With the 2019 college football season officially in the books, it’s time to look back on how the Big Ten did in bowl games.
As we go through all the bowls, in no particular order, we will focus on two main things:
1. How did the bowl performance end the 2019 season? Was it a fitting end or a poor performance, etc.
2. What impact, if any, will it have on the 2020 season.
2020 Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs Alabama
The matchup
Michigan came into the Citrus Bowl as an underdog against Alabama. The Crimson Tide were coming off their worst season in almost a decade, but they were still a Top 10 team in both major polls. Alabama had a dominant offense and receiving corps, though the lack of injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a concern. Still, the matchup was obviously in Alabama’s favor. The Crimson Tide had more expected NFL players, better strength in the trenches, better skill position players (except maybe at quarterback), and a much stronger rushing attack. Honestly, it was a surprise that the line before the game was only one score.
What went right
I know this is an Ohio State site, but for the purposes of this series, I’m talking from the Big Ten’s conference perspective. So as a Buckeye fan, you might want to swap this section with the following one.
Basically, this game was a tale of two halves for Michigan. And it was the first half that went right for the Wolverines. Michigan clearly came in with a game plan on both sides of the ball that was meant to neutralize Alabama’s advantages. And while some Alabama receivers did get free, Michigan managed to keep all but Jerry Jeudy mostly in check throughout the game. Jeudy, though, was just unguardable. If Mac Jones had targeted him more in the first half, this game may not have been as close as it was.
What went wrong
Michigan carried a lead into halftime, but it went away from its offensive gameplan in the second half. The running game was all-but abandoned. The offense only managed one semi-successful drive in the whole half. And as the offense got more desperate due to lack of success and trailing in the game, it just got less and less effective. The defense still stood up and didn’t give up too much, but there was no guarding Jeudy, and that was enough for Alabama to keep the game out of reach.
Next… 2019 wrap-up and 2020 impact
2019 wrap-up
With the loss, Michigan fell two spots to a No. 19 finish in the Amway Coaches Poll. That’s not particularly much of a punishment, but it does represent a lost opportunity–for both Michigan and the Big Ten.
Jim Harbaugh had a chance to make a statement that he is an elite coach capable of competing for national titles, not just ranked seasons. This was further a chance to chip away at Nick Saban’s and Alabama’s aura of invincibility. Instead, the Crimson Tide walked away with a three-score win, and Michigan finished just inside the Top 10 instead of in the Top 10.
As far as the Big Ten is concerned, I’ll quote myself from the Indiana vs Tennessee recap, because the exact same point applies:
We could have seen the conference have a nation-leading seven ranked teams. Instead, the conference will tie the SEC with six ranked teams (assuming Texas A&M gets in the final polls, which it should). The SEC will have the national champion and a 2-1 head-to-head record against the Big Ten. Before bowl season began, the Big Ten had a serious claim to being the best conference this year. Now, though, that claim seems impossible to make–and this game played a big part in it.
2020 Impact
Like Indiana, this loss actually has minimal impact moving forward. A win would have been huge for Michigan heading into 2020, but the Wolverines get enough hype as it is. Michigan opens with a road trip to Washington, and the Wolverines will also face Wisconsin, Penn State, and Minnesota by October 17th. Get through that schedule with one loss (or zero), and Michigan will be in the thick of the CFP hunt. A win over Alabama in this game might have meant a higher starting position in the polls, but Michigan has the schedule that that doesn’t matter.
