Michigan started and ended the regular season without the services of their head coach.

On Monday, Jim Harbaugh was on the sidelines as the Wolverines defeated Alabama for the right to play for the national title on January 8th. 

A thrilling overtime game saw Michigan quickly score on the opening possession of OT with a 17-yard run by senior Blake Corum. With the game on the line, the Wolverines' defense took care of the rest. 

The opening minutes for Michigan brought back memories of last year's CFP loss to TCU, where turnovers turned out to be the difference.

A near interception by Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs and a muffed punt return recovered by the Crimson Tide, which eventually resulted in a 34-yard scoring run for running back Jase McClellan – had Michigan looking like it was reliving last year’s nightmare. 

But it was Jim Harbaugh’s defense, which entered the contest allowing the fewest points per game, which shifted the momentum back in Michigan’s favor. 

Corum evened the score on a 75-yard drive while the defense took care of quarterback Jalen Milroe, sacking him five times in the first half, and Tyler Morris put Michigan ahead with his dance along the sidelines for a 38-yard touchdown catch. 

Alabama took back control in the second half, tightening up against Michigan’s frustrating pass rush. McClellan would get his second touchdown of the night on a three-yard run to give the Crimson Tide their second lead of the night. 

Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy responded, orchestrating an eight-play, 77-yard drive with just under two minutes remaining to even the score with a four-yard pass to Roman Wilson and force overtime. 

While being perfect on the field, Michigan has had its fair share of controversy off the field. 

The Wolverines began their undefeated season without head coach Jim Harbaugh after he served out a school-imposed three-game suspension over NCAA recruiting violations. Then, when Michigan was entering its most challenging phase of the season, Harbaugh was again sidelined an additional three games amid an investigation into a sign-stealing operation that involved former low-level staffer, Connor Stalions. 

Despite the media frenzy surrounding the program, Michigan didn’t miss a beat. 

Michigan continued to an 11-0 finish and won its third straight conference championship with a 26-0 rout of Iowa. Now the Wolverines will now chase the school's first national title since 1997. 

Michigan will next face the winner of Texas vs. Washington in the CFP National Championship on January 8.

Running back Kyren Williams had a career-best three touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Rams clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, just a year removed from missing the cut following a Super Bowl win. 

But the real star of the show was Williams’ mother in the stands at MetLife Stadium. 

Early in the fourth quarter leading the New York Giants by one point, Matthew Stafford handed off the ball to Williams who ran 28 yards for his third time in the end zone. 

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Williams spotted his mom, Taryn Williams, in the stands and leaped up to hand her the ball. But an overzealous Giants’ fan took the opportunity to try and seize the game ball for himself. 

After some jostling between the two, it was Taryn who ended up with the prize. 

Like Williams’ mother, the Rams seized control of the game and their future with the 26-25 win. 

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In addition to winning their third straight and sixth in seven games, the Rams clinched a playoff berth with the Seattle Seahawks' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers just hours later. 

"There are a lot of things that can take place, but I love what this team has done," head coach Sean McVay said after the game. 

"There's a mental and physical toughness this team possesses, and sometimes you’ve got to be able to get wins like that. There are no style points… so we'll take it, and like I said, I'm looking forward to being able to clean this stuff up, move forward and have our eyes up and have a great week of preparation for the Niners." 

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Williams, the NFL's second leading rusher entering the contest, ran for 87 yards and received praise from Stafford.

"Kyren was patient. It wasn’t like every single run was ripping for eight, nine, 10 yards. Obviously, [he] had the big one. I thought he did a great job of just picking and choosing his spots, and when we got down there in the redzone, man, just putting it in for us." 

The Rams improved to 9-7 following a disappointing 5-12 finish the year before. 

"We're never going to take for granted being able to get wins," McVay said. "There were a lot of things that we tried to do to not win this game today, but our guys found a way. Sometimes you need to be able to have these types of games to increase your sense of urgency. We were a little off. We had our opportunities, but they just kept staying together."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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