What the Crimson Tide head coach sees on tape when he looks at the Wolverines defense.
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ORLANDO, Fla. — The biggest challenge for Michigan on Wednesday as it takes on Alabama and the No. 6 rated offense will be stopping the Crimson Tide and its variety of offense.
But, on paper, the Wolverines have the best defense that Nick Saban and Alabama will have seen in the 2019 season — and it’ll be facing Michigan without its star QB in Tua Tagovailoa.
Michigan comes into the VRBO Citrus Bowl with the No. 7 defense by total yards allowed per game. The next best Alabama has faced? No. 21 Auburn, which beat the Crimson Tide in a shootout.
Asked about Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown at the joint head coach press conference on Tuesday morning, Saban noted the challenges that the Michigan defense presents, what it’s good at and why it presents a particular difficulty given the other teams the Crimson Tide has faced this season.
“They’re very, very good and very challenging with the scheme that they have,” Saban said. “I think the quickness and how aggressive they are and how they realize their quickness by stunting game and changing up the coverage multiples, it’s very, very challenging.
“So, a little different than maybe anybody we’ve seen this year, but very, very effective.”
Naturally, for Michigan fans, there’s a lot of worry given how top offenses have shredded the usually stout maize and blue defense. Can the Wolverines pull off the upset? If it’s possible, it will assuredly start on that side of the ball.
Michigan and Alabama are set to face off at 1PM EST on Jan. 1 in the VRBO Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. The game will be nationally broadcast on ABC.
Less than 12 hours after Dylan Moses announced his return, the Alabama twitter account is at it again with another cryptic message.
Less than 12 hours after Dylan Moses announced his return for next season, the Alabama Football twitter account is at it again with another cryptic message.
Let’s take a look and see where USA Today believes these 8 Alabama players are going:
One of the biggest college football stories right now in undoubtedly the NFL Draft. Everyone is eager to know who is declaring, who is returning, and where they would end up in the draft.
Let’s take a look and see where USA Today believes these 8 Alabama players are going:
5. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB
Sep 21, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) warms up before a NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
According to Nick Saban, with the NFL teams he has talked to, Tagovailoa is the only one who scored a top 15 grade. But, time still tells. Tua still has a decision to make on whether he is retuning or declaring, and his draft stock is pretty dependent on his prognosis as he continues to recover from hip surgery. Regardless, Tagovailoa has plenty of talent to become a franchise quarterback wherever he ended up, if he was to declare for the NFL Draft.
7. Carolina Panthers — Jedrick Wills Jr., OT
Nov 17, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr. (74) during the second half against The Citadel Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
If he was to decide to declare for the NFL Draft, USA Today believes he could end up on a team who desperately needs some help on the offensive line. After all, the Panthers were tied in the NFL for the most sacks allowed (58), and Wills has the ability to be a force on the O-line. There were many plays this season for the Crimson Tide that were furthered thanks to Wills’ ability to block, run over defenders, and hold his ground.
12. Oakland Raiders — Jerry Jeudy, WR
Photo Credit: Mickey Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser
Simply put, the Oakland Raiders could desperately use a wide receiver like Jeudy who is so versatile, and is extremely talented. With former Alabama RB Josh Jacobs as a threat on the ground for the Raiders, adding a guy like Jeudy as a receiver could make the Raiders a team to watch for next season.
18. Miami Dolphins (from Steelers) — Alex Leatherwood, OT
Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
If Tagovailoa was to end up in Miami, there is one thing he’d desperately need: offensive protection. Last season, the Dolphins allowed 146 quarterback hits, which was the worst in the league. There’s no way Tagovailoa could endure that much of a constant beating, and adding a strong offensive lineman like Leatherwood would help create protection for the quarterback. Leatherwood brings talent and a strong skillset, and is able to play several different positions such as guards and tackle.
Oct 26, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Trevon Diggs (7) returns an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Trevon Diggs has shown his ability to be playmaker, and would be a big playmaker for the Raiders, a team who could use a dominant defender. Diggs’ speed and field vision allow him the ability to make big plays, and create momentum shifts. The Raiders could use a player like Diggs, who can create turnovers. After all, the Raiders led the league in allowed yards per play, and most allowed completions of 40+ yards.
21. Philadelphia Eagles — Henry Ruggs III, WR,
Nov 16, 2019; Starkville, MS, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (11) runs the ball while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs cornerback Tyler Williams (13) during the third quarter at Davis Wade Stadium. Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Ruggs is hands down, one of the fastest players in this draft class. His ability to move around defenders is outstanding, as is his ability to make big plays downfield. USA Today explains that this pick by the Eagles would open up an offensive opportunity of play for Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz. If there’s one player who is able to make extremely big plays downfield, it’s Ruggs.
22. Tennessee Titans — Terrell Lewis, OLB
Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis in an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)Lewis has the ability to be a HUGE defensive playmaker. His speed, strength, and size have allowed him to make big plays in the backfield, and that’s exactly what the Titans need. This season, they struggled to stop big plays downfield, as well as make big plays up front. If the Titans drafted a player like Lewis, it could be a game changer for them defensively.
