Alabama Football: Two teams with something to prove in the Citrus Bowl

Alabama football and Michigan have something to prove in the Citrus Bowl. The two teams share a purpose to follow disappointing losses with a win.

Alabama football coach, Nick Saban warned the college football world a few years ago. Nick stated the Playoffs had changed everything. Even with a four-team Playoff field, the non-Playoff bowl games were “diminished.”

Imagine, Nick asked, what would happen with an eight-team field. Alabama football fans have not had much reason to worry about diminishing the importance of bowl games. For five seasons, the Crimson Tide has only played in bowl games that mattered – a lot.

Now the Alabama Crimson Tide has a Citrus Bowl game. Many fans and probably a few players don’t know what to make of it. Alabama football players who choose to skip the Citrus Bowl should face no blame or shame. Nick explained that too in his past comments.

"All anybody talks about is the Playoff. We have a whole bunch of other bowl games that people don’t think are all that important. So if you don’t think it’s important, all of a sudden the players don’t think it’s important. So you can’t really blame the players. We created this. We created this."

Instead of stressing over who opts-out of the Citrus Bowl, appreciating an opportunity is in order. For Alabama football players not sitting out for ‘business’ reasons, there should be plenty of motivation against Michigan. After a disappointing loss to Auburn, the Crimson Tide can hit reset with a Citrus Bowl win.

A statement win would be even better. The last time a Crimson Tide team lost so many regular-season games, it destroyed Michigan State in Orlando. The game was then called the Capital One Bowl. The location is the same but the game is now the Citrus Bowl.

For Alabama football fans, the chance to lay a loss on Jim Harbaugh is compelling. Plus, beating a historical, college football, blue-blood is always good.

There is also the CFB Selection Committee angle. This year’s committee loved the Big 10. So much so, it over-valued Penn State and placed a third-place finisher in the B1G West as the nation’s No. 14 team. That team is the Michigan Wolverines.

In the process, the Committee slotted the Crimson Tide at No. 13. This season, Alabama football is not a Playoff team. But, not having the Tide in the Top 10 is so wrong, the ‘football judgment’ of the committee is in question.

Admittedly, these angles will not appeal to some players. And that is okay. Nick Saban will not have a problem fielding an enthusiastic team.

The Michigan Wolverines have as much or perhaps more to prove in the Citrus Bowl. They too are coming off a loss to a bitter rival. Taking down a historical, and current, college football, blue-blood would boost the Wolverines’ program significantly.

How good is the Michigan defense? Bama Hammer will explore that question and others in the coming weeks.