Michigan draws brutal bowl game opponent in Reliaquest Bowl to close out the 2024 season
The Michigan Wolverines ended their 2024 season on a high note, pulling off an upset win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to finish 7-5. That win helped the Wolverines secure a better bowl game, although they didn't get lucky with their draw. According to Brett McMurphy, the Wolverines will have to play the Alabama Crimson […]
The Michigan Wolverines ended their 2024 season on a high note, pulling off an upset win over the Ohio State Buckeyes to finish 7-5. That win helped the Wolverines secure a better bowl game, although they didn't get lucky with their draw.
According to Brett McMurphy, the Wolverines will have to play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Reliaquest Bowl in a rematch of last year's Rose Bowl game in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama, of course, just found out they are being kept out of the College Football Playoff and will be motivated to vent out their frustrations in the bowl game.
We'll see who all opts out, but it's unlikely the Tide will be too impacted by any significant losses to the NFL Draft. Quarterback Jalen Milroe could opt out, but he needs to keep proving himself against real defenses first before he thinks about the NFL.
On the flip side, Michigan could be devastated by bowl game opt-outs. Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Colston Loveland, and Will Johnson have no incentive to risk an injury in the bowl game. The same could potentially be said for Josaiah Stewart and perhaps Derrick Moore as well. Some other seniors like Myles Hinton, TJ Guy, Josh Priebe, Rayshaun Benny, Donovan Edwards, and Kalel Mullings could also decide to opt-out as well. Their best wide receiver, Tyler Morris, already entered the transfer portal.
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The Michigan Wolverines couldn't have everything go their way this offseason. Just after announcing their flip of four-star edge rusher Nick Marshall, it was announced that talented junior wide receiver Tyler Morris would enter the transfer portal. Morris tied for first among Michigan wide receivers in catches this season and was second on the team […]
With those names potentially missing the bowl game, taking on an angry Alabama Crimson Tide team is a pretty brutal draw for the Wolverines. It feels pretty slim that all of those players will opt out, of course, but I'd wager that most of them would, and the Wolverines are not in a place depth-wise to be able to afford any of those losses.
Even with all of these players playing, the Wolverines played too many disappointing games, though they did end the season with plenty of momentum. I'm not convinced they could beat the Tide even with these players participating in the bowl game.
However, the bowl game largely isn't about those players. It's about the future and preparing for next season. Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore has described bowl practices as "another spring ball" for the young players and has emphasized its importance.
While I'm not convinced Michigan can win, I'd be remiss to not mention how important it would be if they do. Keep in mind the Wolverines are fighting the Tide for five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood in the 2025 class. While other factors will go into that decision, it's hard to imagine the outcome of this bowl game wouldn't factor in somewhere.
The Wolverines could also pull off two major upsets in a row on Ohio State and Alabama to end the season, proving that they can still hang with the blue bloods of college football despite a disappointing season. Being able to enter the offseason with that kind of momentum behind them would be a boon for recruiting.
We'll see who ends up opting out, but this bowl game will be one worth monitoring this year.
