Michigan coach to Desmond Howard: 2023 Alabama wasn’t as good as 2021 Georgia team

Michigan, in its third straight trip to the College Football Playoff, finally managed to win a game, beating Alabama in the Rose Bowl. One of the biggest reasons for that win was how the Wolverines dominated the game physically at the line of scrimmage.

While making an appearance on Get Up, Desmond Howard shared some thoughts on that physicality and said that one of the Michigan coaches told him that this year’s Alabama team wasn’t as good as the 2021 Georgia team that beat Michigan in the CFP.

“I was told that Alabama, by a Michigan coach, that Alabama was not as good as the Georgia team Michigan played two years ago in the CFP,” Desmond Howard said. “And that Michigan was obviously much more better and much more prepared for this matchup.”

Howard went on to explain that a big difference is also coming from Michigan. That loss to Georgia helped Michigan to change how it prepares and approaches the game. That, in turn, helped the Wolverines be more prepared and ready to play physically.

“With that being said, if you want somebody to be physical on the field or to be faster on the field, that means they have to be more mentally prepared. When you know where you’re going and you know what you’re doing, then you just react. Everything is fast. It’s quick and you can play fast. When you’re out there and you’re unsure, you’ve got to try and figure things out. Then you’re kind of hesitant and you’re not as fast,” Howard said.

“That speaks to the preparation of the Michigan Wolverines and it spoke to the preparation of the Michigan Wolverines this whole season, last season, and the season before that each time they’ve made the CFP.”

So, because of those changes and combined with Alabama not being as good as that Georgia team, Michigan was able to get its first Playoff win.

“It’s just the first time they made the CFP they were not prepared for what they had to deal with when they played that Georgia team that was a historically great team, but right after that one they started to make changes in their conditioning and training so they would be ready for for the challenge they faced last night, yesterday afternoon in Pasadena, against Alabama.”

Paul Finebaum walks back comments on if a Michigan national championship will be tainted

Thanks to the sign-stealing scandal at Michigan, there were many people who said a national championship at Michigan would be tainted this season. That included Paul Finebaum until he walked back those comments.

“I don’t think so. And I know what I said and I know what many others said …College football right now, it is such a mess. And while a lot of us find what we believe the case to be here, to be repugnant, almost everything about college football right now is repugnant,” Finebaum said.

“So I think Michigan if they win, they’ll hoist the trophy. There’ll be haters out there, but most people I think are gonna go ‘congratulations, you are the best team.’”