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Paolo UggettiESPN
Nearly a year after Michigan‘s 34-11 loss to Georgia in the 2021 College Football Playoff semifinal, Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy said that he still remembers the “deep pit of regret” he felt in his stomach after the defeat, but he reflected on how the loss has served to fuel their 13-0 season and return to the playoff.
“It was shared suffering for sure,” McCarthy said Tuesday, speaking ahead of Michigan’s semifinal matchup against TCU. “It jump-started the whole offseason. We hit it really hard right away … we’re still riding that now.”
McCarthy said last year became a benchmark for Michigan this season, one they didn’t just want to meet, but rather overcome. They knew they could beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten, so they did it again, and now they want to prove they can win a playoff game, too.
“We’re not just happy to be here, we want to get past it,” McCarthy said.
He is not the only one who feels the Wolverines are better prepared for the task at hand this time around.
“The detail and preparation that goes into every game is a lot better this year,” wide receiver Ronnie Bell said. “There’s a lot of times where players were really lost last year, really needing the coaches to help them figure out what’s going on. And then there’s been times this year where it’s like, boom … when we’re off or missing something, the players are on it.”
Bell said that with McCarthy, the improvement and growth is evident with every snap he takes. From entering that game against Georgia and throwing for one touchdown in a loss to becoming a fulcrum of the offense with running back Blake Corum out with a meniscus injury, the spotlight has fit him well.
“He is just more confident,” co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Brown said. “He always had the same poison demeanor, but you can just see him grow in his decision making and the way he takes care of the ball and the way he runs and does things that he does to help us to win.”
And McCarthy has needed to do just that. With Corum out, Michigan has been and will be without its best player and has needed the offense to take on a slightly different approach. McCarthy said he doesn’t feel like the offense has changed with Corum out, but he does feel like he needs to “bring more to the table.”
“He’s done nothing but step up and continue to play better,” Bell said. “He wows me almost every game.”
Bell has good company. After Michigan beat Ohio State this season, McCarthy received a direct message on Twitter from a fellow Michigan alum: Tom Brady, who congratulated McCarthy on the win and wished him well the rest of the season. The reply had been hard earned and summed up McCarthy’s journey so far: He had first messaged Brady when he arrived in Ann Arbor, and now the seven-time Super Bowl champion had reached out to him.
