Michigan will beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl because of this Five reasons
Michigan will beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl because of this Five reasons
The Wolverines will beat Alabama because…
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Adam YoungAdam has been a lifelong admirer of Michigan and works as a freelance writer for MaizeNBrew.
The Michigan Wolverines will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day as they advance to their third consecutive College Football Playoff. The Wolverines will be busy since they are still chasing their first College Football Playoff victory.
Although the Wolverines are ranked first and are a small favorite, the Crimson Tide have the advantage of history. We present five reasons why the Wolverines will win this game, despite the fact that many people are choosing the Crimson Tide.
1. The Wolverines have already faced a ton of adversity this year
This year’s experiences faced by the Wolverines were unmatched by any other team in the nation. Yes, a lot of it was their own fault, but no other college could have managed to go undefeated despite having their head coach suspended for half the season, having all of their opponents brand them cheaters, and missing many games with one of their best defenders.
This season, the Wolverines have hardly faltered; they have faced every obstacle head-on and overcome it all thus far. Michigan won’t back down this year, unlike previous seasons when it might have.
2. Experience
Since the Crimson Tide have won three titles in the CFP era, they should have the advantage in experience for this game. But this year, that isn’t the case. Alabama’s many contributors had never been in this situation, and they were not able to make the playoffs the previous year.
Since being benched at the start of the season, Jalen Milroe, the starting quarterback for the first year, has performed admirably, guiding the Crimson Tide to an SEC championship victory over Georgia. Nonetheless, J.J. McCarthy is well aware of the brighter lights in the CFP due to his previous season’s difficulties in the Fiesta Bowl.
Getting through all of that gives the Wolverines a significant advantage that no one is discussing.The Crimson Tide may have the name on the chest, but the Wolverines are the more experienced team and are hungry for a third opportunity.
3. Secondary play
The Wolverines have arguably the best secondary in college football and two of the best shutdown corners. Will Johnson and Mike Sainristil have been great for Michigan this year and are the best one-two punch the Crimson Tide will face all year. They have the ability to shutdown receivers, which allows Michigan to keep a spy on Milroe.
Milroe can be dangerous, completing 65.5 percent of his passes this season. But he is also coming off a 13-for-23 game against Georgia. We aren’t saying he can’t pass the ball, but he can be shutdown, and the Wolverines have the secondary to do that. Michigan’s defense is going to be a difference, especially the secondary.
4. Corum and Edwards
The Wolverines also have arguably the best running back duo in the country in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. They haven’t had as explosive year as they did in 2022, but they still combined for more than 1,400 yards on the ground.
They know how to grind out yards, but can also bust a big play. They wear you down before finally getting that back-breaking 20+ yard gain.
The Crimson Tide are 30th in the country in rush defense, giving up 124.5 yards per game. They have looked tough at times, but they did give up 206 rushing yards to LSU and 244 to Auburn, so they are susceptible to good rushing attacks.
5. Bama gives up a lot of sacks
The Crimson Tide gave up 43 sacks this year, an average of 3.31 each game. Part of it is Milroe holding the ball for too long, but the offense line has also been exposed at times.
The Wolverines should bring pressure, and often, to keep Milroe guessing. He can run, but Michigan’s defense is quick and can contain him. With the secondary being as good as it is, that should provide the defensive line with ample time to, at least, pressure Milroe.
If all goes well, the Wolverines should be able to exploit their offensive line and force Milroe into tough spots.