Michigan Football Defense Has SEC Speed In Key Area

The Rose Bowl this season pits the Big Ten Champion and the SEC Champion against one another, finally settling this year’s debate on who the better conference is. While Alabama football clearly feels confident in its ability, it sounds like they know that the Michigan football defense has “SEC speed” in some key areas.

Michigan football defense has SEC speed

The Rose Bowl is likely the most important game of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure with the Michigan Wolverines — not only could Michigan knock off the greatest coach of all time, but it also has a chance to punch its ticket to the program’s first-ever national title game.

Bama OC Tommy Rees talks Michigan matchup

If Michigan football wants to overcome Bama, it’s going to start with the Wolverines’ defensive front-seven — the linebackers and defensive line. Yesterday, we heard from Alabama football offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and quarterback Jalen Milroe on what makes this group so special for the Maize and Blue.

“Yeah, they’re very good up front. I think that’s a strength of their team,” Tommy Rees, Alabama’s offensive coordinator, said Thursday. “They’re athletic. Their D-line coach Mike Elston was at Notre Dame for a long time. I worked with him. I played when he was a coach. He does a great job. You can see his coaching, the way they use their hands, the way they get off blocks. They’re athletic. They have power.

“Their front is really good. They have two linebackers. One of them has played a lot of football for them, so you can see his instincts and his experience show up. They both can run. … their star nickel, is a disruptor out on the field. They present a great challenge. We see great fronts in our conference, but they’re right there, and they’re as good as anybody we’ll play.”

More from Alabama football quarterback Jalen Milroe on Michigan’s front seven

Jalen Milroe added more.

“Up front they have really good defensive line, good edge rushers on the outside,” said Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. “Their interior D-line play really hard, physical. They do a lot of stunts, do a lot of picks up front, which is something that we’re trying to prepare as much as possible for that circumstance because they do a really good job forcing pressure on the quarterback, making him throw the ball and affect him as much as possible. That is something we have to prepare for, and they’re really good at it.”

Despite national perceptions, Michigan football opens as a favorite over Alabama, and with just a few days until kickoff, the Wolverines are looking to put the finishing touches on their CFP prep. Of course, Blue by Ninety will have more coverage of the Wolverines ahead of the Rose Bowl throughout the week.

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