Michigan 27, Alabama 20, 1OT

[Mike]

Awful

[lineygoblue]

sandbaggius extremius

[Jeff Buchanan]

Michigan, the betting line favorite and highest ranked team in the nation, will saunter into the Rose Bowl and, unless Alabama is replaced with the Chiefs or Eagles, will walk away with a W.

Pfffftttt

Insane. The talent/skill set differential, position group by position group is significant. I only posted PFF grades for Alabama DL v. Michigan OL. The PFFs by position groups across all groups demonstrate talent/skill set equality or an edge to Bama. By that measure, I don't think M has an edge anywhere.

Those other position group differentials, though, won't have as significant an impact on the outcome as DL v. OL. That's because, M's OL isn't creating the running lanes at the LOS or getting to the second level blocks that featured in 2022 and sprung Corum and Edwards for explosive plays.

Given that reality, JJ has to overcome that and have a solid game passing in the face of Alabama pressure. My take is that he won't have a pocket to step up and into or being flushed and on the run, be able to set his feet and deliver the accurate throws he's capable of when he's able to do that.

[THE_WIZARD_]

efz-us

[AlabamAlum]

Alabama is a rag-tag collection of undersized moppets. Hopefully, we just hear the sounds of the M faithful cheering and not the boys in crimson’s bones snapping.

[THE_WIZARD_]

What does that mean exactly?

[lineygoblue]

The loss of Zak Zinter will prove costly in this game. Henderson is still dinged up, and even with those guys, M has had weakness with straight up the middle rushes. Alabama has more than enough DL/.LB talent to take advantage.

Nick is a smart guy. He'll have the Tide running at 100% efficiency. And, he's still miffed over being left out this year, and also all the crying about "FSU deserved to be there more than Alabama". He'll be out to prove everyone wrong. No better way than to lay the wood to the #1 ranked team.

[AlabamAlum]

He may try, but while the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak.

[Cody_Russell]

I would imagine that McCarthy, Henderson, Hinton, and Will Johnson will be near 100% healthy by January 1st. 4 weeks and 2 days between games is a TON of time to recover.

Yeah, the loss of Zinter is tough. He’s a late 1st RD/ Day 2 NFL talent. This Michigan team has had trouble establishing the run when compared to recent seasons. It’s going to be more difficult without Zinter.

The one advantage Michigan SHOULD have is at QB. McCarthy is going to have to be healthy and play at his best to win. Can’t have another Bowling Green game or the mixed stretch after suffering an injury vs Penn State. Hopefully McCarthy still uses the TCU game with two pick 6s as motivational factor. He’s certainly capable of playing special!

[iam416]

How early in the 3rd does HARBAUGH***** start giving the backups a chance to play?

[THE_WIZARD_]

Oh I think he won't wave the white flag that soon...

[AlabamAlum]

Wiz is correct. He could trot out the water boy and other 4th stringers in the early 3rd, but he won’t. He’ll be too drunk on the blood of the vanquished.

[iam416]

I'm sorry you have to open the New Year this way, AA. You deserve a lot of things, including a good ol' fashioned caning for your persistent Braves jinxery. But you don't deserve this.

[AlabamAlum]

The Braves. Don’t pick that scab open this soon.

[iam416]

Yeah, HARBAUGH***** is basically going to go all Bryce Harper against the Bravos on UAT....only without any quesitonable baserunning....just pure, unmitigated asswhupping.