PASADENA, Calif. — Kris Jenkins has heard everything about the big, bad Southeastern Conference. In fact, he had heard too much.
“We’re not big enough,” Michigan State’s star defensive lineman said, his voice rising Monday night in a postgame locker room strewn with rose petals. “We’re not strong enough. We’re not fast enough. We can’t keep up with the SEC.”
The story gave him motivation. It helped energize players throughout Michigan, especially those who were on the field or sidelines when the Wolverines lost to Georgia in the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance two years ago.
“So, you know, bet,” Jenkins said. “We said, ‘We’re going to show you. We’re going to remind you what this M-Zone is.”
Next stop: Houston
We’re going to Natty!#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/chHFX7EPFpO
– Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) January 2, 2024
That’s exactly what Michigan will do Monday night against Alabama in the mecca of the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines won 27-20, showing not just the Crimson Tide but the nation that they were more than just a product of a weak Big Ten conference with poor quarterback play. They ended up being one of the best teams in the country. Because they can beat a program that has been the gold standard in the sport for over a decade, coached by the greatest coach in the storied history of the sport.
Because they beat Bama.
Michigan’s win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl wasn’t just a win for these two teams, and it wasn’t just a win for the year. It’s about their brothers and their shared history – a history that’s been pretty uneven year after year. Since the 2000 season, the SEC is 8-2 against the Big Ten in matchups between two AP Top 10 teams, with six of those wins by at least 23 points. The only Big Ten wins during this period were over Ohio State, with the Buckeyes beating Arkansas in 2010 and Alabama in 2014 (the first year of the College Football Playoff).
Often, the Buckeyes carry the league’s flag alone in the sport’s highest-stakes games. Before Monday, they were the only Big Ten team to have played in a national championship game since the beginning of the BCS era. (Michigan didn’t even have a true national championship game the last time it won a championship — splitting the title with Nebraska in 1997.)
um, yes. Michigan’s win over Alabama was huge — mostly because of the Wolverines’ approach. They were physical in their attacks. They dominated Alabama’s offensive line for much of the first half, and then again in the all-important final moments, late in the fourth quarter and overtime. The decisive fourth and third quarters. They also tallied a season-high six sacks from Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
“We have to bully the bullies,” Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant said. “Everyone keeps talking about how bad Alabama is and how bad the ball is in the SEC. What’s on paper and what’s actually shown are two completely different things. We have to stand up and bully the bullies. “
The Wolverines are just as good and just as bad. They’re just as fast, and the concept of “SEC speed” was put into perspective when little-used receiver Tyler Morris outran the entire Alabama defense and scored Michigan’s second touchdown in the second quarter. Shelved. Running back Blake Colum had a stellar performance and seemed to get stronger as the game went on, becoming more explosive than he has been all season — all while playing against Nick Saban’s defense. Of course, it was fitting that he scored the only touchdown on a 17-yard rush in overtime.
That’s not to say Michigan played a perfect game. That wasn’t the case, and special teams turnover after turnover nearly cost the Wolverines the game. Alabama’s game was also sloppy, with a lot of bad snaps and broken coverage. No one would confuse Monday night’s game with a masterpiece, but that doesn’t matter. All that the Big Ten champion did was hold off the SEC’s best to earn a chance to play in the national championship.
“In the SEC, they say it means more,” edge guard Brayden McGregor said. “Then it should be ours now.”
deeper
Mandel’s mailbag: Could Michigan national championship be tainted?
deeper
Wasserman: Michigan’s win over Alabama and death of superteam
(Photo: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
