Michigan football under Jim Harbaugh has continued a longstanding tradition of not having stellar postseason success.
After winning his first bowl game at the helm of the maize and blue against Florida in 2015, Harbaugh has lost six straight. Granted, there are reasons for every loss in bowl games for the Wolverines.
In 2016 and 2018, Michigan did not want to play in the Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl, respectively. It had higher aspirations that fell apart with losses to Ohio State.
2017 was a ho-hum matchup in the Outback Bowl against South Carolina. Michigan gave up a 19-point second-half lead against the Gamecocks. Still, it was a disappointing matchup Michigan didn’t really want.
In 2019, Michigan faced an Alabama team that had Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy.
In the first College Football Playoff appearance (2021) against Georgia, the eventual national champion had too much talent to overcome. In 2022, Michigan should have beaten TCU, but gave the game away thanks to two pick sixes and a fumble on the goal line.
Now ranked No. 1 in the country, Michigan will see Alabama again, this time in the Rose Bowl.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg predicted the bowl game outcomes, and he doesn’t feel optimistic about the Wolverines’ chances against Nick Saban. (subscription required)
CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 MichiganRose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
5 p.m., ESPN and the ESPN AppAlabama is a flawed but ascending team, as it displayed by controlling the SEC championship game against then-No. 1 Georgia. Quarterback Jalen Milroe is among the nation’s most improved players and will attack downfield against a Michigan secondary led by takeaway-generating star Mike Sainristil.
The disparity among the two teams in the postseason is too much to ignore. Alabama’s Nick Saban has won seven national titles and boasts a 9-4 record in CFP games. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, like his college coach, Bo Schembechler, has been much better in the Big Ten than on the national stage, going 1-6 in bowls and 0-2 in the CFP. Milroe leads a big fourth quarter as the Tide roll on to the national title game.
Prediction: Alabama 31, Michigan 23
One thing that isn’t being talked about is how Michigan beat Penn State and Ohio State while not only being severely banged up, but also while not having Jim Harbaugh on the sideline. The 26-0 win over Iowa doesn’t look that impressive to many, but given the injury issues and the style of play the Hawkeyes deploy, it’s as impressive of a win as any.
Now that Michigan is fully healthy, it has a real chance to take down the Tide. While it’s rare to see a Nick Saban-coached team lose in the College Football Playoff, if the Wolverines play their style of game and execute, while containing Jalen Milroe (which many other teams have done), then they have as good of a shot as any.