J.J. McCarthy of the Wolverines has gotten emotional after quite a few games. However, his display of emotion after the Rose Bowl was quite different than that of previous games. For once, McCarthy got to weep tears of joy rather than sadness, as the Wolverines had their first win in what felt like an eternity.
The Game
Michigan celebrated a 27–20 overtime victory against Alabama, after previously suffering two huge defeats. As offensive lineman Trevor Keegan said, “We had a lot of mistakes. Shoot, we didn’t really deserve a win but you know our guys—we pulled through and we just played for each other.”
McCarthy’s Emotions
McCarthy expressed his joy by saying, “It’s indescribable just because the last two years, being able to watch the opposing team celebrate, it’s just different when I see the maize and blue confetti on the field.”
He continued, “I’m nothing without this head coach [Jim Harbaugh], nothing without my teammates, nothing without that defense. Everything was so amazing. It’s just really, really amazing.”