The Steelers land their future franchise QB in this new mock draft.
If we were writing a letter to Santa about what to bring the Pittsburgh Steelers for Christmas, the future franchise quarterback would be near the top of the list. The Steelers future at quarterback is cloudy with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both set to hit free agency and no one exactly sure what the Pittsburgh front office will do.
So when the folks at The Draft Network put out their Christmas edition of a one-round mock draft for 2025, we had no issues with them giving the Steelers Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. Here’s what they had to say about the pick.
QB remains an immediate and long-term question for head coach Mike Tomlin. Jalen Milroe has day-two grades from most teams, but his vertical touch and electric lower half push him into the back end of day one here in what is a really nice spot for his development.
Development is the keyword here. Milroe isn’t NFL ready at this point so drafting him would mean the Steelers either re-sign Wilson or Fields or if both walk, add a veteran free agent as a stopgap until Milroe is ready to go.
The one caveat is if the Steelers invest heavily into either Wilson or Fields. That would definitely cause the Steelers to change course int he first round with a cornerback or wide receiver as the target instead.
Will it be home or away jerseys for the Crimson Tide in their bowl game against Michigan? Here’s our best guess.
When the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines face off in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl, it will be their third head-to-head meeting in five seasons — and their second in the past 365 days.
At least from the standpoint of uniforms, it will also be an aesthetically pleasing game to watch on TV or in person, if you’re traveling to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
There are few if any teams in all of college football that are as uniquely identifiable as the Wolverines’ in their maize and blue combo, or Alabama in its crimson and white threads (officially named Crimson Flame and Victory White by the university).
But what color jersey will these two heavyweight programs be wearing when they meet again on New Year’s Eve?
Well, neither school has made any official announcement on that front but for a bit of fun, we look to the past for clues as to which team will be wearing home and away jerseys.
The ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) has pitted the SEC vs. the Big Ten in every matchup since the 1995 season. The Big Ten representative has been designated as the home team in even years (after the 2016 regular season, 2018, 2020, etc.), while the SEC representative has been the home team in odd years.
When Alabama made its last appearance in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day 1997 (also against Michigan) following the ’96 regular season, the Crimson Tide wore their road white jerseys. Like then, Alabama is the designated visiting team for this year’s matchup.
A season ago, LSU was the designated home team in Tampa and opted to wear its alternate purple jerseys over gold pants against Wisconsin. When Indiana was the designated home team following the 2020 season, the Hoosiers wore their home uniforms against Ole Miss.
That means the Crimson Tide will likely be in their classic all-white jerseys, though not necessarily. Schools that are designated as the home team still have the option to wear white.
If Alabama indeed takes the field in Tampa in their road jerseys, it will mark the same uniform matchup as last season’s Rose Bowl against Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Wolverines wore a matching blue pant combination in that game but could opt for their traditional maize pants this time.
Regardless of who ends up wearing what jersey, Alabama-Michigan is bound to be as close to perfection as any uniform matchup will get during the 2024-25 college football bowl season.
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See who the experts think will win the ReliaQuest Bowl matchup between Alabama and Michigan.
The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the Michigan Wolverines in a matchup of two powerhouse college football programs playing in a non-powerhouse bowl game on New Year’s Eve.
Unlike a season ago when Alabama and Michigan met in “The Granddaddy of Them All” in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with national championship implications at stake, the Crimson Tide (9-3 overall) and Wolverines (7-5) will meet in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on New Year’s Eve.
Kalen DeBeor’s first season as Alabama’s coach included big rivalry wins over the Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers and of course, the Auburn Tigers in his first dance with the Iron Bowl rivalry. Losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma cost the Crimson Tide a shot at the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
Michigan also has a first-year head coach in Sherrone Moore, who took over for Jim Harbaugh and guided the Wolverines to a winning season and a huge upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.
On Friday, USA TODAY Sports’ college football experts released their early predictions for every 2024-25 bowl game, including Alabama-Michigan. All six members of USA TODAY’s panel — Paul Myerberg, Dan Wolken, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith — picked the Crimson Tide to win.
Similarly, ESPN college football writer/analyst Adam Rittenberg also predicted an Alabama win (subscription required).
Kickoff for Alabama vs. Michigan is set for 11 a.m. CT on Dec. 31. It will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Crimson Tide and Wolverines. The series is split 3-3.
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Some good news from Jalen Milroe and Jihaad Campbell.
The Alabama Crimson Tide won’t be spending December where they had hoped to in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Kalen DeBoer’s team will instead be in Tampa, Fla., for this year’s ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) at Raymond James Stadium. Alabama will face the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 31 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN.
