Why more pressure is on Michigan than Alabama

Two of the biggest brands in college football will face off on January 1st in a Rose Bowl matchup that not only features some of the best talent in the sport — but some of the best coaching as well.

For Alabama, it’s a bit of a unique spot it finds itself in: Entering the playoff matchup as a slight Vegas underdog and the lower-seeded team. The last time Alabama had the 4th seed was during the 2017 season when they were allowed into the CFP after losing the Iron Bowl and not making the SEC Championship.

Alabama took on No. 1 Clemson in the Sugar Bowl and beat the Tigers soundly by a score of 24-6 and ended up advancing to, and ultimately winning the national championship.

While Alabama’s resume in 2023 stacks up against anyone’s in the country as an SEC Champion who went undefeated in-conference and won eleven straight games, the years feel similar in that the Crimson Tide earned benefit of the doubt in order to get into the CFP.

All that being said — this is an Alabama team with nothing to lose taking on a Michigan team with everything to lose.

It’s easy to forget now, but this Crimson Tide team was cast off in September after losing to Texas and a dreadful performance against South Florida. Nobody thought this team would be competing for a national championship.

Not to mention the obvious that Alabama has been there and done that, with a ridiculous 9-4 record in the College Football Playoff and three of those losses coming in national championships.

Michigan, while finally back to the program it expected to be under Jim Harbaugh and coming off back to back Big-10 titles, is the opposite.

In fact, not only is Michigan 0-2 in CFP games, losing in the semi-final the last two years, Jim Harbaugh is an astoundingly atrocious 1-6 in bowl games at Michigan.

Yet even with Alabama in his way, after everything that has happened with Michigan this season and all the questions surrounding Harbaugh’s possible future status, this still feels like the Wolverines’ best shot at a national championship.

And it feels so close. It’s right there to grab. Harbaugh is two wins away from completely shifting the narrative about his team in big games on the national stage. Two wins from eternal glory.

But make no mistake about it: Michigan wanted to face Florida State in the semi-final. Alas, the cards went the other way, and it’s Jalen Milroe, Nick Saban, and the Crimson Tide standing in the way of Harbaugh’s first title, and Michigan’s first since 1997.

Saban and the Tide are not pressure free in this one by any means. But when the question arises of who more pressure falls on, it’s really no question at all.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP