CFP SEMIFINALS, JAN. 1
Rose Bowl (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Michigan can definitely beat you on the ground and probably can beat you through the air, though J.J. McCarthy has thrown just one touchdown pass since the start of November.
Alabama might just be a team of destiny. But let’s not forget how close the Tide came to being eliminated from the playoff against Auburn before being bailed out by QB Jalen Milroe’s miraculous TD pass.
The bottom line of the Rose Bowl is that Michigan will try to suffocate Alabama, and it’s on the Crimson Tide to show they can stand up against the Wolverines’ physicality and strength on both lines. If they can do so, Milroe and the Tide should be able to manufacture enough on offense to come away with the win.
Prediction: Alabama, 21-17
Sugar Bowl (8:45 ET), ESPN
The Sugar Bowl is more likely to end up a shootout. Washington ranks fifth nationally in yards per play and gained at least 400 yards in seven of eight games against bowl competition. Texas ranks ninth in yards per game and really turned things on late, scoring a combined 106 points in wins against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
While far from guaranteed, a high-scoring affair would become a high-profile matchup of two elite quarterbacks. That’s a position of comfort for both teams, especially given the way Texas QB Quinn Ewers has played since missing two games to injury in late October and early November.
One thing separates these two teams: the running game. Both are solid on the ground, Texas more so, but the Longhorns are among the best in the country in stopping the run. It’s easy to envision a scenario where they establish things on the ground and make the Huskies onedimensional offensively.
Prediction: Texas, 37-24