It was an enjoyable Monday for the Tennessee Volunteers. In the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, they defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes for the tenth time, with true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava winning the MVP award. On Monday night, though, supporters were reminded of what might have been as Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led his squad to victory over the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoffs, advancing Washington to the national championship game.
Penis had committed to Tennessee for a long time in high school, but the athletic administration chose to hire Jeremy Pruitt as head coach following the dismissal of Butch Jones. A few days before early national signing day, Penix used social media to let Tennessee fans know that the new coaching staff had made it plain that Pruitt wasn’t wanted in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was shortly after the news of Pruitt’s employment was announced.
A week later, Penix signed a contract with the Indiana Hoosiers. During his brief time with them, he showed flashes, but his Big Ten career was cut short by injuries. Penix joined Washington two years ago after logging via the transfer portal. After having a successful career with the Huskies, he concluded as the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up. If the team can’t beat Michigan in the national championship game, he believes they will be undefeated. With one game remaining in his college career, Penix has already completed his season with 4,648 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air.