Taylor Lewan predicts Michigan to beat Alabama by 'double digits' in CFP
Most people are expecting a close game between Michigan and Alabama in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
Former Wolverines offensive lineman Taylor Lewan doesn’t see the game unfolding that way.
Lewan posted on Monday that he expects Michigan to easily defeat the Crimson Tide on Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl. Lewan came to that conclusion after watching Alabama games over the past few days.
“Over the weekend I watched a lot of film on the Alabama Crimson Tide. [It’s] clear to me Michigan is the better team, with better coaching,” Taylor Lewan said on Twitter. “[It’s] not the 2010’s anymore. Michigan should win by double digits.”
That is quite the prediction for a game that is close to a pick ’em at the moment.
Michigan is favored by 1.5 points, according to FanDuel, as the Wolverines enter the matchup with a 13-0 record. Alabama is 12-1 and coming off a huge win over Georgia in the SEC Championship game.
Alabama has enjoyed incredible success under Nick Saban as the Crimson Tide have won six national titles under the legendary head coach. In total, Saban has won seven national titles.
Michigan won its last national title in 1997. The Wolverines have advanced to the College Football Playoff twice under Jim Harbaugh but are 0-2 in those games.
Paul Finebaum picks Alabama over Michigan in the Rose Bowl
While Taylor Lewan has Michigan beating Alabama easily, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum doesn’t see the game unfolding that way.
Finebaum made his premature prediction for the playoff semifinal in Pasadena during ‘McElroy and Cubelic In The Morning’ on Monday. While he didn’t have much of an opinion on the Sugar Bowl, he did lean the way of ‘Bama as far as the winner on the left side of the four-team bracket.
“I still like Alabama,” said Finebaum. “I’m a little more mixed on the other game – I’ll defer to Greg as we get closer since he has already done the homework. But I definitely like Alabama in the game against Michigan.”
With the game still three weeks out, Michigan remains a favorite per odds out of Vegas. Still, it’s right there for the taking considering it’s hovering around spreads at less than a field goal of difference.
The short margin is in large part due to the respect that many owe to Nick Saban and the Tide. That’s especially so based on the season of improvement that they’ve had in 2023. After a shaky start at 2-1, they closed on a 10-game win streak. A victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship was then an exclamation point on their playoff case.
The Rose Bowl is likely going to be as good as advertised considering the quality and caliber of both programs and rosters. Even so, based on what he has seen from both teams this fall, Finebaum stayed with the Southeastern Conference as he has Alabama making yet another appearance in the national championship game.
“It’s only because what I’ve seen that they’re capable of,” said Finebaum. “I’m still somewhat curious about Michigan – I know what they’ve done, the Ohio State game. But, beyond maybe that and the Penn State game, I just don’t have a good feeling about them.”