National Championship - #2 Michigan vs #4 BYU – Tampa, FL – Mon, Jan 9, 2017 – 7:00pm EST – ESPN

The last time BYU won the national title they beat…you guessed it…Michigan. BYU wants revenge on Michigan for 2015 drubbing. Taysom beats the coach that recruited him. This really is a tv producers dream. A “CFP special” airs on ESPN interviewing both Taysom and Harbaugh together. Harbaugh jokes, “I recruited this kid specifically so I wouldn’t ever have to game plan against him!” Taysom has nothing but love for his former head coach and even divulges on national tv that he almost went to Michigan when he was injured in 2015 and contemplating his options. The game is quite the spectacle and starts off with a bang for the Cougars…

Talon Shumway takes a quick slant from the slot for a 48 yard TD to open the game. Michigan’s DL proves to be an absolute beast and is really testing the OL, just like last year. Jamaal and Co. can’t get going and the only real positive rushing yards come from Taysom scrambling for his life. Michigan answers BYU’s TD with a TD of their own. Besides the early fireworks with Talon this seems to be the 2015 game all over again…thankfully we have someone not named Robert Anae making the calls that can actually adjust the game plan. Ty chooses to actually speed up the game, prevent substitutions and allow Taysom to use his playmaking ability to try and get something out of nothing. Taysom is basically calling the shots at the line of scrimmage and Kirk Herbstreit proclaims “That’s an NFL quarterback right there ladies and gentlemen…I’d use my first round pick on this guy…he’s a step ahead of everyone.” Desmond Howard stupidly chimes in on the sideline, “well, what do you expect Kurt, the dude is 26 years old…that whole mission trip thing is a scam…” and the ESPN producer cuts him off and switches audio back to booth.

The game turns into a chess match between Taysom, the coach that recruited him and the coach that almost led him to Heisman glory. On one particular play Taysom checks out of a protection, motions Jamaal out of the backfield and takes the heat from a Michigan blitz…Jamaal is exactly in the opening vacated by the OLB and takes the ball 25 yards into the endzone. Michigan adds a touchdown just before the half in a perfectly executed 2 minute drill to tie it up at 14.

In one of Taysom’s only “human” moments he nearly throws a pick six to start the second half when Pearson “zigged” when Taysom thought he would “zag”. Taysom tracks down the defender and pushes him out of bounds at the BYU 12 yard line. 4 plays later Michigan tacks on another FG to take their first lead 17-14. Things are looking even worse when, despite Ty’s hatred of his kicker this year, BYU misses a 34 yard FG on 4th and long. A few drives later BYU gets stuck in another 4th and long (Ty was about to go for it) because of a holding penalty and, by some miracle, we actually make one to tie the game up.

The teams exchange punts and then Fred Warner comes up with the play of the game. He blitzes hard on the Michigan QB who tries to avoid the sack and rolls to his left and tries to complete it to his WR doing a come-back route. Warner isn’t fooled, goes with him and tips the ball up into the air to himself in the flat. He takes outruns the QB and waltzes into the endzone!

After forcing a turnover on downs Taysom only needs one more first down for the victory. He checks the call at the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 7 and calls his own number. He barrels into the line on a QB sneak and literally refuses to go down. This player who has suffered broken legs and ankles and feet, literally carries the Michigan front 7 on his back, gets great push from Jamaal and Brown and they move like a rugby scrum 11 yards before the play is whistled dead. Herbie reminds everyone that Taysom can squat more than anyone on the team and has been dubbed, this season, “Superman”. He sure lived up to the hype. No one can bring down Superman.

In an ironic twist BYU beats Michigan 24-17…the same score in 1984 against the same team they won their first national title. BYU now has two and joins only a handful of programs in the country to claim two national titles in the last 35 years.

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BYU enters the 2017 season in the top-10 with Tanner getting lots of Heisman love mostly because he still got to play in meaningful drives (to open 2nd half) and people remembered how good he was. In a huge twist of fate, BYU is picked to win the Big12 in their first season there and has a huge target on their back. So much for being “dilutive” right? Go Cougs!