The College Football Playoff semifinals are here on Monday evening as the fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide face the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines.
The Crimson Tide (12-1) are entering this game after defeating the back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 in the Southeastern Conference championship game. The Wolverines (13-0) are coming off a 26-0 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten championship game.
Alabama vs. Michigan: Game Details
Matchup: Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1) vs Michigan Wolverines (13-0)
Date & Time: Monday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET
Venue: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA
Alabama vs. Michigan: Betting Odds
Alabama vs. Michigan: Picks
The Alabama Crimson Tide are an average passing offense throughout the season as they are 61st in college football with 228.5 passing yards per game.
Sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe has done well after a rocky beginning. He has gone 171 of 261 (65.5%) for 2,718 yards with 23 passing touchdowns to six interceptions. Milroe is a threat to run in the red zone, with seven rushing touchdowns in the previous five games so expect him to add a rushing touchdown in this game.
The Michigan Wolverines have been a middle-of-the-road offensive team as they are 61st in the nation with 161.8 rushing yards per game.
Senior running back Blake Corum has stepped up throughout the year as he has 218 carries for 1,028 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) with 24 rushing touchdowns. With two-plus rushing touchdowns in each of the last five games, expect multiple touchdowns for Corum in this game.
Alabama vs. Michigan: Head-to-head
This will be the sixth meeting between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines, with Bama leading the series 3-2. Their last meeting was in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day 2020 with the Roll Tide picking up a 35-16 win.
Players Unavailable
With the College Football Playoff starting, there are some transfer portal players and injuries that are going to impact this game, and those are listed below.
Alabama
- Isaiah Hastings, DL (Transfer Portal)
- Ja'Corey Brooks, WR (Transfer Portal)
- Tyler Buchner, QB (Transfer Portal)
- Thaiu Jones-Bell, WR (Transfer Portal)
- Anquin Barnes, DL (Transfer Portal)
Michigan
- CJ Stokes, RB (Transfer Portal)
- Leon Franklin, RB (Transfer Portal)
- Zak Zinter, OL (Leg)
- Karmello English, WR (Undisclosed)
- Logan Forbes, WR (Undisclosed)
Alabama vs. Michigan: Prediction
This game is going to be close, but there is a reason why the Michigan Wolverines are the top-ranked program. Their defense should dominate the Crimson Tide, and the Wolverines have a multi-faceted offensive attack. All in all, expect the Michigan Wolverines to win and advance to the national championship game.
Prediction: Michigan Wolverines -1.5
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