In response to the Crimson Tide hiring a former Michigan coach before the Rose Bowl, Alabama fans….
George Helow, 36, spent the 2021 and 2022 season on Jim Harbaugh’s staff, winning two Big Ten Conference Championships.
He infuses the Crimson Tide with a great deal of enthusiasm and system knowledge from Michigan. Particularly considering that Saban is going for his eighth national championship, Alabama supporters view this as a major chess move on his part. Helow joins the Tide in a new coaching capacity that has not yet been made public. As a defensive coordinator, he replaced Coleman Hutzler. Helow’s help will be invaluable in preparing Alabama to withstand any attack from Michigan on New Year’s Day.
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The Rose Bowl and New Year’s Day will be here before we know it, as the Michigan Wolverines take on the Alabama Crimson Tide for a spot in the National Championship.
We published a piece on Thursday outlining the five reasons Michigan will defeat Alabama. However, we’re going to go against the grain today and outline the five reasons the Tide will win.
1. Nick Saban and program excellence
These two things kind of go hand-in-hand over the last two decades, but Alabama has been the most prestigious dynasty of the 2000s. Head coach Nick Saban has seven national championships dating back to 2003 with LSU.
After joining Alabama, Saban went on a tear of titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012 during the end of the BCS era. Since the College Football Playoff era began, he’s won another three in 2015, 2017 and 2020.
The Crimson Tide have made six national championships of the CFP era, and this is the eighth time they have made the postseason tournament. Saban has the coaching experience advantage over Jim Harbaugh at the collegiate level by a wide margin.
2. Jalen Milroe’s explosiveness
Jalen Milroe will be the most athletic and the best overall quarterback Michigan has faced, and he has played at a really high level in the second half of the season.
Historically, the Wolverines have struggled against mobile quarterbacks. It’s part of the reason why Ohio State went on that long run with Urban Meyer — even pre-Meyer — and the game plan the Buckeyes had seemingly every year with their signal callers.
With his legs, Milroe has shown off in some significant games; in two of them this year, he has reached the century mark. It will be the defense of Michigan’s turn to keep him in the pocket and apply constant pressure. Should he fail to accomplish that, Milroe will use both his arms and legs to make the Wolverines pay.
3. Alabama’s relentless pass rush
One of the best pass rushes in the nation comes from the Crimson Tide. They are tied for seventh place in the nation with an average of 3.3 sacks per game.