SI's Claudette Montana previews the Rose Bowl matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide.
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00:00 The college football playoff semifinal slate kicks off in Pasadena, California
00:03 when number one Michigan takes on number four Alabama in the Rose Bowl on January
00:08 1st at 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Michigan is undefeated at 13-0 coming off a
00:13 big-time championship win over Iowa and looking for their first college football
00:17 playoff win after losing in both semifinal games the last two years. Led
00:22 by quarterback JJ McCarthy and running back Blake Kaur, Michigan's offense is
00:25 averaging 36 points per game this season. Accompanied by a defense that ranks
00:29 number two in the country and held opponents to just under 10 points per
00:33 game this year. Now Alabama found themselves in the playoff after a win
00:37 over two-time defending champs Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. They hold a
00:41 12-1 record with their only loss coming from Texas earlier this season.
00:45 After being benched for one game earlier this year, quarterback Jalen Milrow has
00:49 turned out to be a star for the Crimson Tide. He is thrown for over 2,700 yards
00:54 with 35 total touchdowns in 2023. And on defense, Alabama has playmakers all
00:59 over the map. Guys like Dallas Turner, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Tyron Arnold and
01:03 Caleb Downs. Nick Saban has had tremendous success in the postseason
01:07 with eight college football playoff appearances and three national title
01:10 wins. Alabama leads the all-time series over Michigan 3-2, but we'll see how
01:15 things shake out on New Year's Day.
01:18 (upbeat music)