With the 2019 college football season officially in the books, it’s time to look back on how the Big Ten did in bowl games.
As we go through all the bowls, in no particular order, we will focus on two main things:
1. How did the bowl performance end the 2019 season? Was it a fitting end or a poor performance, etc.
2. What impact, if any, will it have on the 2020 season.
2020 Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs Alabama
The matchup
Michigan came into the Citrus Bowl as an underdog against Alabama. The Crimson Tide were coming off their worst season in almost a decade, but they were still a Top 10 team in both major polls. Alabama had a dominant offense and receiving corps, though the lack of injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a concern. Still, the matchup was obviously in Alabama’s favor. The Crimson Tide had more expected NFL players, better strength in the trenches, better skill position players (except maybe at quarterback), and a much stronger rushing attack. Honestly, it was a surprise that the line before the game was only one score.
What went right
I know this is an Ohio State site, but for the purposes of this series, I’m talking from the Big Ten’s conference perspective. So as a Buckeye fan, you might want to swap this section with the following one.
Basically, this game was a tale of two halves for Michigan. And it was the first half that went right for the Wolverines. Michigan clearly came in with a game plan on both sides of the ball that was meant to neutralize Alabama’s advantages. And while some Alabama receivers did get free, Michigan managed to keep all but Jerry Jeudy mostly in check throughout the game. Jeudy, though, was just unguardable. If Mac Jones had targeted him more in the first half, this game may not have been as close as it was.
What went wrong
Michigan carried a lead into halftime, but it went away from its offensive gameplan in the second half. The running game was all-but abandoned. The offense only managed one semi-successful drive in the whole half. And as the offense got more desperate due to lack of success and trailing in the game, it just got less and less effective. The defense still stood up and didn’t give up too much, but there was no guarding Jeudy, and that was enough for Alabama to keep the game out of reach.