REPORT:Rose Bowl victory over Washington by Michigan: reaction, analysis, and five thoughts
ALABAMA LOSES TO MICHIGAN 27-20: ROSE BOWL Five important factors Pete Fiutak on X | CFN on Facebook for College Football NewsPete Fiutak on Discussions | CFN on DiscussionsUpdates on the Michigan vs. Alabama game, ideas, and feelingsQuarter 1 | Quarter 2That felt like a very, really, really big deal. Third quarter | Fourth quarter: Michigan vs. Washington CFN National Title First Thoughts, Prediction 5.
5. It seemed like a very, very, very big deal. In this college football racket, I’ve seen a few things and done many more. It stung so much that I wasn’t there for something at this particular moment.These two are the most blueblood there is.On New Year’s Day, a College Football Playoff game took place at the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Alabama. Nick Saban was the one. Jim Harbaugh is another. And two of the most annoying bases in the game—I kind of enjoy the Alabama supporters, to be honest…. the two malevolent empires. And Michigan’s desperate attempt to move on from the previous two CFP experiences. Additionally, the Alabama program’s frustration at not having won a national championship in
4. ACTUALLY? LOST IN ALABAMA? Here, I’ll be completely upfront. When Jalen Milroe hit the turf Michigan went out on the field, my initial reaction was that something didn’t feel quite right.It felt like something strange, like a pea under the bed, a disruption in the force, or a glitch in the matrix. I’ll stop now. Death, taxes, and Alabama advancing to the national title by way of a major College Football Playoff victory.Yes, I did predict Michigan to win. Did I really think it was real? Yes, but it’s Alabama, so not really.Over the past ten or more years, picking Alabama in a major game has been the ultimate safety net. Nobody is going to hold you responsible or send you a witty tweet saying “you’re an idiot” because you took the Tide. And nearly
3. JALEN MILROE WAS NEVER ABLE TO FOUND HIMSELF. That was for a reason: Michigan’s defense is the best in college football.Milroe was still considerably better than he’ll be given credit for, even when the secondary destroyed the outstanding Tide receivers. There was just one pass play of more than 13 yards, but he completed 16 of 23 throws for 116 yards and no interceptions.Michigan nearly succeeded in its challenge to Alabama to win on the ground.Alabama was able to hammer home 42 points while Michigan’s defense allowed no one to run 40 times. With this brick wall in the way, only Penn State was able to run for more than 125 yards; Bama rushed for 172, a season-low for the Wolverines.Milroe started off for 63 yards and made plays happen.
2. EVERYTHING WAS SAID IN THE FOURTH DOWN CALL. It must be regarded as one of the biggest plays in Michigan’s history if the team wins the national championship.With little over three minutes remaining, Michigan was down 20–13.On its own 40, it was 4th and 2. If this was missed, Alabama would only need to gain a few yards to put Will Reichard of Alabama, who has already demonstrated his ability to go over 50 yards, in field goal range. With about 120 seconds remaining, one kick would have given the team a 23–13 advantage.With all of its remaining timeouts, Michigan could have given up and gambled on the defense holding strong. Rather, Blake Corum made a connection with JJ McCarthy, who scored the first down.
1. MICHIGAN HAD ADVERSITY ON THE FIELD. Eventually. This year, there were a lot of issues off the field, but what about on it?Michigan lost to Indiana 7-0. 52–7 was the victory.It needed to hold against Ohio State on the last drive, leading by six points. Indeed, it did.However, in terms of seasons, this was as seamless as it gets. The squad didn’t have to exert much effort or sweat in most of the situations.It had trailed in the second half of a game for the first time all season in the Rose Bowl. This was not a team that had seen much action.However, it was just as reliable as it had been all season long when it came to blocking and tackling. With that running and blocking, the Wolverines