Top 3 players who could be the CFP National Championship MVP ft. Michael Penix Jr.

The 2024 college football national championship MVP will go down in history as the Michigan Wolverines take on the Washington Huskies in a battle of undefeated teams.

Jim Harbaugh led his No. 1-ranked Michigan team to a 27-20 win over Nick Saban’s No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Kalen DeBoer's No. 2 Washington beat Steve Sarkisian’s No. 3 Texas Longhorns 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl.

The national championship game for the 2023 college football season will be a pseudo-Big Ten championship, as next season, Washington (along with Oregon, USC and UCLA) will join the conference after realizing from the Pac-12. Meanwhile, the Wolverines have won the conference for three straight years.

The MVP in the College Football Playoff title game on Jan. 8 will take the award as a statement for himself, his team and the Big Ten.

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Michigan or Washington? Who will have the national championship MVP?

#3 JJ McCarthy

The Michigan Wolverines are a complete team. Their defense is stout up front but fast in the secondary. Their offense has a great push for the run, which enables their play action. JJ McCarthy has excelled as the Michigan quarterback by adding the dimension of his big arm.

McCarthy could win the MVP by leading the Wolverines through the passing game. Washington’s offense is electric, and the championship game can quickly become a shootout.

McCarthy has a strong completion percentage this season at 73.2% and threw for 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

#2 Michael Penix Jr.

On the other side of the coin, Michael Penix Jr. is more than capable of outdueling McCarthy. Penix was a 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist, and to be frank, if he had played for a team in the SEC or Big Ten in 2023, he would have certainly won the award.

Penix being the MVP of the national championship game would be the glory he has earned. His chances will be helped by the Huskies wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan, who would all be top receivers in most college programs.

With this upside, even if Michigan were to beat Washington, Penix could still be the MVP if he lights it up in a stellar outing, and perhaps McCarthy has a blunder or two. Penix had a dynamic season with 4,648 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.

#1 Blake Corum

Michigan running back Blake Corum has the skills to be the MVP of the national championship game. On paper, the showdown should be end-to-end with a lot of scoring. Both teams have NFL-level talent at quarterback, and both could be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.

Washington’s wide receivers can run up and down the field. Yet, stats and paper are only an indication as it takes the game to be played to see what will unfold.

This matchup could easily become defense-oriented, with blitzes sacking both QBs and physical coverage disrupting routes. Blake Corum could benefit from this, as he was dominant in the CFP semifinal against Alabama, scoring in overtime to give Michigan the winning touchdown. Corum rushed for 1,111 yards and 25 touchdowns this season.