Paradise is a sunny January 1 day in the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Rose Bowl is not “just another bowl venue” as the Paul Finebaums of the world erroneously spout. The Rose Bowl is the unique college football mecca which towers over any other venue in the USA. All right, almost paradise if you park on the golf course, which doubles as the main Rose Bowl parking lot, and have to get somewhere soon after the game, good luck!
The Michigan-Alabama game was the 18th Rose Bowl attended by the Odyssey, with the first coming 52 years ago when another undefeated Michigan team stumbled against a plucky Stanford squad.
From an “x’s and o’s” standpoint, there were 2 interesting elements which would seemingly determine the outcome, one favoring Michigan and the other favoring the Crimson Tide.
ADVANTAGE ALABAMA; Michigan has a solid group of receivers but no bona fide deep threat. The strength of Alabama’s defense is their backfield. They have a Corner named Kool Aid who lives up to the name. They have a Freshman superstar in Safety Caleb Downs. Among others.
ADVANTAGE MICHIGAN: Alabama’s offensive line was, generously, mediocre in the early part of 2023 — especially in that sh*tshow at South Florida. Their improvement was significant but they would be severely tested against arguably the best defensive line in the country.
Thanks to some creative play calling, the Maize and Blue wound up with 221 yards passing, blunting Alabama’s biggest edge. Blake Corum caught 2 key passes out of his running back position. JJ McCarthy made a spectacular catch (!!!) to set up a double pass. Bottom line: Michigan was forced to scheme for key passing yardage and did so successfully.
Alabama’s offensive line failed in multiple regards. Jalen Milroe was sacked 5 times —in the first half! The Tide’s offense was limited to 288 yards, their second lowest output in the playoff era. Alabama’s center, who will go mercifully unnamed, was the clear LVP (“Least Valuable Player”) of the game with numerous bad snaps to Milroe.
BOTTOM LINE: Michigan better utilized its advantage than did the Tide.
For the Maize & Blue, the Rose Bowl win was sweet on numerous levels. 26 years had passed since the last UM victory in Pasadena. Jim Harbaugh was the QB for Michigan in a 1987 Rose Bowl loss to Arizona State so the 12th hour heroics must have been extra sweet for Harbaugh. In Michigan’s 2 previous losses to Saban-led Alabama, neither loss to the GOAT was very competitive.
Michigan had 2 pieces of uncharacteristic pieces of good luck in a venue that often had proved to be their chamber of horrors. Their 2nd muffed punt of the game in regulation’s final minute came oh so close to gifting Bama with a game-winning safety. In Michigan’s game-tying drive, a key pass was completed despite being deflected by an Alabama linebacker.
The Odyssey will enjoy the national title tilt against Washington. We do hope that the absence of an SEC team does not cause any Southerners to seek therapy. Excuse us for not waiting to tune in Finebaum later today. The dual hater of Harbaugh and UM had predicted a decisive victory for the Tide. Should be a lot of fun to listen in to hear comments from “the mouth of the South” and his #1 caller, Legend!