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ORLANDO, Fla. — In most any other year, if Michigan was to take on Alabama, the biggest challenge would be for the offense going up against a stout defense. This year, however — reverse that.
While the Crimson Tide defense is still among college football’s best, it’s the offense that’s made all the headlines. However, despite the numbers remaining the same in late November, it hasn’t quite been the same with star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his injury sidelining him for the season.
Enter Mac Jones, who still managed to pulverize Arkansas and Western Carolina while having his best game in a loss to Auburn to close out the regular season.
Had Michigan been in a situation where it had to face Tagovailoa, this game would likely be no contest, but with the unproven Jones, the betting line has held steady at 6.5 favoring Alabama.
However, with Jones at the helm, Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown sees little difference in the attack.
“To be quite honest, I don’t think they’ve changed all that much,” Brown said. “I think they’ve stayed systemically right on track to where they want to be. He does a great job of getting the ball out quick, which is obviously a trait for their offensive football team, as they want to get it out quick. So, you know, I don’t know if he’s changed all that much, but he’s certainly been efficient and has certainly kept them playing at an elite level, for sure.”
Part of the reason why Alabama has been so consistent despite Tagovailoa’s injury is the man they have in the backfield — a name that’s quite familiar to Michigan fans who were eager to see him in a winged helmet: running back Najee Harris.
Naturally, as the maize and blue were the other finalist for Harris, Brown has personal familiarity with the star tailback. But as he was among the group trying to woo him to Ann Arbor, he was never preparing to face him, as much as he was attempting to land him.
Now that he’s in his third year in Tuscaloosa, Harris has developed into a stealthy, crafty, all-purpose back, one that can hurt you in many ways. Brown described the challenge of facing Harris on Sunday.
“He’s probably the best jump cut guy I’ve seen,” Brown said. “You know, in meeting him, when he was a senior in high school, to see his development physically, he’s certainly taken his physicality to a different level. But the thing that I’m most impressed with is his ability to change direction and jump cut and be in the strong side A gap, end up in the backside B gap, or vice versa. So a good back, a guy that we’re going to have to tackle, for sure. You’re not going to be able to one‑arm, whip him down on the ground. He’s not one of those type of guys. He’s kind of a throwback because of his size and strength.”
That covers just one part of the Alabama attack. Perhaps the one most Michigan fans find to be most daunting, however, is the explosive group of wide receivers, perhaps the best collection of pass catchers in the country.
While Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs are the big names, especially considering both are considered first-round NFL talent in the upcoming 2020 draft, there are others that are equally, if not more, daunting. Junior DeVonta Smith leads the group with 1,200 yards, 18.46 yards-per-catch and 13 touchdowns — just 186 yards shy, but with 5 more touchdowns than Michigan’s leading duo, Ronnie Bell and Nico Collins, have combined.
Brown shared what makes the group so formidable, but it’s not a challenge he’s shying away from.
“Oh, they’re pretty good now,” Brown said. “They’ve got a nice group. You know, it sounds like DeVonta Smith is back at practice, so that just enhances their ability to get down the field. Jerry Jeudy, obviously, Biletnikoff winner a year ago. Ruggs, Waddle and Metchie, with some of the injuries that they’ve dealt with, has made a name for himself as a young guy as well.
“So we understand the challenge that’s in front of us. We’re confident in our ability, you know. You know, you’re not going to beat them one way. You’re going to have to play a number of different coverages. And, you know, we’re confident in our ability to do that.”
Given the firepower of said group, where does it rank in terms of wide receiver units that Brown has ever faced?
He won’t say it’s the top overall, but it’s quite close.
“Boy, I’m going to have to say top three to five,” Brown said. “One year at BC, we had Sammy Watkins and company when we faced Clemson. And, you know, I would think this group might have some similar traits. But the bottom line is, when you have four of them, that makes it a significant challenge because you’ve got to be strong at all your defensive back positions and, you know, your linebacker’s got to be in sync in the coverages that we’ll utilize. So this is probably the deepest group across the board. But, you know, [we’ve] seen individual talent like these guys in the past.”
The challenge of stopping, stalling or otherwise vs. the Alabama offense comes on Jan. 1 at 1PM EST, as Michigan will face the Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl in Orlano.