Michigan Football Has a Key Factor That Alabama Does Not

This year’s College Football Playoff field has it all. Texas is making its first trip, Washington is making its second, Michigan football is making its third, and Alabama is… well, they’re Bama. In the first round, on January 1, No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama will face off in the Rose Bowl, though, perhaps shockingly, this year’s Wolverines have a key factor that the Crimson Tide do not: CFP experience.

Michigan football has College Football Playoff experience

Michigan football is 0-2 in the College Football Playoff, losing to Georgia in 2021 and TCU in 2022. This season, with Jim Harbaugh‘s best Michigan roster yet, the Wolverines appear poised for a run at the national title, though getting past 12-1 Alabama (SEC Champions) will be the team’s toughest test to date.

Under Jim Harbaugh and Nick Saban, the Wolverines and Crimson Tide have faced off once before: the 2020 Citrus Bowl, in which U-M lost 35-16 despite taking a 16-14 lead into halftime. Still, those were different programs back then, and a lot has changed in the years since.

It has been a minute since Alabama played in the CFP

Alabama’s last trip to the College Football Playoff was at the same time as Michigan’s first trip: 2021. That season, both Bama and Michigan lost to Georgia, which seemed to be unstoppable by season’s end. In 2022, as Michigan football returned to the CFP field for the second year in a row with a 13-0 record, Alabama fell to 10-2 (losses to LSU and Tennessee) before demolishing Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl (non-CFP).

Experience may be the difference in the Rose Bowl Game

This fall, Bama has a lot of new faces, though perhaps none will be more important than quarterback Jalen Milroe, who is in his first year as the Tide’s starting QB.

Seeing as JJ McCarthy has a start in the playoff under his belt, as well as some snaps from Michigan’s 2021 CFP game, having experience could be the deciding factor in the 2024 Rose Bowl game. In fact, Blake Corum noted as much on the radio this morning. “I think, at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to experience,” he said.

So, while Alabama has a coach with far more playoff experience than anyone in the nation (Nick Saban), Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines are making their third straight appearance and are undoubtedly coming for it all, starting with a matchup against the Tide in Pasadena, CA.

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