The college football quarterfinals is the talk of sports at this moment. We have had some great games during bowl season. My record for the Las Vegas, Alamo, and Pop-Tarts Bowls picks were 2-1. My overall record heading into the quarterfinals is 84-31. My winning percentage dipped a little from 73.2% to 73%. My only loss came in the Pop-Tarts Bowl when the Hurricanes fell to Iowa State 43-42. The big story coming out of that game was Cam Ward not playing in the second half. Cam Ward is projected to be a top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Ward broke the passing TD record and opted to sit in the second half of the game. We move on to the ReliaQuest Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines. Alabama was the first team left out of the playoffs after finishing with a 9-3 record.
The loss to a subpar Oklahoma team is what doomed them, and they only scored 3 points. Michigan is the defending champions, but they had a bad season by their standards. They did finish the season with a huge upset over rival Ohio State. This is a battle between two of the biggest college programs we have. Who leaves Tampa with the win at the ReliaQuest Bowl?
Alabama had an up and down season by their typical standards. The week after their biggest win over Georgia, they fell to Vanderbilt. After barely edging the Gamecocks, they went on the road and lost to Tennessee. As mentioned, the loss on the road to Oklahoma is what hurt their playoff chances. Despite their tough schedule, the Tide still had the 10th ranked scoring defense in the nation. Can they continue their great defensive play against Michigan? The Wolverines started the season 4-1 and the loss was a blowout to Texas. After starting 4-1, they would lose four of their next five games. They finished the season by winning their final two. In the final three games of the season, they gave up an average of 12 points a game. Can they slow down the Tide? I’m going with Alabama to leave with the win. Crimson Tide Win 27-17
What do you think about this matchup? Who do you have winning the ReliaQuest Bowl? Leave some feedback below about anything related to the ReliaQuest Bowl game.
