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Desmond Howard makes College Football Playoff picks for 2023, predicts B1G national champion

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:

Desmond Howard sees the national championship returning to Ann Arbor. The Michigan great likes the Wolverines to win it all in 2023.

Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee shared their 4 College Football Playoff teams for 2023, the final season before the field expands to 12 teams, during Saturday’s “College GameDay.” Michigan, Texas, Alabama and Florida State are the final 4 teams in Howard’s Playoff bracket for 2023.

Howard predicts Michigan will beat Texas in the semifinal round. He has Alabama emerging victorious over Florida State on the other side of the bracket.

In a rematch of the 2020 Citrus Bowl, Howard has Michigan defeating Alabama. The national championship would be U-M’s 12th claimed title and first since 1997.

Jim Harbaugh has taken Michigan to the College Football Playoff in each of the past 2 seasons as Big Ten champions. The Wolverines, however, have yet to win a Playoff game.

Michigan fell to eventual national champion Georgia 34-11 in 2021. Last year, U-M’s second-half comeback fell short against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. The Wolverines scored 39 points in the 2nd half, but came up short, losing 51-45.

Harbaugh’s squad is ranked No. 2 as the college football season kicks off. Harbaugh, though, won’t be coaching his team in any games until Week 4. Michigan has self-imposed a 3-game suspension as the school is under NCAA investigation.

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.