JUST NOW:Keys to win in the Alabama-Michigan Rose Bowl
The juxtaposition of two coaches who are adamant in their beliefs is the most intriguing aspect of Alabama’s Rose Bowl clash with Michigan.
Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan team and Nick Saban’s Alabama club are unmistakable. They are the coaches of the sport’s two all-time winningest programs, and they maintain their dominance by emphasizing crisp, efficient, and error-free football.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Michigan has only five turnovers on the season, its 3.2 points per drive ranks sixth nationally, and it has the fewest plays that go for zero or negative yards outside of the service academies. In addition, the Wolverines have committed the fourth fewest penalties in the country.
Michigan’s identity stems from its power run game, which it demonstrated against Penn State by running 32 consecutive times against one of the nation’s top run defenses.
“Michigan forces you to be patient and bored sometimes,” a rival coach stated. “That’s what they excel at. They force you to believe that the game is much shorter than it is. Then you make the game shorter by rushing. You may do things that are out of character for you.”
On game day, Saban rarely gets outside of himself. And Alabama’s defense features a dazzling array of players, beginning with the country’s top cornerback tandem, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, as well as premier edge rusher Dallas Turner.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, McKinstry has allowed just nine completions on 28 attempts and one touchdown this season. Arnold has been one of the most improved players in the SEC.
“I’ve never seen a team cover as well as this one. “They’re Velcro,” an opponent coach explained. “We were unable to separate them. And it was their rear end that we were most concerned about. They’re so good that you won’t get any huge ones.”
Could this be considered a sound-off? Two teams that take pleasure in the NFL concept of good play, zero mistakes, and forcing the opponent to do what they do best.
Who will be the first to blink? We surveyed a dozen head coaches and assistants about the game’s most important factors.
Will a recent Michigan strength turn out to be a weakness?
The harrowing injury to Michigan All-American guard Zak Zinter in the Ohio State game — a shattered tibia and fibula — could have a significant impact.
Michigan’s offensive line received the Joe Moore Award as the finest unit in the country in both 2021 and 2022. The re-calibrated version in 2023 was mostly good, but it had flaws. Zinter was by far Michigan’s top offensive lineman, earning first-team All-American honors and being considered as the line’s greatest NFL draft prospect by evaluators.
Zinter’s departure may amplify some perceived vulnerabilities. Penn State had one sack and one pressure versus Michigan, but J.J. McCarthy only attempted eight passes. Opposing coaches cite to that game as an example of Michigan’s issues with edge blocking.
Due to Zinter’s injury, tackle Karsen Barnhart was shifted inside to right guard for the Big Ten championship game versus Iowa, leaving veteran Trente Jones as the starting at right tackle. One coach who saw the Iowa game said, “The right side isn’t very good, and neither is the center.”
The redesigned right side resulted in a poor offensive performance against Iowa, with 1.9 yards per carry and 66 total rushing yards. Iowa has one of the best defenses in the country, but inertia sown seeds of anxiety.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Michigan’s running performance was the poorest since the 2020 COVID-19 season, when the Wolverines went 2-4. The overall yardage was the lowest since a loss to Wisconsin the previous year, and