(WXYZ) — No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington are set to meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship next week, and it will be their 15th matchup in history.
It comes after Michigan beat Alabama 27-20 in overtime and then Washington beat Texas 37-31 in the semifinals.
The matchup is the first between the two since 2021, and will also be a preview of the 2024 college football season, as the two teams will meet again. Washington is set to officially join the Big Ten this year along with Oregon, UCLA and USC. The Wolverines will travel to Washington on Oct. 5 for the game next season.
The College Football Playoff National Championship is set for 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The first time Michigan and Washington met was more than 100 years ago, when the Wolverines beat the Huskies 66-7. Michigan dominated the first matchups between the two through 1970, winning the first five games.
However, the Huskies and the Wolverines met in the 1977 Rose Bowl where Washington won 27-20. They met again in the 1980 Rose Bowl where Michigan got its revenge, beating them 23-6.
In a home-and-home series in the 1980s, Michigan lost both games. First, they dropped the game 25-24 in Seattle, and then lost 20-11 the next year in Ann Arbor.
Both teams met again in the Rose Bowl in 1991 and 1992, splitting those games. Washington took the first game 34-14, but Michigan came back in 1992 and won 38-31.
The two teams played a home-and-home again in the early 2000s, with Washington beating Michigan 23-18 in 2001 and then Michigan winning in 2002 31-29.
Finally, both teams met for the last time on Sept. 11, 2021, at the Big House. Michigan won 31-10.
In the last 10 matchups, the Wolverines are 5-5 against the Huskies and are 2-2 against them in neutral sites.