On Thursday, we gained some clarity on whether Alabama’s best players (those with future NFL careers) would suit up against the Wolverines. Quarterback Jalen Milroe, for one, confirmed that he would play in the Crimson Tide’s bowl game.
“The mission right now is to complete the season,” Milroe told reporters. “We have one more mission ahead, which is attacking Michigan. And that’s the whole thought process right now, being our absolute best so we can take care of our business when it goes to playing in Tampa.
“It’s all about going 1-0… and that’s where my focus is at. Winning this game, preparing the right way, and take care of my body so we can be at our best us,” Milroe added.
Stud linebacker Jihaad Campbell was a bit more direct when asked if he would also play in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
“Hell yeah I’m playing,” Campbell told AL.com’s Nick Kelly. “I didn’t even think about that. I wanted to play with my brothers. It’s another opportunity to showcase my talents and for everybody else to showcase their talents and all the hard work they put in.”
Two years ago, Alabama’s two best players were quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson. Both were taken in the top five of the 2023 draft. Young was the No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers; Anderson the No. 3 pick by the Houston Texans.
Milroe was asked about his thought process and what led to him deciding to play against the Wolverines.
“One of our core values is finish,” Milroe said. “Despite anything, we entered into the season together and we’ll finish the season together, my teammates, my brothers. It’s all about unfinished business. We have one more game on our schedule. I think it was ultimately just (about) doing what was best for our team.”
The matchup between Alabama and Michigan will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the two blue blood programs. The Wolverines defeated the Crimson Tide, 27-20 in overtime in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in what would turn out to be Nick Saban’s final game as Alabama’s coach.
The Tide and Wolverines also met in the 2019 Citrus Bowl, the 1999 Orange Bowl, and twice before in what’s now known as the ReliaQuest Bowl (after the 1996 and 1987 seasons).
The all-time head to head series is split 3-3.
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One team will likely be much less shorthanded than the other.
If Michigan football was hoping to have a war of attrition in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Alabama, the Crimson Tide are not acceding.
The Wolverines already have a few opt-outs, as defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson have both declared for the NFL draft. More will likely come in the lead-up to the bowl game, now three weeks away. Tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant being among those who have decisions to make.
But for the Alabama side, head coach Kalen DeBoer expects as close a full contingent to suit up, and now we at least know that the signal caller will be present.
According to Tuscaloosa News reporter Colin Gay, junior quarterback Jalen Milroe — who Michigan saw a year ago in the Rose Bowl — does intend to suit up and play in Tampa.
The game does promise to be something of a mismatch, regardless of the entrants. Alabama, 9-3, had its hopes on bypassing an 11-2 SMU team that only got its second loss in the ACC Championship against Clemson. Michigan, however, enters the game at 7-5, with its sole ranked win having come in The Game against playoff-bound Ohio State. But with Graham, Johnson, and likely more opt-outs coming, the hill to victory for the Wolverines has steepened.
Milroe explained at his media availability that his decision is due to him wanting to finish the mission with the players he started with.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe wins award for college football’s top scholar-athlete.
During the transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer, no player has been more impactful for the Alabama Crimson Tide than QB Jalen Milroe. It would have been easy for Milroe and several other players to transfer during the coaching change, but they decided to stay in Tuscaloosa and help carry on the standard Saban set for 17 years.
Milroe has always been sensational for the Crimson Tide on the field as he was a leader in the race for the Heisman Trophy for the past two seasons. However, his impact off the field speaks more as he’s been a pillar of the Tuscaloosa community since arriving on campus in 2021. Milroe is an avid volunteer in Tuscaloosa and his hometown of Katy, TX while being named to the President’s List and Dean’s List multiple times.
On Tuesday, Milroe was named the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy winner, better known as the “academic Heisman.” Milroe becomes the second member of the Crimson Tide to win the award alongside Barrett Jones who won in 2012. On top of winning the trophy, Milroe will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship from the NFF.
Former Auburn and Oregon QB Bo Nix was the winner a season ago.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe wins the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy
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Is Alabama in or out? A look at the experts’ latest College Football Playoff projections for the Alabama Crimson Tide heading into Championship Saturday.
The regular season is over. All the Alabama Crimson Tide and coach Kalen DeBoer can do now is wait to learn their postseason fate.
Alabama (9-3 overall, 5-3 SEC) made one last impression on the selection committee with a 28-14 victory over rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday. The Crimson Tide overcame four turnovers, and Jalen Milroe was much improved from his performance against the Oklahoma Sooners a week earlier in a 24-3 loss that may still prove fatal to Alabama’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Milroe was 18-of-24 for 256 yards through the air, with 104 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 17 carries. Alabama led 28-6 until late in the third quarter when Auburn drove 87 yards on 10 plays and got a 29-yard Payton Thorne touchdown to Cam Coleman.
