'We Know What It Takes': Georgia Loss Fueling Michigan's Off-Season

The Wolverines are keenly aware of just how close - or far - they were from a national championship in 2021.

If you're wondering what's fueling Michigan's off-season as they attempt to win back-to-back Big Ten Championships for the first time since 2003-04, look no further than the Georgia game. In what was supposed to be an epic battle between two national championship contenders, Georgia easily disposed of Michigan in a game that was essentially over by halftime. 

For the Wolverines, their first trip to the College Football Playoff was an eye-opening experience - an experience that gave them insight into what it takes to compete at the highest level of college football. 

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"You're only as strong as your weakest link and we don't see any weak links on this team," McCarthy said earlier this year. "Especially this year, going into it, we're hitting the ground running. That Georgia loss opened us up to things we need to work on and things that we need to improve in order to beat a team like that."

"We're this close and we know what it takes to get there," McCarthy said. 

For sophomore running back Donovan Edwards, watching the Bulldogs celebrate is something that is burned into his memory. As he stood silently watching the postgame celebration with a handful of other teammates, Edwards recalled what was going through his mind.

"We can't let it happen again," said Edwards. "We know what it takes and we understand the hard work that we have to put in. I was just thinking about using it as fuel."

"We all know that we can all do better," Edwards continued. "We all feel like last year wasn't good enough. We want a national championship, that's what we want. The goal is always to win a national championship and I believe that's where everybody's mental approach is currently."

For Michigan, the 2022 schedule lines up favorably for the Wolverines to be in the national championship hunt once again. In fact, they'll likely be favored in every single game on their schedule until that final week in November when they travel to Columbus. 

Here's a look at the full 2022 schedule:

9/2/22: vs. Colorado State, Noon, ABC

9/10/22: vs. Hawaii, 8:00 PM, Big Ten Network

9/17/22: vs. UConn, Noon, ABC

9/24/22: vs. Maryland (Homecoming), Noon, FOX of FS1

10/1/22: at Iowa, TBD

10/8/22: at Indiana (Homecoming), Noon, TBD

10/15/22: vs. Penn State, TBD

10/29/22: vs. Michigan State, TBD

11/5/22: at Rutgers, TBD

11/12/22: vs. Nebraska, TBD

11/19/22: vs. Illinois, TBD

11/26/22: at Ohio State, Noon, FOX