Alabama falls to Michigan to cap off worst season since 2007

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January 2, 2025

The Alabama Crimson Tide has officially played its last game in the 2024 season.

Coming off a 9-3 regular season and a narrow miss of the College Football Playoff, most Alabama fans were frustrated with the first year of the Kalen DeBoer era. But with a chance to build some positive momentum and end the season on a high note — the team flat out didn’t show up against Michigan — a team they were heavily favored against in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa Bay.

The Wolverines defeated Alabama 19-13 in a game that highlighted all of the issues the offense went through during the season. From a lack of an ability to run the ball with any sort of consistency to a first quarter that was maybe the worst in the history of the program, things got off to a rough start and didn’t get much better.

With two fumbles and an interception in the first quarter alone, it was a poor showing from Jalen Milroe in what was widely expected to be his last game in an Alabama uniform.

Even with the mess of a first quarter, Alabama trailed just 16-10 at halftime and still had a shot to come out in the second half and win.

But things didn’t get any better in the second half on offense as the unit mustered up just three points in a touchdown-less last 30 minutes for both teams. With a chance to win the game at the end, the Tide turned it over on downs from inside the 10 yard line on fourth and goal, giving Michigan its second victory over Alabama in the last calendar year, one on the first day of the year and one on the last.

Milroe finished the game 16 of 32 for 192 yards and a touchdown with an interception, but as was the case in pretty much all of Alabama’s losses, he couldn’t get going on the ground with just seven total rushing yards. Ryan Williams was held to just eight yards on three receptions as Milroe struggled to get him the ball while Germie Bernard had 80 yards on four catches.

A bitterly disappointing year ends with a 9-4 record and a lot of unanswered questions with a long and cold winter ahead.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.