J.J. McCarthy was relatively quiet for the first 55 minutes and 19 seconds of Michigan’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday.
But when the Wolverines needed him most, he showed up in a big way. McCarthy completed 3 of 4 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for another 16 yards and accounting for three first downs on Michigan’s final drive of the fourth quarter, leading the Wolverines 75 yards down the field on eight plays to tie the game at 20 and send the Rose Bowl to overtime, where they knocked off Alabama to advance to the national championship game.
McCarthy’s late-game heroics not only saved Michigan’s season but also earned him some lofty praise from Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, who expressed his belief that what McCarthy has accomplished over the last two years is right up there with the all-time college greats.
“I’ve said it before, but right here, this is the greatest quarterback in the University of Michigan — college football history,” Harbaugh told reporters after the game. “Got a long way to go to get to get where Tom Brady eventually got to, which is the GOAT. He lapped the field when it comes to that. But in a college career, there’s been nobody at Michigan better than J.J.”
With Monday’s win over the Crimson Tide, McCarthy is 26-1 as Michigan’s starting QB. His .962 winning percentage is tops among any college quarterback in the last decade, ahead of guys like Trevor Lawrence (34-2, .944), Tua Tagovailoa (22-2, .917) and Deshaun Watson (32-3, .914).
In fact, McCarthy’s career win percentage is better than some of the program’s best QBs including Brady (20-5), Chad Henne (34-13), John Navarre (31-11) and Brian Griese (17-5).
In his two seasons as the starter, he’s led the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten championships and College Football Playoff berths, and their first national championship game appearance since 1997.
