Key Michigan & Washington Players Not Playing in the National Championship

Wolverines fans are gearing up for the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game, which will have No. 1 Michigan going up against No. 2 Washington. The game takes place at NRG Stadium in Houston at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday (Jan. 8) and will air on ESPN and the ESPN App. But, not everyone will be on the field for this game. Here are some key Michigan and Washington players not playing in the National Championship.

If you're wondering why some players won't be participating, it's mainly for two reasons. For one, some of these players are injured. The other reason is that some players who want to declare for the NFL or play for a different university next season don't want to risk getting injured in this final game. In a NIL reality, these players could forgo some big bucks if they were to get injured, too. Here are the players not playing in the National Championship game, via Covers.com.

Michigan Wolverines

Two big players that are out for Michigan are offensive lineman GameZak Zinter and wide receiver Karmello English. Zinter, a senior, suffered a broken tibia and fibula during the Wolverines' last game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Sadly, he'll be out. But, he's appearing in the 2024 NFL draft, so stay tuned. English, a freshman, is dealing with an undisclosed injury. The last game he played with the Wolverines was Oct. 14 against the Indiana Hoosiers. Other guys also out for the Wolverines include Logan Forbes, CJ Stokes and Davis Warren.

Washington Huskies

Some players out for the Huskies are offensive guard Gaard Memmelaar and running back Cameron Davis. Memmelaar, a sophomore, has been out all season. He reportedly was injured during fall practice. Davis, a junior, is out due to a lower body injury, which he suffered during a practice. He did play Washington's No. 26 game against Washington State but won't play the championship game. Others out for Washington include Dillon Johnson and Sam Adams II.

The Detroit Lions are NFC North champions and in the playoffs. Next stop: Las Vegas. Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. But, there's a real possibility the Lions could go all the way this year. Who wouldn't want to lose to the Ravens on the big stage? Just joking, but let's admit that the Baltimore Ravens are likely heading to the Super Bowl and seem very hard to beat right now. So, what are the Detroit Lions Super Bowl odds going into the postseason?

Some key things have to fall into place to make the Lions Super Bowl bound. Of course, the main thing is that we have to overcome our opponents in the playoffs. Throughout this season of my podcast, "The Squad with Anne Erickson," we've talked about the best and worst matchups for the Lions. Several guests have commented on both the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers being potentially very difficult teams for the Lions to beat, based on each teams' strengths and weaknesses. I would throw the Seattle Seahawks into that mix, too, since the Lions haven't been able to overcome them in the Dan Campbell era.

Now, I do think the Lions could beat the Eagles. This isn't the same team it was at the beginning of the season. All due respect to my Eagles friends, but there are holes in the team right now, and I believe that in the right situation, the Lions could beat them. Also, they have Matt Patricia heading up their defense, which is great for any team going up against them. Spoken like a true Lions fan, right? That said, I believe a Detroit Lions Super Bowl run would depend on the 49ers getting taken out in an early upset game. I think it would be difficult for the Lions to overcome the 49ers but not impossible. Now, let's get into the real numbers.

The Detroit Lions are having one of the best years in the history of the franchise. They have the division title and will likely be the No. 3 seed going into the wildcard round, meaning they'll host that first game. The Lions are hoping to win a playoff game for the first time since 1991.

According to Lineups.com, the Detroit Lions' NFC Winner Odds are +900. The Detroit Lions' Super Bowl 58 Odds at +2200. So, what does that mean? Read on for the explaination.

The Detroit Lions currently have the eighth-ranked odds in the league to win the Super Bowl at +2200. That's around a 5% chance. Their odds of making the playoffs are -10000. Not bad, but I think we deserve a bit higher.

Lineups.com says last weekend's Cowboys game, albeit frustrating, shows that the Lions could make it to the Super Bowl. "The Lions performance against the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday on primetime was eye opening for all the right reasons," they state.

They add, "Even in a loss, that type of performance was much needed to give Lions backers assurance that they can compete with them in a potential rematch in the playoffs."

NFL writer Arif Hasan joins me on “The Squad with Anne Erickson” this week to talk about all things NFL, including who the Lions should want to go up against in the playoffs. Listen to the full discussion below. Subscribe to “The Squad with Anne Erickson” wherever you listen to podcasts, and hit me up here.

Jared Goff and company's next challenge is the Lions vs. Vikings game this Sunday (Jan. 7) at 1 p.m. EST. This game isn't super important to the Lions, as they'll probably end up a No. 3 seed regardless. What will be interesting is to see who clinches the No. 6 seed and goes up against the Lions in the wildcard round.