Was Alabama playoff-worthy? Bowl loss to Michigan shows hypothetical was always made in bad faith

No. 11 Alabama came into the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan with a lot of attention after ending the year as the first team out of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. With a first round filled with blowouts, the conversation quickly shifted to whether the Crimson Tide should have been included in the bracket. 

But from the opening snap in Tampa, Florida, Alabama looked like the same disastrous team that lost by three touchdowns to lowly Oklahoma. The Tide turned the ball over on three straight early possessions in a 19-13 loss to the Wolverines, who finished seventh place in the Big Ten at 5-4 in league play. 

The loss puts an exclamation point on what has been a frustrating, inconsistent season for the Tide, and underscores why the program was left out of the CFP. Those issues start with quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was miserable with an interception and two fumbles during an early torrential downpour to help spot Michigan with a 16-0 lead it never relinquished. Milroe finished his season with 18 turnovers — 11 interceptions and seven fumbles lost. 

Many pointed to Alabama’s win over Georgia in October as proof that the Tide could contend with anyone in the CFP, especially in contrast to SMU and Indiana. (Notably, Indiana beat Michigan and held the Wolverines to only 69 yards on the ground.) But the inconsistency on display Tuesday was completely in line with what the Tide have been all season long. Alabama under Nick Saban had only one loss against an unranked opponent since 2008. In 2024, Kalen DeBoer’s Tide had three losses against unranked opponents.

Would Alabama have been more competitive in games against the best of college football? Perhaps, but that’s a hypothetical. 

The loss snaps a streak of 16 straight…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/was-alabama-playoff-worthy-bowl-loss-to-michigan-shows-hypothetical-was-always-made-in-bad-faith/

Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2024-12-31 21:50:00

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