Jalen Milroe describes reaction to being left out of College Football Playoff

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is ready to leave the College Football Playoff in the past. After the Crimson Tide missed out on the 12-team bracket, they pivoted their attention to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Sure, Alabama would rather be playing in the playoff. Heck, Milroe and the Tide played Michigan in the CFP semifinals last season.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

But it’s a new year and Alabama had its chances, as Milroe pointed out.

“Worry about our controllables,” Milroe said. “You know, that’s something that we had control of when it comes to our season, with the games we played, trying to be absolute best when it comes to road games, at home. So it was out of our hands, you know, and now just all about playing with the cards we have right now, preparing for Michigan, not going backwards. 

“Because, you know one thing about time, you can’t get it back. So the time we spend during the season preparing for an opponent, we can’t get those days back. We can focus on what we have right now, the practice that we have, the rest days we have, and trying to be our absolute best. Because ultimately we just can’t control other people’s actions and stuff like that. So, it’s just important for us to focus on right now.”

In 12 games this season, Milroe didn’t quite equate last year’s numbers. He had 2,652 yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, a 65.9% completion percentage, 719 rushing yards (career high) and 20 rushing touchdowns (career high).

“The mission right now is to complete the season. We have one more mission ahead, which is attacking Michigan, and that’s the whole thought process right now,” Milroe said Thursday, via NextRoundLive. “Being our absolute best so we can take care of our business when we play in Tampa. It’s all about going 1-0, preparing the right way, so that’s where my focus is at. Winning this game, preparing the right way, taking care of my body so we can be our best us. … I will be playing.”

Alabama and Milroe takes on Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl on December 31st at 12:00 p.m. ET.