New year, new teams, but a familiar matchup awaits as Michigan and Alabama face off in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve — a rematch of last season’s Rose Bowl.
As is usually the case, Pro Football Focus (PFF) is HIGH on Alabama. The Crimson Tide rank as the nation’s 14th highest-graded team with a 91.8 overall, thanks to a strong run game (90.5, 15th in FBS) and an elite defense (92.2, 9th overall). Their 93.6 run defense grade is especially noteworthy, ranking seventh nationally.
It’s almost certainly a given both teams will be missing a handful of their top stars, which is just the reality of non-playoff bowl games these days.