There's A History Here: Washington's Michael Penix Jr. Has Already Beaten Michigan - So Bad In 2020 That It Caused Change In Harbaugh's Staff

HOUSTON - The last time Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. faced Michigan, coach Jim Harbaugh was also not long for Michigan.

Only, the situation was quite reversed. Michigan appeared much closer to possibly firing Harbaugh in 2020 than now when it is desperately trying to keep him from taking an NFL job.

Penix, then the quarterback at Indiana, shredded the Wolverines' defense on 30-of-50 passing for a career-high 342 yards in a 38-21 win in Bloomington, Indiana, on Nov. 7, 2020. Harbaugh became the first Michigan coach to lose to Indiana since 1987, spoiling a 24-0 run.

It was the first of three losses by two touchdowns or more in a disastrous 2-4 season during COVID for the Wolverines. Indiana finished 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten - its best league record since 1967.

"Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy," Penix said Saturday at the College Football Playoff Media Day for the national championship game Monday. No. 2 Washington (14-0) plays No. 1 Michigan (14-0) at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. Beat Michigan In 2020

"That's just how things work sometimes," said Penix, who transferred from Indiana to Washington after the 2021 season. "It's a small world. Me being at Indiana allowed me to get here. I feel like if I didn't go to Indiana, probably wouldn't have met (Washington coach) Kalen DeBoer, and probably wouldn't be here. My whole path, I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm super blessed to be here, and I feel like everything happened for a reason."

The only good thing about 2020 for Michigan, however, was that COVID canceled the Ohio State game. Harbaugh had lost five straight to the Buckeyes at the time, including by 56-27 in 2019, 62-39 in 2018 and 42-13 in his first season in 2015. The supposed "savior" of Michigan football was sputtering along at 29-18 overall and 21-12 in the Big Ten from 2017-20.

Harbaugh soon fired Don Brown, his defensive coordinator of the five previous seasons, after the 2020 debacle. The defense changed and improved drastically under Mike Macdonald, largely spurred on by what Penix had done to it in 2020.

And the offense Penix ran in 2020 was largely what Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer installed in 2019 before becoming head coach at Fresno State. The same Kalen DeBoer became Washington's head coach in 2022 and got Penix to transfer to Washington.

"I hadn't thought about it that way," DeBoer said. "But as you're talking here, I can kind of see what you're saying. But Michael certainly had a year there at Indiana where he had a lot of success against a lot of teams."

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. speaks at Media Day Saturday in Houston prior to the College Football Playoff national title game Monday night. (Photo By Glenn Guilbeau of OutKick).

Penix finished No. 18 in the nation in passing yards per game at 274.2 in 2020. He completed 124 of 220 for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns and was on his way. Penix led the Big Ten in passing early in the 2021 season before a shoulder injury ended his year. In 2022 when reunited with DeBoer at Washington, he finished No. 1 in the nation with 357 passing yards a game.

Washington's Michael Penix Jr. Has The 'It' Factor

That set up his spectacular 2023 season when he finished second for the Heisman Trophy and No. 1 in passing yards at 4,648 and passing yards per game at 332.

"The 'It' factor - he's just got it," Harbaugh said of Penix Jr. on Saturday. "And no conscience. He's got no conscience when he's throwing one of those balls into the tightest window. And he has the confidence that he can put it in there, and his receivers are going to make a play. I mean, that's scary good. He's got great arm talent."

The left-hander tends to throw lasers and is extremely accurate. He also uses a nifty, quick side-arm delivery at times for quick, short passes.

"Oh, man, I've been doing that since I was 10," Penix said. "I don't know, since I started. That just happened. That's just playing the game. It's not something that I'm like, 'Oh, I want to do this this play.' It's just playing football, man."

Harbaugh's defense has come light years since 2020. Macdonald left for the Baltimore Ravens after the 2021 season to be Jim's brother John Harbaugh's defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. Jesse Minter, who had coached at Baltimore and was the DC with Vanderbilt, came to Michigan as DC in 2022 and has been spectacular. The Wolverines lead the nation now in total defense (243 yards allowed a game) and in fewest points allowed a game (10.2) and are No. 2 against the pass (150 yards a game).

"It's an exciting match-up for our secondary," Harbaugh said. "We think we've got a really good one. We have to keep him inside the pocket, because he's deadly outside of it. In either direction. It's formidable. It's elite. Can tell he's really a cerebral guy. He knows. He has a real clock in his head. Gets in trouble, boom, going to a check-down. He just sees the field, knows where everybody is at all times."

Penix, too, has come a long way since 2020.

"He's got a skill set that, I think, makes him the best player in the country," DeBoer said. "The ability to throw the ball with accuracy. He can get rid of it super quick. There were some throws last week where he had to slide in the pocket, reset his feet and quick release it. Did it from the left side to the right side, did it sliding away and throwing right down the middle."

And amazingly, Tennessee offensive coordinator Tyson Helton did not think Penix was good enough to be a Volunteer quarterback back in 2018. Penix, a native of Cookeville, Tennessee, who moved to Tampa, Florida, had committed to then-Tennessee coach Butch Jones in 2017 before Tennessee fired Jones. New Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt took the scholarship away on Helton's call.

"Yeah, they (Tennessee coaches) took my offer," Penix said Saturday.

And the rest is Michael Penix Jr. history ... from Tennessee, to Florida, to a commitment to Tennessee, to Indiana and finally to Washington.

"It's been tough. A lot of ups and downs," Penix said. "But obviously I feel like it was all worth it. I feel like everything I've been through shaped me into the man and the player, the person I am today. I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm just super excited for the opportunity that I have right here in front of me and super excited to be able to do it with my brothers."