31. San Francisco 49ers — Xavier McKinney, S
Oct 19, 2019; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Jared Mayden (21) intercepts a pass after a hit on Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (15) by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Xavier McKinney (15) during the first half of an NCAA football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
McKinney was one of the more underrated defenders this season. The 49ers could easily use a player with the skillset and talent McKinney has. He has the ability to make big plays and create turnovers. All in all, McKinney would be a great pick to add to the 49ers secondary.
Regardless of these mock drafts, we will have to wait and see which players decided to declare and which players will decide to return.
Roll Tide Wire will keep you up to date with the latest!
With the VRBO Citrus Bowl coming up on Wednesday, the two opposing head coaches gave their scouting report of the other team.
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ORLANDO, Fla. — In the only joint appearance of the VRBO Citrus Bowl, while sitting on a dais in a ballroom in the Rosen Plaza Hotel, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Alabama’s Nick Saban traded pleasantries, smiles, laughs and even a moment of bonding in the end. The two very similar personalities could do that on Tuesday, given that the smile will likely disappear from the face of the coach of the team that does not emerge victorious.
It was an odd sight, the two iconic coaches sharing the same stage — especially given that this is not a New Year’s Six game, nor one in the College Football Playoff.
At the college level, Harbaugh does not have the accolades of Saban — no coach does — but he did have more success in the NFL compared to Saban’s two years with the Miami Dolphins. As the two traded mutual pleasantries, each was asked in the joint press conference about what they see in the other team, and while the Crimson Tide are the perceived favorite — which makes complete sense given their talent and track record — it wasn’t just Harbaugh gushing about what he’s seen out of the Tuscaloosa outfit, Saban had a lot to say about what he’s seen out of Michigan.
Starting with Harbaugh, he noted from a more holistic standpoint what makes Alabama so formidable, sharing just how sound it is across the board.
“A lot of really good things,” Harbaugh said. “Offensively – I’ll let Coach Saban talk about his own team, he’s got a lot of great things to talk about. Schematically and players – offense that’s built for speed. Attacks every part of the field in the passing game, in the running game. Physical, physical football team.
“Defensively, really the same thing. It’s a very attacking, multiple in coverages. And the special teams is really dangerous, especially in the return game. The punt return, the kickoff return. In all facets: everything’s tight, everything’s batten down. There are no weaknesses.”
Saban went much further, going slightly beyond surface-level to break down what he’s seen on tape of the Wolverines.
“I think the first thing that comes off the screen to me is they’re a very well-coached team in every phase of the game,” Saban said. “I think players play really, really hard. They play with tremendous toughness. They’ve got great intangibles in terms of they’re disciplined. The accountability, they do their job. How they play together as a group.
“On defense, they’ve got a lot of movement. They’ve got a lot of quickness. They’re very aggressive. A lot of multiples in terms of what you see and how it challenges your offensive line and the coverage aspects with what their quarterback has to read and what their receivers have to adjust to. On offense, they have a lot of multiples that a lot of college teams have now in terms of how they attack the entire field. They can run the ball effectively. The offensive line is really, really good. Quarterback plays well, can make all the throws. They have really good skill guys that can make explosive plays. They’ve got great balance on offense and they’re very physical on special teams and do a really, really good job in that area of the game as well.
“I see a team that is very strong in every area, but I think the No. 1 thing is they play with great intangibles and are really well-coached.”
The Wolverines and Crimson Tide kick off on Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium at 1PM EST.
The two head coaches are set to meet with the media to preview the Wolverines and Crimson Tide.
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ORLANDO, Fla. — The game is nearly here, as on Wednesday, the Wolverines fill face off against Alabama and the Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.
But, before the two teams square off in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, for the first time since the two teams have been in town, both head coaches — Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh and Alabama’s Nick Saban — will share a podium, taking questions from the media and discussing the matchup and the week that was just had.
WolverinesWire is front and center to bring you updates from the joint head coaches press conference. The press conference is set to begin at 9AM EST.
The Alabama fan base received a post-Christmas present from Dylan Moses on Monday night, as the star linebacker announced his return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season via his Instagram account. That bombshell obviously created some stir across all …
The Alabama fan base received a post-Christmas present from Dylan Moses on Monday night, as the star linebacker announced his return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season via his Instagram account.
That bombshell obviously created some stir across all the social media sites, but we decided to grab a few of the best reactions from Twitter specifically. Check it out below!
Dylan Moses back for Alabama in 2020 is, um, significant. Huge news for the Crimson Tide.
With Dylan Moses returning it only points to more players to do the same. Hopefully this is start to a tidal wave of returning juniors for their senior season. pic.twitter.com/Nq40zzp5bT
Pretty shocking Dylan Moses is going back to Alabama. A potential top 10 prospect and LB1 in this class. He’ll be one of the first players off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft. So big for that Alabama defense. https://t.co/tZibpF5wyV
The Alabama defense missed the presence of Moses severely, but with his return, the group has a much better chance of returning to an elite status. As many of the people above have stated, this is huge news for the Crimson Tide!
Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire on the decisions of several high-profile, draft-eligible players for Alabama!
