Paul Finebaum backed Michigan as the team that needs to win the national championship the most on the latest edition of “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on WJOX in Birmingham, Alabama.

Michigan has been close to reaching the national championship recently, as it fell short against Georgia and TCU in the College Football Playoff. Finebaum believes that Washington doesn’t need it as much because losing won’t make or break the program. He stated that Michigan fans might feel that they can be mentioned among the greats of college football, but the record books say otherwise.

“I think it’s Michigan because I think Washington has a great program. I’ve been out there one time for a game, and I was really impressed. It’s got tradition, it’s got championships in the past, but it’s not one of these programs that lives or dies on winning the national championship,” said Finebaum. “I think Michigan has been at that trough for some many years now in a row that it would feel like a lost cause, in a way, if they don’t get it. Michigan fans believe they’re part of the conversation, that they’re at the same table as Alabama and Ohio State and really history will indicate that they’re not. But that doesn’t dissuade them from feeling like that they belong.”

This isn’t the 1st time that Michigan and Washington have met in a game like this. They played each other in the 1992 Rose Bowl with the Huskies coming out on top.

The Wolverines have a chance to avenge that loss in Houston at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday on ESPN.