After Alabama’s NCAA college football game against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference championship on Saturday, December 2, 2023, in Atlanta, head coach Nick Saban walks the field. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)AP
The Alabama football beat writer Matt Stahl from AL.com joined hosts Shehan Jeyarajah and Bobak Ha’Eri on the most recent episode of “College Football Survivor Show” to discuss the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff matchup against Michigan from Alabama’s point of view. They talked about Jalen Milroe, the offensive line, Nick Saban hiring the Wolverines’ former linebacker coach, and more. After speaking with Stahl, they determined the following to be the Crimson Tide’s main worries going into the Rose Bowl game:
You may listen to the entire episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other podcast app. Jeyarajah : “I believe that the down-to-down constancy is what gets to me. It goes without saying that Michigan’s offense is the most effective in the entire nation. In essence, they write a happy play for themselves in each and every play. Can they accomplish that in the same manner? Can Alabama accomplish the same feat against Michigan? For me, that’s a pretty huge question. They haven’t always done it throughout the course of several games, in our opinion.
The only near encounter we had with it was during their matchup with LSU, who have one of their poorest defenses of the entire season. Nevertheless, their defense has performed well enough to keep them in these games.
But I believe our Alabama offense needs to play well. They don’t have to score a lot of points to win this game; they only need to hold onto the ball for as long as possible. In my opinion, one of the most dangerous scenarios in this matchup is for Michigan to hold the ball for more than 40 minutes during which Alabama’s defense will simply tire while the offense struggles to produce consistent offensive output.
They must be able to hold onto the ball for a minimum of enough time to weaken the Michigan defense before adding more of these spectacular plays.
Ha’Eri: “I suppose the main thing that worries me is if they can keep Milroe safe enough to let him carry on with his previous activities. As we’ve seen, this opponent will not only be as skilled as any opponent they’ve faced in the past, but they’ll also likely throw the ball a little differently than they have all season. Furthermore, he is still in his first season with the team as a true starter.
We’ve discussed how much potential there is. We’re discussing how, come next season, he will most likely be a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, if not the front-runner, and that he will be fighting for it. However, this is only his first season, and I’d love to watch how he grows since there’s a lot to be said for the experience in the pocket. And he will most likely make or break how I see them doing coming into this game.
