Michigan Wolverines QB JJ McCarthy admits Stanley Cup superstition after leading team to thrilling OT win over Alabama in Rose Bowl

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy referenced the NHL's Stanley Cup after leading the Wolverines to a Rose Bowl win over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday.

No. 1-ranked Michigan entered the game as a slight favorite, but the Wolverines trailed by seven points with less than four minutes to go. McCarthy drove the offense down the field to get a touchdown and force overtime.

In OT, McCarthy and the Wolverines won the game 27-20 to advance to the national championship.

After the bowl game, McCarthy ran across the field to get his Rose, which he hadn't touched all week, just like hockey players, who don't touch the Stanley Cup unless they have won it.

“This game just means so much to me,” McCarthy said. “I have a superstition like they do with (not touching) the Stanley Cup. I didn't touch it all week, and I was waiting for this moment to put it in my mouth.”

McCarthy is from Illinois and grew up a big Chicago Blackhawks fan, so he's very familiar with the NHL and the superstition.

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NHL teams superstition with Stanley Cup

After the Eastern and Western Conference teams advance to the Stanley Cup, they are awarded a trophy for winning the conference.

Each year, the debate is whether or not the teams should touch the trophy or leave it, as some claim it is bad luck.

Last year, as the Vegas Golden Knights won the Western Conference, they made it clear they wouldn't touch the trophy.

"The one that we want to touch is four wins away," Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "It's just one of those things where it didn't work out for us the first year, right? So we're back here and we want to do things different."

The Florida Panthers, meanwhile, lost in the Stanley Cup Final but did touch the trophy.

"The last thing that we're going to do is be superstitious about not touching it," Panthers alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk said. "Like, nobody said we were even going to make the playoffs. I think it's pretty cool to touch it, carry it around and take a picture with it. We earned that thing."

Not touching the trophy has been something people have debated for years. According to ESPN, 17 teams have touched their conference championship trophy since 2001. Of those 17 teams, 10 have gone on to win the Stanley Cup.