Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. prepared for Michigan: 'I'm always going to believe in my guys'

"Yeah, it's big. The Pac-12, I feel like in my opinion was the toughest conference this year all around. At one point in time we had eight teams ranked in the top 25. I feel like that speaks for itself. We had a lot of competition, a lot of good opponents each and every week.

"But we're blessed to be able to come out on top and to be sitting here at this stage today. Super blessed, and man, just super excited for the opportunity."

ON WHAT ITS LIKE BEING ON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STAGE...

"Man, it's a dream come true. To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around it. Just super blessed to be in this position. This is something you dream of as kids, coming to play for the National Championship. For us to be here right now, all the hard work and dedication that it took to get here, it's definitely shown and it's paid off. But obviously we've got to make it happen."

"Yeah, I wouldn't look into it too much as far as the stars and the ratings and stuff like that because once you come to college, it's all gone. You have no stars whenever you come to college. Everybody is on the same playing field. You've got to make the best of your opportunities whenever that time comes. For me, like you said, I wasn't really the highly recruited guy. I'm a Florida kid, and I probably only had like two Florida schools that wanted me at the time coming out of high school.

"It just shows you've just got to believe in yourself and trust your heart and know who you are. And the whole stars thing, that doesn't matter once you get to college. Once you get to college, it's a whole different ballgame."

"Yeah, man, those times were tough, but it just showed that I can get through anything. I can persevere and push through any hardship that comes my way. I just continue to lean on my faith and trust that God has a plan for me. And that's what it was all about, just trusting in God. That's what led me to being here today, just that trust and just understanding that it's a bigger plan for me that I might not know or that I might not see right now.

"But I'm just super blessed to be in this position now. I wouldn't change anything I've been through for anything. I feel like it's shaped me into the player and the person that I am today. I'm super blessed."

"Man, it was amazing. Our fans have been amazing all season. Super blessed to have a fan base like that. Like you said, it was raining out there, so for them to be out there in the rain, just being able to send us off, super exciting for what we've had going on all season. We've super blessed to have a fan base like that.

"I can do nothing but praise them and give them thanks for all the support that they've given us all throughout the year."

"Yeah, it's crazy. It's crazy. That's just how things work sometimes. It's a small world. But I'm super blessed. I know those guys over there. They're super excited for the opportunity, as well. Tuttle, he was always a great person, great player to me, and we've had mutual respect throughout the years. We still were keeping in contact, wishing each other luck all the time. So I'm super excited for him.

"Coach Hart, him, as well, just his buy-in whenever he was at Indiana, I feel like he was an amazing coach. And he's got a good group over there at Michigan, as well, right now. He's been doing good, too. Super excited. Hopefully I get to see those guys, say what's up. But yeah, it's good."

"Yeah, like you said, the relationship with Coach DeBoer, that definitely helped the reason for me to come here. He's somebody that I trusted in whenever he was coaching me at Indiana. But it was good. The whole transfer thing, I felt like I was doing what I felt was best for me and my future at that time, and I definitely don't regret it. I feel like it was the best decision of my life, and I'm super blessed that I was able to do that. And to be able to be on this stage today is a big blessing.

"But I've always loved and believed in Coach DeBoer and everything that he stands for and he preaches. I'm still doing it, still believing."

"I just saw a lot of talent and a lot of potential. I feel like whenever I watch the tape on the offensive linemen and the skill players, I felt like -- you know, I wasn't really watching the offense that was being ran before I got here. It was about seeing what I had around me. And when I saw those guys and then meeting them in person and stuff like that, I'm like, all right, this is going to be a special group.

"Because I knew the offense that was coming in and I knew that we'd be able to do something special with that offense with this group of guys. And we've been doing it. We've got one more to go, and I'm super excited for it."

"Yeah, Geno, I trained with him in the off-season for a little bit. He's a great guy, a great leader, and he's somebody that's definitely been doing great things in Seattle. He has a great fan base there, as well. He's somebody that -- people counted him out, but he done the next right thing and that's where I got it from. He gave me words of advice and stuff like that. He's a guy that wants to see everybody around him do great. And, man, he's just a blessing to so many people."

"Yeah, man, that whole defense, they're good. They do a lot of good things on that side of the ball. I feel like they're very well-coached and they have a lot of good players. And we do, too, obviously.

"For me, I'm always going to believe in my guys and believe that my guys are going to be able to get the job done, no matter who we're facing. I'm super excited for it. I know the guys are super excited for it. Come Monday, I guess we'll see who had the better side."

"Man, it makes my job really easy. He does it every day, not just on game day but in practice. He's the guy you're going to see going 100 percent in practice. It doesn't matter if he's running a route, the ball is coming to him, he's blocking. Sometimes I try to tell him to save his legs and say I'm not throwing it to you on this play. But he's still running full speed. That shows the character and the guy that he is.

"I feel like he's a guy that's going to continue to keep making plays throughout his career. But also having a great room around him, as well, with Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, Germie Bernard, Giles Jackson, a lot of guys that's been able to impact and help us win football games throughout the year. That room feeds off each other and they want to help each other be great, so it's a very special room."

"I'd say work. It's about the work that you put in. Coming into a new team, the guys, they don't really know what you're going to bring to the table. But for me, I was showing it through my work, just trying to lead the best way I could. Obviously being a new guy, I didn't want to feel like a guy that just because I was a veteran, I felt like I was above the team at all. I was like, okay, for me, I wanted to be able to work and show these guys that I'm somebody that they can trust and somebody that they can trust to lead them to win football games.

"That's what it was about, just getting in the work each and every day. I knew my play would be able to speak for itself. So the whole off-season grind, that's what it was always about, putting in the work and showing those guys that I'm ready to compete."

"It's been great. Just telling the guys, just don't get too wrapped up into everything else. Just knowing that it's just another game for us. Obviously we're playing for something huge, the biggest in college football right now, so just making sure the guys just understand, don't make the game bigger than what it is and go out there and have fun. That's what it's going to be about, going out there and having fun.

"Obviously we've got to execute at a high level because we're playing a good team, and we've got to make sure that we come ready to play. That's what it's been about."

"I feel like it's impacted me a lot. Obviously being in this offense, as well, for five years, I feel like that's something that's helped me, as well. I've seen so many different looks with all the plays that we have. It's like, I kind of have a feel for the game to where most of the time I know where I'm throwing before I even snap the ball.

"Obviously good defenses are going to change looks and stuff like that, but being able to adjust on the fly, being quick through my progressions and stuff like that, I feel like that's stuff that I've been able to grow -- that's areas I've been able to grow in throughout the year."

"It's been tough. A lot of ups and downs. But obviously I feel like it was all worth it. I feel like everything I've been through shaped me into the man and the player, the person I am today. I'm super blessed for it all. I wouldn't change it for anything.

"But man, I'm just super, super excited for the opportunity that I have right here in front of me and super excited to be able to do it with my brothers."

ON IF FORMER TENNESSEE STAFF RECRUITED HIM... 

"Yeah, they took my offer."