Game Thread: Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Alabama (10-2) vs. No. 14 Michigan (9-3) Noon CST Wednesday (ABC)

[navamind]

By post season I was talking bowl games. The conference title games are just an extension of the regular season.

yeah, I'd say that's a pretty important extension.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

yeah, I'd say that's a pretty important extension.

It is an important one, I just personally wouldn't call it the post season which I think of as the bowls/playoffs. There's almost a month in between the end of the season (and conference championship games) and the bowl games.

 

[craigk217]

Holeeee fuque.

 

[craigk217]

Props to Jeudy for not sitting it out.

Yeah, and I'm sure this totally diminished his Gonna Be Playin on Sundays stock, too.

 

[navamind]

I liked the playcalling this game. They were able to move the ball well in the first half and did a good job keeping an overmatched defense off the field, at least until later in the second half. Unfortunately, they struggled to finish drives after the touchdown and had to settle for three field goals. There were some points left off the board, especially with the incompletions. Patterson had some pretty ugly misses on receivers. That became an even bigger problem in the second half when Bama stopped Michigan's run game (I think we had under 3 YPC in the 2nd half). It also seemed like Patterson was just trying not to throw interceptions.

I'm pretty excited to see what the Gattis offense will look like next year, though hopefully Milton/McCaffrey can improve on the deep ball issues. I felt a lot better about this Bama game than the 2012 one where we got ran out of the building in the first half. Losing at least 3/5 of our starting OL is going to suck, and it could be 4/5 if Ruiz declares.

 

[Wishbone]

In the last 20 years Rutgers has more bowl wins then Michigan.

 

[78Cyclones]

How do you go to all these games?

Are you retired and just living the dream?

Still working, but I plan one big regular season game (trip) and 1 Bowl Game a year + local stuff. Key to the quantity over time is I have been around for a while, I've lived in 9 states and once had a travelling job that took me all over the country. So, I am living the dream, but have to work at it a bit now!

 

[navamind]

it was also pretty surprising to see Alabama not really challenge Michigan's interior DL.

 

[ericd7633]

Hearing Cesar Ruiz is leaning towards declaring for the draft. Would mean Michigan would have to replace 4/5 of the O-line.

 

[navamind]

Hearing Cesar Ruiz is leaning towards declaring for the draft. Would mean Michigan would have to replace 4/5 of the O-line.

yeah, it's going to be very tough to replace 3/5 as is. Ruiz would be a huge loss.

 

[ericd7633]

yeah, it's going to be very tough to replace 3/5 as is. Ruiz would be a huge loss.

Yeah breaking in almost a completely new line along with a new QB will be tough especially opening up at Washington. Who seems to always be tough on defense.

 

[78Cyclones]

Replay of Citrus Bowl is just starting on SEC Network: