Friday night didn’t exactly go the way Michigan had planned. Despite entering the Orange Bowl with a ton of momentum, the Wolverines ran into a Georgia team that could do no wrong.

Georgia pummeled Michigan 34-11 to advance to the National Championship Game in Indianapolis. The Wolverines’ season came to a close with a win over Ohio State, a B1G title and its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. They ended the year with a 12-2 record.

After the game, star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson talked about the future of the program in Ann Arbor. He believes this will be just the starting point for the Wolverines.

“Michigan football will be in good hands,” Hutchinson said. “They learned this whole season what leadership is and how it’s supposed to be.”

Hutchinson was an incredible bright spot for Michigan during the 2021 season. He proved to be one of the best defensive players in the country this fall, earning a spot at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in early mid-December.

Everyone counted Michigan out this season after a 2-4 campaign in 2020. But instead of rolling over, the program accomplished things it hadn’t ever done in the Jim Harbaugh era.

Hutchinson wasn’t the only one who thinks the future at Michigan looks bright. After the game, Harbaugh mentioned multiple times that “it’s just the beginning,” in Ann Arbor.