Michigan DC Jesse Minter weighs in on what he sees from Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

The Michigan Wolverines have a showdown with Alabama looming in the Rose Bowl, which will send the winner to the national title game in Houston. The game likely comes down to which squad’s quarterback plays better and the defense that slows down the other guy.

Michigan’s challenge will be slowing down Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the country and a big, physical player at 6-2, 220 pounds. He has 140 rushes for 468 yards and 12 touchdowns this season in addition to 2,718 passing yards and 23 scores. Sophomore Alex Orji has been taking the bulk of the scout team snaps helping them prepare for it.

“Jalen is a phenomenal athlete,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said last week. “First and foremost, a great football player. He can do a lot. I really think they’ve settled into what he does really well over the course of the season so give a lot of credit to Tommy Rees, Coach Saban, their coaching staff for — I think early in the year, any time you have a new starter you kind of maybe think you know what his strengths and weaknesses are and then you get out there and play in the big games that they play in. He’s an elite athlete, an elite runner but he’s a really good quarterback.

“He throws the ball better, I think, better than most people give him credit for. He’s made a lot of big plays on deep balls this year. He’s capable of making that second play which, a lot of times, is dangerous for a defense. You stop the player, you cover the deep route, everybody is deep and in their zones and then he can take off. We’ve got to play disciplined, really together, really as one in a lot of the things we’re trying to do. We look forward to the great challenge that he is.”

One of the benefits of Michigan’s defensive scheme is flexibility and the ability to mix coverages. The Wolverines know they will need to mix up coverages to keep the Alabama offense honest.

“I think with a guy like that, there’s times where you want to have tight coverage that makes them hold the ball and there’s times where you want to have as many guys as possible with eyes on him. I think it’s a good blend of that. I do think we’ve certainly played a good amount of zone. Hopefully, when he does take off, we have enough people to see him in the open field and track him down, keep him from — he’s gonna scramble. It might be a first and 10, drop-back pass where you might not have a spy or you might not have your third-down type of stuff schemed up, it’s going to be our ability to limit those, keep them from becoming — he takes one against Auburn for 50 or plays like that. It’s going to be our ability to limit those huge plays off that. I think it’ll be a big factor in the game.”

Michigan has not seen a quarterback like Milroe this season but has used film from the Maryland game and quarterback Taulia Tagavailoa in addition to other looks they have gotten this season.

“We actually use the Maryland game for our guys,” Minter said. “That was, I think, in my opinion, one of our most unselfish, relentless pass-rush games. Particularly late when we needed to close out the game. This is a ultimate, ultimate group effort. Not trying to go rogue and do your own thing but fit within the framework of the rush lanes. Fit within the framework of the quarterback and then, certainly, the linebackers, particularly, on the normal downs, I would say, a lot when they’re in zone and controlling the middle of the field. They’ve gotta have a good sense of is he scrambling, is he past the line of scrimmage, if I come up too fast, he’s elite at dumping the ball off to guys when he’s close to the line. Those guys are going to play a huge part in our ability to contain them.”

Michigan and Alabama’s matchup in the Rose Bowl is set for Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET from Pasadena, California with the Wolverines set as a 1.5-point favorite. The winner will head to Houston on Jan. 8 to play in the College Football Playoff national title game against either Texas or Washington, who play in the Sugar Bowl at 8:45 p.m. on New Year’s Day. Both games will be broadcast via ESPN.