No. 11 Alabama came into the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan with a lot of attention after ending the year as the first team out of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. With a first round filled with blowouts, the conversation quickly shifted to whether the Crimson Tide should have been included in the bracket.
But from the opening snap in Tampa, Florida, Alabama looked like the same disastrous team that lost by three touchdowns to lowly Oklahoma. The Tide turned the ball over on three straight early possessions in a 19-13 loss to the Wolverines, who finished seventh place in the Big Ten at 5-4 in league play.
The loss puts an exclamation point on what has been a frustrating, inconsistent season for the Tide, and underscores why the program was left out of the CFP. Those issues start with quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was miserable with an interception and two fumbles during an early torrential downpour to help spot Michigan with a 16-0 lead it never relinquished. Milroe finished his season with 18 turnovers -- 11 interceptions and seven fumbles lost.
Many pointed to Alabama's win over Georgia in October as proof that the Tide could contend with anyone in the CFP, especially in contrast to SMU and Indiana. (Notably, Indiana beat Michigan and held the Wolverines to only 69 yards on the ground.) But the inconsistency on display Tuesday was completely in line with what the Tide have been all season long. Alabama under Nick Saban had only one loss against an unranked opponent since 2008. In 2024, Kalen DeBoer's Tide had three losses against unranked opponents.
Would Alabama have been more competitive in games against the best of college football? Perhaps, but that's a hypothetical.
The loss snaps a streak of 16 straight seasons with at least 10 wins, set entirely under Saban. But more than that, the loss only emphasized just how far the program is from the peak glory days of the Saban era. Alabama lost four games in 2024. Three of them were against teams that finished a combined 10-17 in conference play (Oklahoma and Vanderbilt in the SEC, Michigan in the Big Ten).
Of course, Alabama was without several key players. Four wide receiver contributors entered the portal, along with running back Justice Haynes. Secondary contributors DeVonta Smith and Malachi Moore were also out. At the same time, though, Michigan was without tight end Colston Loveland, defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson, all potential first rounders who did not play. Essentially, the Wolverines' entire trenches were hollowed out and Alabama still couldn't meet the moment.
Bowl results are only worth so much with the number of opt-outs and NFL Draft declarations. Still, laying yet another egg on national television against Michigan's backups doesn't help the argument that things would have automatically been different in the CFP.
