Alabama Football: Past performances indicate success against Blake Corum

When the Alabama Football team faces off against Michigan in the Rose Bowl the Wolverines' biggest threat is running back Blake Corum. Corum has been dominant while at Michigan receiving Heisman votes in 2023 and 2022 establishing himself as one of college football's top running backs. This season Corum has racked up 1,028 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns a year after putting up 1,463 rushing yards and 18 Touchdowns. Slowing the Michigan rushing attack will be the top priority for the Alabama Football team.

The Wolverines' rushing attack has taken a hit with the loss of All-American Guard Zak Zinter who suffered a season-ending leg injury in their game against Ohio State. The Wolverines average 161.8 rushing yards per game which ranks 61st in the country while their 36.7 points per game ranks 14th in the country.

Facing a team as dominant as Michigan when it comes to running the ball can be a daunting task for a majority of the teams in the country however, Alabama Football has done a great job at stopping top-tier running backs this season. Jonathan Brooks of Texas finished with 1100 yards this season before tearing his ACL, the Alabama Defense held him to 57 yards on 14 carries (4.07 YPC). They also held Quinshon Judkins to 56 yards on 13 carries, Le'veon Moss to 49 yards on 16 carries, Tennesse's Running backs to 46 yards on 19 carries, Logan Diggs to 24 yards on 8 carries, Ray Davis to 26 yards on 12 carries, and Georgia's running back duo to 80 yards on 23 carries. The biggest outlier this season was the Iron Bowl where Auburn rushed for 244 yards and 5.8 yards per carry.

The numbers would indicate that the Alabama Football team is poised to stop the Michigan rushing attack. The Alabama defense only allows 124.5 rushing yards per game which ranks 31st in the country. Should the Alabama defense shut down Michigan's rushing attack it could be tough sledding for the Wolverines, as the Alabama defense only allows 188.8 passing yards per game which ranks 22md in the country.

Alabama Football: Stuffing the run is key in Rose Bowl

Alabama Football wins this game should they limit Michigan's rushing attack. The Wolverines have struggled down the stretch of this season passing the football leaning entirely on Blake Corum and the rushing attack. If Alabama struggles to stop the run as they did in the Iron Bowl it will be tough for the Tide to win this game. The biggest key is stopping Michigan on early downs and getting the Wolverines into second and third and long situations. Kevin Steele will likely load the box early trusting Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold in man coverage against Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson until Michigan proves they can pass on this Alabama Football team

Note: Stats via ESPN