Lessons Learned from Alabama Football’s Tragic Rose Bowl Loss to Michigan
During the final minutes of Monday’s Rose Bowl defeat to Michigan, previous problems reappeared. Issues at the start of the season that had been resolved included bad snaps, sacks, uneven offensive performance, and dubious play-calling. With just five minutes remaining, Alabama led 20–13 throughout.
The Wolverines forced overtime and won the game to go to the national championship because the Crimson Tide was unable to complete the task.These are the lessons I learned from Alabama’s season-ending defeat to Michigan, the top-ranked team.
A Season to Take Note of
Although the Crimson Tide and its supporters weren’t happy with how it ended, the 2023–24 campaign revitalized the fan base. Fans boarded the “LANK” train and rode it all the way to the College Football Playoffs following the preseason controversy and sluggish start.
From start to finish, Alabama’s players and coaches made it a priority to improve every day, and as a result, the Crimson Tide experienced consistent progress.
Numerous memories were made this year. It was a welcome sight to witness the team’s close-knit fraternal environment. 31 and the fourth. regaining the SEC from Georgia. observing Jalen Milroe’s weekly growth into one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Despite the fact that the Crimson Tide had dropped two games in each of the previous two campaigns, 2023–24 felt like the return of the Alabama norm.
Return of Offensive Difficulties
The Crimson Tide appeared to have eliminated the obstacles and roadblocks. Many previous bruises reappeared on Monday. At the heart of it all was Seth McLaughlin, who was having trouble consistently getting the ball to Milroe.
Just in the first half, the offensive line gave up five sacks. The lack of cover seems to even make Tommy Rees’ play-calling less effective.
Michigan was the best defense in the country going into the game for a reason. The Wolverines lived up to expectations, both on defense and in the secondary.
Defense Persisted Until It Couldn’t
Alabama’s defense was solid for the most part. The Crimson Tide’s game on Monday went pretty much like many of their early-season games. The defense regularly left the field due to offensive setbacks. The Crimson Tide will probably play in Houston next week if their offense performs as well as it has for the last two months.
It’s difficult to place the loss on the team, but Alabama was unable to muster a stop when it was most needed. After Michigan moved the ball 75 yards in eight plays to force overtime, they looked quite effortless once more.
Having to bear the brunt of the pressure for most of the game wore down the defense. Additionally, the offensive fell short when asked to bear a little more weight.
What Comes Next?
There will be a lot of movement between this season and the next one because it is coming to an end. The NFL draft and the transfer portal come first.
The Crimson Tide’s portal players will now have until January 6 to decide their future because it was played in the CFP. There will undoubtedly be players who, as in other major programs, go elsewhere with their skills in search of greater playing time and other benefits.
Once more, a number of Alabama players will elect to play in the NFL. Following Monday night’s game, Dallas Turner announced his ambition to play at the next level, becoming the first player to put his name in the hat for the position.
Rumors of Nick Saban’s impending retirement surfaced earlier this week. Although that’s a large “if,” Tuscaloosa and the sport as a whole would undoubtedly experience seismic shifts.
If he decides not to hang up, the Crimson Tide will need to replenish their supplies and regroup in order to contend for the national championship the next year.