'We're gonna go get it': Michigan to face TCU in Fiesta Bowl in College Football Playoff

Indianapolis – Last season, Michigan got there. This season, that's not enough.

The Wolverines want it all.

Michigan, 13-0 and fresh off a second-straight Big Ten championship, is the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and will play No. 3 seed TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. Georgia (13-0) is the top seed and will face No. 4 seed Ohio State (11-1) in the Peach Bowl.

The national championship game is Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Michigan enters the playoff with a 13-0 record, after winning its second straight Big Ten title with a 43-22 victory over Purdue on Saturday night. TCU is 12-1, coming off a 31-28 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship. Michigan is an early 9.5-point favorite in the showdown, which will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Last season, the Wolverines were the No. 3 seed and lost 34-11 to eventual national champion Georgia in a semifinal.

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his teammates watched the televised selection show Sunday at their team hotel Sunday and a handful met with reporters. McCarthy said the team all season has been focused on their checklist of four goals, and with wins over rivals Michigan State and Ohio State and a Big Ten title checked off the list, now their sole goal is to win a national championship.

“It was one of the goals we checked off so it was obviously great,” McCarthy said of winning the Big Ten title, “but at the end of the day we still have one more goal to check off and we’re focused on that. Obviously getting another chance, hopefully another opportunity to play Georgia will be amazing because we’ve been chomping at the bit to get that all year."

For Michigan, this is its second consecutive CFP semifinal appearance and fourth berth in a New Year’s Six Bowl in the last seven seasons. TCU, which had a three-year bowl drought, is competing in its first CFP semifinal after being picked to finish seventh in the 10-team Big 12’s preseason poll.

McCarthy was a freshman last season and the backup quarterback who did see playing time throughout the year and in that semifinal loss to Georgia. He stood on the field along with fellow sophomores, running back Donovan Edwards, named the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten title game, and receiver Andrel Anthony, and soaked in the Bulldogs’ celebration.

After the Hawaii game the second week of the season, McCarthy became the full-time starter and led the Wolverines on this roll.

He made clear that while so many key pieces from last year’s team have carried over to this year’s, the attitude is different. And that’s partly because the Wolverines had the experience of being in the national semifinals last year and now know what to expect of the stage and atmosphere and competition.

“We weren’t really shooting for that national championship last year,” McCarthy said. “It was kind of beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten championship. But this year we’re shooting for it, and we’re gonna go get it.”

The loss to Georgia hasn’t been something the Wolverines have talked about throughout the year as they’ve focused on their upcoming opponent each week, but that sting has been with them.

“It’s been the motivation the whole season,” defensive co-captain Mike Sainristil said. “That’s why after one of these games we say the job’s not done.”

Right guard Zak Zinter said Sunday he had only slept about three hours after the Big Ten championship game. That didn’t dull his excitement for what the team has accomplished.

“It’s a special just being 13-0,” Zinter said. “First team in Michigan history to have a 13-win season.”

Their focus now is a 15-win season and a national championship and they want to wipe away the feel they had after losing last season.

“We got there, and it really hurt losing in the playoffs,” Zinter said. “So we’ve definitely got a chip on our shoulder and we don’t want to feel that again.”

▶ Tickets: The Michigan ticket allotment for the Fiesta Bowl is sold out according to its website. Football season ticket holders and athletic donors had the opportunity to pre-request tickets. For information on purchasing tickets directly from the bowl, please visit fiestabowl.org/tickets/

Fiesta Bowl

NO. 2 MICHIGAN VS. NO. 3 TCU

▶ When: 4 p.m., Dec. 31, State Farm Stadium, Glendale

▶ Records: Michigan 13-0; TCU 12-1

▶ TV: ESPN

▶ Line: Michigan -9.5

▶ What's next: Winner to face the winner of Georgia-Ohio State in the National Title game on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis