HOW THEY MATCH UP
WHEN MICHIGAN HAS THE BALL
The Wolverines will rely heavily on running back Blake Corum, who has rushed for 1,028 yards this season, but only has two games of 100-plus rushing yards this season, and one in the last 10 games since Big Ten play started.
Corum missed last year’s loss to TCU in a College Football Playoff semifinal with a knee injury, so he’s raring to go this CFP. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has occasionally looked like one of the nation’s best, and has the ability to tuck and run if needed, but has been slowed by an ankle injury.
McCarthy vows he’s 100 percent against the Crimson Tide, and the Wolverines will need him to be against an Alabama defense that has collected 38 sacks in 13 games this season. The Crimson Tide are facing one of the nation’s top offensive lines, and the Wolverines have made a habit of pushing around Ohio State in Big Ten play in recent years.
McCarthy called Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner “one of the best players” he’s ever seen. Turner is second in the Southeastern Conference with nine sacks and had a team-high 131⁄2 tackles for lost yards. Michigan ranks 12th nationally in scoring offense (36.7 points per game) but hasn’t faced a defense of Alabama’s overall talent this season.
WHEN THEY KICK
Alabama sports one of the nation’s top booting duos in punter James Burnip and kicker Will Reichard. Burnip ranks fifth nationally with 47.2 yards per punt, while Reichard has made 87 percent of his field goal attempts (20 of 23), good for 14th nationally.
Michigan kicker James Turner with five fewer field goal attempts (16 of 18) than Reichard checks in at 10th nationally in making 89 percent.
Alabama’s Kendrick Law averages 25 yards in kick returns, ranking him 17th nationally. Should the Crimson Tide and Wolverines play a tight game, the teams appear fairly even in special teams, especially field goals.
WHEN ALABAMA HAS THE BALL
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe, a former Tompkins High star, intends to crank up his 2024 Heisman Trophy campaign on the first day of the year, after steadily improving throughout the season.
The Wolverines lead the nation in scoring defense this season (allowing 9.46 points per game) by almost two points, but they have not gone against a quarterback of Milroe’s balanced abilities this season.
Alabama is looking forward to the return of senior starting running back Jase McClellan of Aledo, who missed the Crimson Tide’s 27-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC title game with a foot injury. McClellan started all 12 of the regular season games and leads Alabama with 803 rushing yards.
If he’s hobbled against the Wolverines, Roydell Williams and Jam Miller proved capable of filling in against a stout Georgia defense (a combined 25 carries for 87 rushing yards). Michigan is especially adept at slowing the pass, in ranking second nationally in allowing 152.6 yards per game through the air.
The Crimson Tide feature one of the nation’s top receivers in Jermaine Burton, who’s already won a national title while playing at Georgia in 2021.
PREDICTION
The best thing that happened to Alabama was a home loss to Texas in Week 2. The Crimson Tide regrouped under fabled coach Nick Saban and are angling for a rematch against the Longhorns (who play Washington in the other CFP semi) in the national title game in Houston on Jan. 8.
Michigan stayed unbeaten but the scores tightened late in the season with an easier schedule than Alabama, and will finally crash down under the weight of distraction (a sign-stealing scandal and a coach perhaps headed to the NFL). Jim Harbaugh will be 1-7 in the postseason at Michigan after Monday.
Alabama 27, Michigan 21