The No. 11 Crimson Tide squares off with Michigan today in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa. The Wolverines, as everyone remembers, won it all last year, including a Rose Bowl victory over Alabama in the four team semifinals, but lost Jim Harbaugh to the LA Chargers and several key players departed off the 2023 team and struggled some this season, finishing with a 7-5 record. However, the Wolverines defeated Ohio State on the road for its fourth straight victory in the bitter rivalry, 13-10, so that made this season a whole lot better.

 Alabama is pretty well stocked for the ReliaQuest Bowl, with most every player available except for Malachi Moore, who is out with after having surgery for an undisclosed injury, along with the players who were injured during the regular season, including OLB Q Robinson and safety Keon Sabb among others.

 Here’s a look at today’s games along with preddictions

 

ReliaQuest Bowl

 

No. 11 Alabama (9-3) vs. Michigan (7-5)

 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, 75,000

 11 AM CT

 ESPN

 Dave Flemming, Brock Osweiler, Sherree Burruss

 Refs: Big 12, Tuta Salaam

 Crimson Tide by 16 ½

 

Michigan’s pair of star running backs have opted out, their two leading defensive players have opted out, and some other starters are done, so they’re a shell of the team that defeated Ohio State on Saturday, November 30th, 13-10. The Crimson Tide is pretty much at full strength. Expect Jalen Milroe (189-of-287, 66%, 2652 yards15 TDs/10 ints, 719 rushing yards, 20 TDs), Ryan Williams (45-857, 8 TDs) and Germie Bernard (46-714, 2 TDs) to have big days in the passing game today. It’s not clear whether Milroe is definitely going to the NFL  after this game, though I’m “pretty sure” he is, as Tracy Morgan said in the Rocket Mortgage commercial before pushing a guy out of an airplane and saying “I’m pretty sure” the parachute will work. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell, a first team All American, who led the team in tackles with 106, and added a team leading 11 ½ tackles for loss 55 yards and a team leading 5 sacks for -39 yards, will lead the defense against the Wolverines. Campbell is a highly rated NFL prospect and will more than likely go in the first round. He’s a junior. Good chance for the Crimson Tide to look at some of the players who will be suiting up for them in 2025 as well. A note of personal interest: the starting quarterback for Michigan today, Davis Warren, is the son of a Phi Delta Theta fraternity brother of mine, Jeff Warren. So I hope Davis can have a good game, even though I like the Tide to have a better one. Davis threw for 6 TDs and 9 ints in his first season splitting time with Alex Orji under center. Jeff, his father, was an awesome guy at Vanderbilt, two years younger than me. I remember when we were rushing the great Philadelphian, Vanderbilt had a game @Kentucky on a Saturday morning at 11, and it was a good excuse for a “road trip.” The great Nelson Bean, and our  head rush chairman, George “Freedaddy” Freeman, and a couple others of us took Jeff and a couple of other rushees up to Lexington. We might have had a few adult beverages that day, “I can’t remember,” as I used to say the day after some Saturday Night band parties. Vanderbilt had a pretty decent team that year, even went to a bowl game, but nothing like this Diego Pavia-led team we have now and the one forthcoming.

 

Alabama 34, Michigan 10

 

 First Playoff Game

 

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

 

No.6 Penn State (12-2) vs. No.3 Boise State (12-1)

 State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, 63,400

 6:30 PM CT

 ESPN

 Bob, Louis, Kris, Tom

 Refs: SEC, Steve Marlowe

 Penn State by 11 ½

 

The Nittany Lions are a heavy favorite to move on to the semifinals where they’ll face the winner of No.7 Notre Dame and No.2 Georgia, which are playing in a quarterfinal game Wednesday at 7:45 PM CT in the Sugar Bowl. That semifinal game will take place in the Orange Bowl.

 But not so fast. The Broncos only loss is to Oregon, 37-34, at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, September 7th. Ashton Jeanty rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 TDs this season, though the Penn State defense is pretty tough against the run. Maddux Madsen has thrown for 22 TDs against only 3 ints for the Broncos. And their defense is pretty scrappy.

 Penn State will be led by quarterback Drew Allar, who completed 237-of-346 passes, 69%, for 3,021 yards, 21 TDs against 7 ints. The backfield is excellent with Nicholas Singleton rushing for 928 and 8 TDs and Kaytron Allen adding 892 and 8, 7’s himself. Super tight end Tyler Warren caught 92 passes for 1,095 yards and 6 TDs.

 

Final Analysis and Prediction

 Penn State has the weaponry to dominate the game along with a tough, physical defense. They just came off a 38-10 thrashing of SMU in the first round. But I like Boise State to keep this closer than anticipated. Give me the Nittany Lions to advance to the semis, but the Broncos to give them a real scare.

 Penn State 34, Boise State 31

 

 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

 

No. 15 South Carolina (9-3) vs. No.20 Illinois (9-3)

 

Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL., 60,219

 2 PM CT

 ABC

 Mark, Roddy, Quint

 Refs: Big 12, Kevin Mar

 SC by 9

 

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, an Ole Miss transfer, threw for 2,543 yards, 21 TDs against 5 ints and completed 61% of his passes. He’s a really good player. But I like LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina even better. Sellers threw for 17 TDs against 7 ints, for 2,274 yards and completed 65% of his passing attempts. He also rushed for 655 yards and 7 TDs. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders and his 881 yards and 11 TDs is sitting this one out for the draft, but I like Sellers and a highly talented defense, though there are a couple of opt outs, per usual, to take care of business in Orlando.

 

South Carolina 34, Illinois 21

 

 Texas Bowl

 Baylor (8-4) vs. LSU (8-4)

 NRG Stadium, Houston, 72,220

 2:30 PM

 ESPN

 Roy Philpott, Sam Acho, Taylor Davis

 Referees: ACC, Justin Elliott

 Baylor by 3 ½

 Everything is pointing in Baylor’s favor. LSU has a ton of opt outs including its’ two top offensive linemen and its’ three top receivers. So it’ll be up to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier completed 313-of-491 passes, 64%, for 3,739 yards, 26 TDs against 11 ints. He’ll have a lot of reserves helping him out on offense. Baylor is led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who completed 199-of-317, 63%, for 2,626 yards, 26 TDs against 7 ints. Byron Washington rushed for 1,004 yards and 12 TDs, and Josh Cameron caught 44 passes for 643 yards and 9 TDs.

 Final Analysis and Prediction

 

It’s hard to go against the SEC, but I gotta do it here. Brian Kelly just does not have enough players left in the tank. I’ll take former LSU Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda and his Bears.

 Baylor 35, LSU 30

 

Wednesday: Three other College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Games, Previews/Predictions.

 

No.5 Texas vs. No. Arizona State, Chick-fil-A Bowl, Atlanta, 12 PM CT, ESPN

 

No. 8 Ohio State vs. No.1 Oregon, The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, 4 PM CT, ESPN

 

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No.2 Georgia, Sugar Bowl, 7:45 PM CT, ESPN

 

Semifinals

 

Thursday, 1/9/25, Orange Bowl

Friday, 1/10/25, Cotton Bowl.

 

Georgia/Notre Dame winner vs. Penn State/Boise State winner.

 

Oregon/Ohio State winner vs. Texas/’Zona State winner.

The 4 teams in which game will be determined after the Quarterfinal matchups.

 

Both games will kickoff at 6:30 PM CT on ESPN.