The College Football Playoff (CFP) is set to culminate in the College Football Playoff National Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston. This follows the defeat of the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns by the University of Washington (UW) Huskies with a score of 31-37, and the University of Michigan (UM) Wolverines' thrilling 27-20 overtime victory over the University of Alabama.
The Wolverines and Huskies will compete on January 8 for the title currently held by the University of Georgia (UGA). Despite their loss, which would have seen them vie for a national title less than 200 miles from home, the Longhorns remain proud of their performance in 2023.
"Thank you Longhorn Nation for your support this season," was tweeted by UT's football program on January 1.
The star of the 2024 Sugar Bowl was undoubtedly Michael Penix, Washington's quarterback and Heisman Award finalist. His impressive performance included a 430-yard passing game, which ESPN reported as being the fourth-best passing game in CFP history. The Huskies also relied heavily on their defense to thwart a comeback attempt by UT in the final moments of the game, preventing them from securing a place in the national championship at UW’s expense.
According to KXAN News, an NBC station based in Austin, Quin Ewers, UT's quarterback, threw for 318 yards and scored one touchdown but was unable to deliver a decisive touchdown pass in the final moments of the contest. Ewers stated his pride in how they faced each week's challenges and expressed gratitude for having had this opportunity.
The match was viewed by UT as an opportunity not only for redemption for their program but also for head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian previously coached UW before moving to Texas and experienced defeat during their matchup in 2022.