INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down Michigan football’s College Football Playoff semifinal matchup in the Rose Bowl on Monday:
Fast facts
Matchup: No. 1 Michigan (13-0) vs. No. 4 Alabama (12-1), Rose Bowl/College Football Playoff semifinal.
Kickoff: 5:10 p.m. Monday; Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
TV/radio: ESPN; WXYT-FM (97.1), WTKA-AM (1050).
Line: Wolverines by 1½.
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Injury report
Michigan: Out: OL Zak Zinter (leg)
Alabama: None.
Scouting report
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, left, stands near quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy (9) and Davis Warren (16) during practice on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Carson, California.
When Michigan has the ball: Michigan brings the No. 14 scoring offense (36.7 points per game) into play against Alabama’s No. 16 scoring defense (18.4 points) and though the Wolverines have played the Nos. 2-4 defenses (Penn State, Ohio State and Iowa) in the past six weeks, players and coaches alike have said this Crimson Tide unit will be the toughest. Many have compared Alabama’s front of Chris Braswell and Dallas Turner to the Nittany Lions and their edges of Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac — that duo forced the Wolverines to finish their November game against PSU with 32 straight rushes. That won’t work against Alabama, which will make staying balanced all the more critical.
In last year’s semifinal, J.J. McCarthy accounted for three touchdowns and 395 yards of offense, including 52 yards rushing and a score on the ground — U-M will need more of that. But he also had two costly pick-sixes, and U-M can’t have any of that. On the ground, it’s all about Blake Corum. U-M’s star running back was held in check this season in many ways — he topped 100 yards just twice in 2023 after he ran for at least 108…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-vs-alabama-scouting-110716087.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2023-12-31 11:07:16
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