Playoff semifinal preview: #1 Michigan vs #4 Alabama
Time to break down the individual matchups.
I’ve already profiled all four of the playoff teams, each profile includes a few nuggets with implications for how these semifinals are likely to go.
If you missed them or want to refresh your memory:
Last year I did it this same way and had a similar incident come up. I broke down Ohio State and gave them poor odds in the profile because I could see all of their weaknesses and poor tendencies which Michigan had learned to exploit. Then when thinking through and writing up the actual matchup against Georgia, I realized the Buckeyes were actually likely to make some real noise. The Bulldogs simply weren’t well equipped to stop them.
This year I had a very strong impression of Michigan’s limitations which gave me a lot of pause regarding their chances to win a playoff game, especially once they drew hot Alabama rather than crippled Florida State. Then I studied Alabama more and now I think this matchup is actually pretty tight. Let’s get into it…
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