Michigan #1 Overall, Draws Alabama In Rose Bowl
Well: the committee left out 13-0 Florida State in favor of Alabama, which upset Georgia in the SEC championship game, and Michigan draws them. Alabama's not your usual Alabama team, having struggled for sizeable chunks of the season. They're literally tied with FSU in SP+ at 23.7; Michigan is at 32.1. Bama enters with the #11 offense and #9 defense; Michigan is 10 and 1.
Alabama is 12-1, with a ten-point loss at home to Texas and a series of narrow wins over South Florida (17-3), Texas A&M (26-20), Arkansas (24-21), Auburn (27-24) and Georgia (27-24). They hammered LSU, Mississippi State, and Kentucky and have two-TD wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee.
More analysis to follow. There is no content after the jump.
December 3rd, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Once I saw that the committee chair was named Boo the outcome was obvious….
Saban, not you! and a commish named Boo
Savin’ the SEC and effin’ FSU!
December 3rd, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
Calling it now. There will be an Orji pop pass to Edwards
December 3rd, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
the ncaa screwed fsu like the big ten screwed michigan in 1973
December 3rd, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
The chance to beat Alabama is a great opportunity, I hope we make the most of it.
As of this moment we have 2 wins and 3 losses against Alabama all time, so we get back to even.
We have the 3rd best all time win%, Alabama has the 2nd best win %, we will trade places with a win.
Now
AL: 965-336-43: 0.734002976
MI: 1002-353-36: 0.733285406
After M wins
MI: 1003-353-36: 0.733477011
AL: 965-337-43: 0.733457249
That would leave just our most intense rival barely clinging to 1st in win %; even if they lose their bowl game they'll be at 0.733703704
December 3rd, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
If the committee is keeping FSU out because the QB is hurt, why didn't it (the committee) drop FSU down in the rankings when he got hurt? Why wait until the team goes undefeated and wins its conf. title to drop them out of the top four? Any chance TV insisted an SEC team get in? Nah, couldn't be that...
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^
They're basically saying "Georgia is definitely better than FSU just because reasons, so if Georgia has a bad game we have to drop FSU behind alabama and, by corollary, Texas."
December 3rd, 2023 at 3:16 PM ^
Vegas has Michigan (-2.5). Take the Wolverines. Should be 2 and a half touchdowns. SEC my ass. Go Blue
December 3rd, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
That line surprises me.
Vegas does not care who wins, they care who bets. So they set that line to get equal action on both sides.
I would have thought that the masses would all be flocking to SEC champion Alabama over a Big Ten team, especially a non-flashy defensive / running oriented Big Ten team like Michigan.
December 3rd, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
“Alabama's not your usual Alabama team”
Thus begins the annual holiday tradition of Michigan fans downgrading the upcoming bowl opponent.
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
20th time's the charm!
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:50 PM ^
Michigan should be an underdog no matter who they play. This program has never shown the ability to win bowl games in the modern day consistently outside of Lloyd’s early career.
December 3rd, 2023 at 7:37 PM ^
Since 1-1-70, Michigan is 17-29 in bowl games. No other program in the country has lost as many bowl games over that time span as Michigan.
Among those 29 losses are 12 in the Rose Bowl, with 11 to PAC 8/10/12 teams and one to Texas. We've one just four Rose Bowls since 1-1-70.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:20 PM ^
Sadly I've watched every single one of those losses
December 4th, 2023 at 12:09 PM ^
But its worked so well for us Don. When the board thought it was Washington the average take was Michigan 52 Washington 0. We are a wild bunch.
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:05 PM ^
Shocker that Joy Galloway and Gerg McElroy picked Bama! At least RG3 has our back. I’m trying to think back to whether a number one has ever been an underdog in the CFP era, we will prob be the first.
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:37 PM ^
I want us to be the underdog. A big underdog. Rat poison-level underdog.
December 3rd, 2023 at 7:38 PM ^
Vegas didn't do us any favors by installing us as a slight favorite. We're much better as road dogs.
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:54 PM ^
The fact that most of us would have preferred to face FSU in the semis actually validates the committee's decision: objectively, Alabama is the (significantly) better team. They scare the bejesus out of me. And I truly loathe Nick Saban with the passion of a thousand burning suns (particularly, for those who are old enough to remember, after he screwed Jim Mandich in Miami).
Which is what is going to make Michigan's win so very, very sweet.
BET!!!
December 4th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
Id take Texas, Bama, FSU, Wash over Georgia. And Georgia has as many losses as half those teams. Why didnt the CFP put Georgia in the playoffs?
December 3rd, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^
Tough draw, but to the be the best, you've got to beat the best.
Got our MDen shwag, game tix, plane and hotel, just need to lock down the pep rally and tailgate (AA on sale 12/7.)
See you in Pasadena.
Go Blue!!!
December 3rd, 2023 at 5:17 PM ^
I think Michigan's best matchup would have been vs. Washington. Washington has a great pass game, but Michigan is pretty good against that. Washington's defense is not great. Yet they did beat Oregon twice, so who knows.
According to FEI, Alabama's defense is not as good as FSU's. So getting Alabama instead of FSU might not be bad. Michigan's defense is better than Georgia's. Also, beating Alabama and the SEC Champion carries a lot of prestige.
I'm greatly looking forward to it.
Get the offense and play selection tuned up a bit over the next month, and Michigan can win it all. Go Blue!
December 3rd, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
Man o Man I wish I could go but it is just so damn expensive, airfare over $1k, hotels astronomical...
December 3rd, 2023 at 7:17 PM ^
It's certainly not a vintage Bama team, but with how Michigan has been playing recently, especially on offense, this it a pretty worrying matchup. And to make matters worse, Jalen Milroe is absolutely the most dynamic and threatening QB we'll have come up against all season.
It will be my first ever Rose Bowl and CFP experience and I'd really like Michigan to put up or shut up at this point.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:14 PM ^
People keep freaking out about the draw but I mean I never expected for fsu to get in. I was prepping for Bama, Texas, and washington. People keep freaking out about Milroe legs but penix and ewers are very talented qbs too who threaten the secondary far more than even Osu given how aggressive their coaches are at playcalling.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:23 PM ^
Milroe is Tua-like. He's scrambly, and he can throw some great passes sometimes. But his decision making and passing are very inconsistent.
Also, he holds it longer than any QB we've gone up against, which is great for us.
Michigan has had more trouble with opposing defenses than it has with opposing offenses. FSU is a better defense than Alabama.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
Literally all along, this entire time, the last four decades or whatever it's been ... the best solution is, was, and will always be the Plus One model. Play the bowl games regularly, when they're over, pick the two best teams and play one more game. That's it.
That's what the change should have been. Twenty-plus years ago. This year would be perfect for that.
Starting next year, M/Ohio is never ever again going to have the meaning it's had since 1969, and for no real purpose, other than getting in bed with the SEC.
Most people are going to hate the 12 team playoff. Ole Miss at Penn State as a playoff game? No one wants to see that.
There is simply no way to perfect this. There never was.
Comments