Is Alabama’s resume enough to get the Crimson Tide into the Playoff with three losses over teams like the Miami Hurricanes (9-2)? That’s what college football experts are debating after the final week of the regular season in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.
Heading into Championship Saturday, here’s what national college football writers and others in the sport’s media universe are saying about Alabama’s College Football Playoff and bowl game fate/projections — and which teams the Crimson Tide might face.
Alabama football’s updated CFP, bowl game projections after regular season
Alabama at Notre Dame (CFP first-round game, Dec. 20 or 21)
Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Alabama vs. Notre Dame is the most common projection among the experts’ CFP predictions. USA TODAY Sports analyst Erick Smith sees the Crimson Tide getting the final at-large berth in the playoff and making a trip to South Bend to face the Fighting Irish in a No. 12 seed vs. No. 5 seed matchup.
Smith writes:
“(T)he SEC gets its fourth team in the field with three-loss Alabama edging South Carolina on the basis of the head-to-head result between the schools.”
Alabama defeated South Carolina, 27-25, on Oct. 12 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide haven’t visited South Bend since the 1987 college football season. The two teams have met twice in the postseason since then, including Alabama’s 42-14 romp of Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship on Jan. 7, 2013 in Miami.
Smith is far from the only one who sees Alabama taking on Notre Dame in a first-round playoff game. Another USA TODAY Sports expert, Austin Curtright, has the Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish squaring off in South Bend, as does ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
“Ultimately, I believe the committee will take 9-3 Alabama over 10-2 Miami and 9-3 South Carolina because the Tide have played a much tougher schedule and have more Top 25 wins than Miami. Plus, they own the head-to-head tiebreaker edge over South Carolina.”
On3’s Andy Staples sees Alabama facing Notre Dame, as well.
Staples writes:
“Of the teams vying for this spot, South Carolina is probably the one no one wants to see in the bracket. But the head-to-head losses to Alabama and Ole Miss seem prohibitive. Perhaps the committee will surprise us, but it seems to value power rankings like ESPN’s FPI, the Sagarin ratings and the Massey Ratings… All of those have Alabama ahead of the other teams in this group. The committee had Alabama one spot ahead of Ole Miss last week, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything is written in stone.”
Alabama at Penn State (CFP first-round game, Dec. 20 or 21)
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
247Sports analyst Brad Crawford also projects Alabama to make the final 12-team field. But instead of a trip to South Bend, Crawford sees the Crimson Tide taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a No. 11 seed vs. No. 6 seed playoff game in Happy Valley.
From there, Crawford sees Alabama beating Penn State, then beating his projected ACC champion, the SMU Mustangs, in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to set up a showdown between the Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns in the CFP semifinals at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
The Sporting News’ Bill Bender agrees with the Alabama-Penn State projection. Alabama last played at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 10, 2011, a 27-11 Crimson Tide victory in Week 2 of the season.
Alabama at Texas (CFP first-round game, Dec. 20 or 21)
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sports Illustrated’s Nick Shepkowski sees Alabama making the playoff and facing Texas in Austin. A Tide-Longhorns matchup would be the third in as many years. Alabama won at Texas, 20-19, on a 33-yard Will Reichard game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left on Sept. 10, 2022. They lost, 34-24, to former Nick Saban assistant Steve Sarkisian in September 2023 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Is Citrus Bowl Alabama football’s most realistic postseason destination?
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Not everyone is sold on Alabama reaching the College Football Playoff after Week 14’s chaos. CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm projects the Miami Hurricanes to get the committee’s final at-large berth and face No. 5 seed Texas in the first round of the playoff.
Palm has Alabama in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando against Bret Beliema and the Illinois Fighting Illini on New Year’s Eve. Alabama last played in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day 2020, defeating Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines, 35-16.
One of Auburn’s top linebackers was asked about the star Alabama wide receiver Monday.
The first day of Iron Bowl game week was certainly a memorable one, even despite the only action coming from the press conferences for the two rivals.
As expected, both the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers commented on the other program Monday, with one of the most noteworthy coming via a comment from what Auburn true freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick said about the Crimson Tide, in particular star wide receiver Ryan Williams.
“Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams,” Riddick said, “I mean yes, he’s electric. He’s all this and that, but in my eyes he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself, he ain’t no big-time player to me.”
Riddick also commented on a few other topics surrounding Alabama, which included containing quarterback Jalen Milroe, as well as potentially losing to the Crimson Tide.
“It’s going to be real important in this game,” Riddick said. “He is a good quarterback. He’s fast, but I mean, he’s not faster than me. He will not get out of that box this week, and that’s something I’m going to have to work on all week this week at practice, and is something some of the guys are going to have to help me with.”
