ANAHEIM, Calif. — For all of the talk that Michigan football has a tall task ahead of it when it takes on Alabama, especially quarterback Jalen Milroe, Milroe also has a tall task ahead of him: facing the Michigan defense.
On Wednesday, Wolverines Wire had a chance to ask the Crimson Tide signal caller what he’s seen from the maize and blue defense, and he says he sees a really solid group on that side of the ball.
“They have a really good box, they play really physical. They have a lot of veterans on our defense that played together for a long time,” Milroe said. “So that builds chemistry. And that is something that they have really good for them. So it’s a hard task for us, because they’re a really good defense. And there’s a reason why they’re undefeated. And statistically, they’re ranked really high in all areas of the game. So it’s a hard task for us.”
But what makes the Michigan front so good in Milroy’s eyes? It’s a mixture of scheme, pressure, disguise and physicality that the Wolverines bring under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
“They hit the gaps really hard and do a lot of stunts up front,” Milroe said. “They disguise really well when it comes from the back end and then also how they force pressure on the quarterback. Because when the defensive line puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback it makes the quarterback make his decision much more earlier, and distracts the quarterback. And so that’s the biggest thing for us preparing for them is just protecting as much as possible.
“And then also, the little things that we’re going to be able to attack them, you know, we have to protect the quarterback. We have some things in the game plan to help that.”
In terms of disguise, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. marveled after The Game that he had never seen the types of coverages Minter threw at him. Milroe is curious, but altogether not concerned that he’ll see something he’s never seen before when Michigan takes the field.
“I play in the hardest conference in the country so every week I seen a tough disguise,” Milroe said. “This game is nothing like playing the SEC. So with anything, I have to prepare the right way and have the right mindset as I’m going through the game tape and little things like that, because I think preparing is very key in this game as it was playing in the SEC.
“But the biggest thing is heart. It’s heart and playing the game like this, it’s all about having a singular focus.”
Milroe’s sentiment strongly echoes Michigan’s offseason rally cry about having a one-track mind. We’ll see which team has more heart and capability on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. PST.