to thank our friends here at CBS Sports Radio and Odyssey in Houston, Sports Radio 610 for hosting the Zach Gelb show today, I'd like to thank them so I can get to the National Championship game tonight, I'm going to go hop in an Uber, make my way over to, through the rain to NRG Stadium, thank you there's a roof on that building, you can follow me on social media at Zach Gelb, and I'll get you all the behind the scenes actions for the National Championship game, talk to you tomorrow, New York City everybody, enjoy the game, we out, bye bye, peace!