“Bama is a big rival team,” Riddick added. “Every rival team I’ve played I’ve never lost to, and I will not lose to Bama while I’m here.”
The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set to meet this upcoming Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET on either ABC or ESPN+.
Three stars from the Oklahoma Sooners upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Oklahoma stunned their fanbase, the SEC, and the college football world on Saturday night putting a stamp on the 2024 season with an upset over the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide 24-3. It was Alabama’s first visit to Norman since 2002.
There have been very few things to be excited about this season for Oklahoma football. Oklahoma dominated Alabama along the line of scrimmage for three hours. The Sooners’ season could end on a high note, depending on how they fare in Baton Rouge against LSU and how the Sooners perform in their bowl game.
Saturday’s win was a masterclass in desire, toughness, and physicality. The Sooners were the aggressors from the opening snap, and it didn’t stop until the clock read 0:00.
Oklahoma needed heroic performances to pull off this upset, and we wanted to highlight the three stars we thought lost pivotal to the win.
No. 1 Star – Jackson Arnold/Xavier Robinson
It would be a disservice to not include both Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson as the No. 1 star. The two combined for 43 carries, 238 yards, and two touchdowns. Robinson scored twice, but Arnold’s toughness as a runner showed the type of competitive fire we’ve come to expect from Oklahoma quarterbacks.
Robinson’s ability to run through contact as a freshman may be his best trait. It looks even more impressive against a veteran Tide defense.
Joe Jon Finley routinely hit the right button for the offense and Arnold and Robinson rewarded his faith in the run game. With a dominant performance from the offensive line, the Sooners rode the run game to a monumental win.
No. 2 Star – Eli Bowen, Cornerback
The younger of the two Bowens, Eli, brother is entirely out of his five-star brother Peyton’s shadow. Eli has become one of the best freshman defensive players in the country.
Not only did he hold budding superstar freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams to two catches, but he did so by traveling with Williams most of the game. Wherever Williams lined up, Bowen was there, and the effectiveness never waned. When Bowen was in coverage on Williams, Alabama’s true freshman phenom had just one reception on four targets. The one catch went for 30 yards, but other than that, Bowen put the clamps on.
He completely shut down an entire facet of Alabama’s offense, which made Jalen Milroe’s job even more complicated, considering the Sooners had bottled up the run game.
Did we mention Bowen’s incredible interception? He read the play before Milroe even threw it and blew up the screen while picking off the pass in the process. That’s the highlight that will stand out, but Bowen put together a complete performance in coverage and in run support for the Oklahoma Sooners defense.
No. 3 Star – The Offensive Line
Bill Bedenbaugh’s finest work this season was on display last night. Whatever was said, practiced, or reviewed leading up to the game was flawless. The Sooners had a plan, and they executed it to perfection.
Clearly, the offensive brain trust watched what Vanderbilt did to Alabama earlier this season, and they wondered if they could do the same. It started with the boys up front who just beat up on the Alabama defensive line for 60 minutes. Even though the Crimson Tide knew the Sooners weren’t going to ask their quarterback to drop back and throw it 40 times, Alabama still struggled to stop the Sooners rushing attack.
Oklahoma started the game with this offensive line combination
Left Tackle – Logan Howland
Left Guard – Heath Ozaeta
Center – Troy Everett
Right Guard – Febechi Nwaiwu
Right Tackle – Spencer Brown
The Sooners rotated in true freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis, too, and the aggression and movement they created didn’t drop off. Could this be the game that helps spark a massive step forward for the younger Sooners offensive linemen and something they can build on over the remainder of the season?
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A look at some of the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners upset win over the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide.
What a night in Norman, Oklahoma. On senior night and with the Alabama Crimson Tide in town, Sooner Nation showed out in a big way, rising to the occasion to provide an energy and environment that had a significant impact on the Oklahoma Sooners win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In the end, the Oklahoma Sooners welcomed thousands of their closest friends onto the field to revel in the 24-3 domination.
The Sooners made Alabama look like the team that had struggled to get to 5-5 on the season. Not the No. 7 team in the nation that was hoping to solidify its place in the College Football Playoff.
The offense pounded the ball with Jackson Arnold and Xavier Robinson in the run game to the tune of 257 rushing yards on 50 attempts. The defense kept one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Jalen Milroe, in check for four quarters. They never let him get going in the running game and provided enough pressure to make it difficult to push the ball down the field.
It was an incredible night in Norman as Oklahoma honored its seniors in the best way they could, with a huge win over a top-10 Alabama Crimson Tide team.
Here are some of the best photos from the Sooners win over Alabama.
