Alabama Football: Michigan fan site makes a surprise and bold prediction
By Ronald Evans
It takes determination to predict a loss for a team you support. The FanSided network is filled with talented writers who provide valuable information on the teams they cover. Most of us doing so are willing to admit to being unabashed fans of the teams we cover. My insights into Alabama Football are certainly shaped by a view through crimson-tinted glasses.
I guess those who write about a team like Vanderbilt are accustomed to picking opponents to win. Those of us with the good fortune of covering elite programs almost always pick our teams to win. When we don't there is a good reason why.
Recent news has college football pundits like Bruce Feldman (and others) proclaiming Michigan will win the Rose Bowl because the Wolverines are the better team in multiple position groups. My response is to shake my head and move on.
Other sources provide useful information about the strengths of the Michigan team, such as Tom Fornelli's explanation of why Michigan should win the Rose Bowl. A respected Michigan site, GBM Wolverine presented a counter opinion on the game's outcome.
GBM Wolverine's Chris Peterson wrote,
"Giving Nick Saban a month to prepare is scary, especially since Michigan football has been terrible in bowl games under Jim Harbaugh including two playoff losses.
- Chris Peterson
The Michigan defense is elite. So is the quarterback. I have questions about the running game though, as well as the offensive line. We also haven't seen the Wolverines defend a quarterback like Jalen Milroe.
Drew Allar isn't nearly as mobile and he ran all over Michigan. It was the only reason Penn State was able to put points on the board. That worries me against Milroe and sort of like Ohio State a couple of years ago, I won't believe Michigan can beat this Alabama team until I see it."
Alabama Football: GBM Wolverine Rose Bowl Prediction
Peterson's prediction is that Alabama Football will prevail, beating the Michigan Wolverines, 24-20.
Although many Alabama football fans believe a Crimson Tide win will not be so close, maybe Peterson is correct. The three short paragraphs above are not only accurate from an Alabama perspective. They pretty much include the key points that will determine the Rose Bowl's outcome.