The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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24 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan opened the year 2024 with one of its best wins in school history, a 27-20 victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines will close it with a rematch against the Crimson Tide, though the stakes won't be nearly as large — a game in the Relia- Quest Bowl Dec. 31 in Tampa, Fla. The Wolverines had been rumored for the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City versus an ACC team before its stun- ning upset of Ohio State in Columbus Nov. 30. The 13-10 victory propelled Michigan to the top of the ReliaQuest Bowl's wish list, and the Wolverines beat out Iowa in the end. One source with ties to the committee told us after the Dec. 8 announcement, "We figured if Clemson beat SMU [in the ACC title game] and knocked Ala- bama out of the College Football Playoff that 'Bama would drop to us. And that's exactly what happened." The 9-3 Crimson Tide opened as an 11.5-point favorite, but Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said he was look- ing forward to the rematch. "We are excited and honored to rep- resent the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference in the Relia- Quest Bowl in Tampa," he said in a re- lease. "This is a great opportunity for our team to finish the season against an outstanding SEC opponent in Alabama. We look forward to competing against Coach Kalen DeBoer and his highly ranked Crimson Tide." Another interesting subplot — Ala- bama is now coached by Kalen DeBoer, who came from Washington (the team Michigan beat in the national champi- onship game last year) to replace Nick Saban after he retired. The Tide were the first team left out of the 12- team College Football Play- off, finishing 11th in the fi- nal rankings but losing the at-large bid to No. 10 SMU. Michigan's 53rd bowl appearance will be the sixth meeting between U-M and Alabama during the bowl season. The Wol- verines have won three of five, including last year's game, as well as a 28-24 win in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl and a 35-34 overtime win in the 2000 Orange Bowl. Alabama's two wins came in the 1997 Outback Bowl, 17-14, and the 2020 Citrus Bowl, 35-16. The Crimson Tide blasted U-M in the only other matchup, a 41-14 season- opening win in 2012 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Michigan finished the 2024 regu- lar season 7-5 with victories over Northwestern and Ohio State, saving the best for last in Columbus. This will be a tough matchup for the Wolverines, though, es- pecially with talented up- perclassmen opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft, as expected. As of Dec. 12, j u n i o r d e fe n s ive ta c k l e Mason Graham and junior cor- nerback Will Johnson both have an- nounced their intention to go pro. Alabama ranks 38th nationally in to- tal offense (422.8 yards per game) and 17th in scoring offense (35.5 points per game). The Crimson Tide rank 32nd in ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Wolverines Draw Alabama Rematch In Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl On Jan. 1, 2024, Michigan's Blake Corum scored the game-winning touchdown to defeat Alabama 27-20 in overtime at the Rose Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The two vaunted pro- grams will meet on Dec. 31 to close out the year in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Fla. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF 2024 MICHIGAN SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET)/Result Aug. 31 Fresno State W, 30-10 Sept. 7 Texas L, 31-12 Sept. 14 Arkansas State W, 28-18 Sept. 21 USC W, 27-24 Sept. 28 Minnesota W, 27-24 Oct. 5 at Washington L, 27-17 Oct. 19 at Illinois L, 21-7 Oct. 26 Michigan State W, 24-17 Nov. 2 Oregon L, 38-17 Nov. 9 at Indiana L, 20-15 Nov. 23 Northwestern W, 50-6 Nov. 30 at Ohio State W, 13-10 Dec. 31 vs. Alabama^ (ESPN) 12 p.m. ^ ReliaQuest Bowl at Tampa, Fla.