Alabama QB Explains What Makes Michigan Football So Good

Yesterday, the Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide both appeared at Disneyland in Los Angeles for day one of Rose Bowl week. There, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe explained to WolverinesWire what has made Michigan football so good all season long en route to a 13-0 finish, a College Football Playoff berth, and a third straight Big Ten Championship.

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What makes Michigan football defense so good? Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe explains

Michigan football has a lot going for it right now; in fact, the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in the country heading into their Rose Bowl bout against Alabama, which could send them to the program’s first-ever national championship game.

Wednesday, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe had a lot to say — while talking to WolverinesWire during media availability at Disneyland — about Michigan football and what has made it so good heading into the Rose Bowl.

“They have a really good box, they play really physical,” Jalen Milroe explained, per WolverinesWire. “They have a lot of veterans on our defense that played together for a long time,” Milroe said. “So that builds chemistry. And that is something that they have really good for them. So it’s a hard task for us because they’re a really good defense. And there’s a reason why they’re undefeated. And statistically, they’re ranked really high in all areas of the game. So it’s a hard task for us.

“… They hit the gaps really hard and do a lot of stunts up front,” he added. “They disguise really well when it comes from the back end and then also how they force pressure on the quarterback. Because when the defensive line puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback it makes the quarterback make his decision much earlier, and distracts the quarterback. And so that’s the biggest thing for us preparing for them is just protecting as much as possible.”

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I also spoke with Michigan football defensive lineman Kris Jenkins earlier in the afternoon on Wednesday. He told me that, despite Alabama having one of the better defensive lines that Michigan will see all season long, the Wolverines are focused on getting to the quarterback, both on the interior and exterior of their defensive front.

“They have great chemistry across the board,” he told me. “They’re one of the better O-lines that we’re gonna see all year. … Everybody (on the defensive line) has gotta lock in and play their best ball.”

Michigan-Alabama set to face off in huge Rose Bowl game

Michigan football and Alabama are set to play in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2024. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan football will get its crack at Alabama and Jalen Milroe on January 1 when the Wolverines and Crimson Tide face off for a spot in the national title game against the winner of the Sugar Bowl (Washington vs. Texas).

While Milroe maintains that playing in the SEC should have him ready for the No. 1-ranked Michigan football defense, the Wolverines are looking to prove otherwise en route to the program’s 12th-ever national championship.

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