Five Michigan football players to watch against Alabama

The Michigan Wolverines have their toughest task of the season waiting for them in the Rose Bowl. Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide have been the figure of dominance for the last decade-plus in college football. Michigan has a chance to silence the Alabama narratives with a win on Monday, but victory will not come cheap.

Bama has a stacked roster. The Wolverines have a number of tough matchups on their hands and will need to win a couple of key matchups if they want to book a trip to Houston for the National Championship game. See what Wolverines will need to answer the bell in Pasadena.

Photo: Isaiah Hole

Michigan’s offense is probably facing its toughest test to date. Yes, Iowa and Ohio State boast great defensive units, but Alabama just has a different flavor of talent.

Amongst the Tide’s embarrassment of riches are two potential first-round cornerbacks in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold. The duo is adept at making plays on the ball with 18 combined pass breakups and five interceptions. Wilson is Michigan’s top receiving threat with 662 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, so Michigan will need him to get open frequently.

The weak spot in the secondary is Malachi Moore. He’s still a solid talent but lacks the coverage ability of McKinstry, Arnold, or the safeties. Michigan’s best bet to get Wilson is to keep him in the slot where he can outpace Moore. I like Wilson’s quickness against Arnold as well, but I would not count on that matchup to be reliable.

Photo: Isaiah Hole

Stop. The. Run.

Alabama’s offensive line did a great job moving Georgia up front, and Michigan cannot let that happen. Forcing Jalen Milroe into passing situations is the key to victory, and Kenneth Grant is the nose tackle responsible for soaking up double teams.

The 6-foot-3, 339 pound defensive tackle has the power and speed to ruin…

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Author : Wolverines Wire

Publish date : 2023-12-30 04:59:23

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