Michigan linebacker discusses former coach George Helow joining Alabama staff: ‘Just different’

Helow was not on Michigan’s staff this year, but was hired by the Crimson Tide less than two weeks after Alabama was selected to face the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Though the Michigan football team’s upcoming Rose Bowl matchup against Alabama didn’t need any more juice, some was added last week, when the Crimson Tide hired George Helow to an unspecified role in its staff ahead of the game. Though Helow worked as a defensive intern at Alabama in 2012, and has held roles at Georgia, Colorado State and Maryland, he is best known for being Michigan’s linebackers coach in 2021 and 2022.

He was not on a staff this year, but was hired by the Crimson Tide less than two weeks after Alabama was selected to face the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff. Naturally, the move was widely seen as gamesmanship to give the Crimson Tide a more intimate knowledge of Michigan’s No. 2 ranked defense.

And on Monday, one of Helow’s former players weighed in on the decision.

“Mike (Barrett) sent it to me, then Ernest (Hausmann). But just different. Just different,”  junior linebacker Junior Colson said with a grin. “It’s like, they might be a little scared, you never know. But he’s got a job, I’m happy for him. So, I’m excited for him. I’m happy — I’ll probably say what’s up to him after the game. So you just gotta go out there and play ball.”

While it’s likely Michigan has changed its play-calling signs and communication lingo since Helow was on staff last fall, he certainly is going to know Michigan’s defense better than just about anyone not currently on the Wolverines’ staff or team. He helped Colson earn freshman All-American honors in 2021 and post a 100-tackle season last fall, and helped Barrett transition from a viper to a productive inside linebacker. He remains familiar with the concepts and structures of Michigan’s defense, which ranks first nationally in scoring defense, second in yards per game allowed and fourth in yards per play allowed.

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As far as the benefit of that intel, Colson was unconvinced on the impact.

“You can’t really have an advantage in football,” Colson said. “It doesn’t matter if you know somebody’s whole playbook, you’ve still gotta stop it. So you can’t really have an advantage in football. You’ve gotta go out there, play ball, and let the dice roll how it rolls.”

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In addition to Helow, Colson also discussed former Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who was dismissed earlier this season for allegedly violating the University of Michigan’s policy on discussing the NCAA’s investigation into Michigan’s advanced scouting with others. Partridge took over the role this past winter, and had previously spent four seasons as a defensive coach for the Wolverines from 2016-19.

Though it didn’t show in the win-loss column, it was a setback Michigan’s players had to overcome. Helping that challenge was that Partridge was replaced by Rick Minter, a longtime college head coach and coordinator and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s father.

“It was difficult,” Colson said of losing Partridge. “It was difficult. I built such a bond with him, you know, so losing him halfway through the season was hard. But I know what he would want me to do, which is just keep playing ball, so that’s what I’ve been doing. And coach Minter, he’s coached so long. He knows so much about football. You know, he’s a great guy to have in here, a great guy to learn from, so just always learning and always growing.”

Michigan, with Minter coaching linebackers, will take on Alabama Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy previews the U-M offense against Alabama in the Rose Bowl

Michigan will return to the Rose Bowl and the College Football Playoff in just two weeks. QB J.J. McCarthy previews the big game.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan will return to the Rose Bowl and the College Football Playoff in just two weeks.

As preparations for Alabama kick into gear, U-M quarterback J.J. McCarthy met with reporters to preview the Crimson Tide and what it’ll take for the Wolverines to win in the CFP for the first time. Below are highlights from the conversation:

On the early Rose Bowl practices:

Really great. Coach Harbaugh had a little different schedule than previous years. Boy, for me personally, just feel fresh mentally, physically and spiritually. So it’s been really good so far.

… We did have a week off last two years, but we haven’t been in full pads as much. So it’s been a little bit of a toll off our body.

On how he’s feeling physically:

Amazing. I feel completely rejuvenated after that little week off. And I’m just ready to get back out on the football field tomorrow. That’s just kind of the whole vibe to the team right now. It’s just trying to get out there and play ball and get better.

On if he was more injured than he admitted during the end of the regular season:

If you know any athletes, you know it’s a little bit worse than leading on. But I’m completely fine now. I feel 100% healthy. And now I’m ready to go out there, because these are the games you save your body for. So I’m excited to be all out for this one.

On playing an SEC team and a program with as much pedigree as Alabama:

I think it does naturally. But at the end of the day, we’re don’t care who we play. It’s gonna be a nameless, faceless opponent, and we’re gonna go out there and give it our best.

On how much he thinks about the 2022 TCU loss in the CFP:

I think that the last couple of years I felt like we fell victim to paralysis by over analysis — getting over detailed with too many things and overthinking things. I feel like this first couple of weeks, we really just took things kind of like easing into things. And it’s been kind of fresh every single day. So I think that’s gonna be the biggest difference in keeping it balanced.

On if he feels more prepared for the College Football Playoff:

100%. I feel like experience is one of the biggest edges you can have as a competitor. And just having the roller coaster of a game last year, and then that experience that I had standing on the sidelines for most of it against Georgia and playing against a defense like that — it’s gonna be huge going into this game, because we’ve had that experience of an elite defense with elite athletes.

On how much Colston Loveland factors given the elite Alabama cornerbacks facing the U-M receivers:

Colston, every single game we go into, I feel like it’s an advantage for us just because of the type of athlete he is — no matter who he goes against. Just size, strength, speed, ability to catch the ball, and just being able to get him in the right matchups at the right time is gonna be pivotal to this game.

On if he’s made a decision on his 2024 plans:

No, I have not at all. I’m completely in the present moment, soaking in every single day, enjoying every single practice, every single meeting with my guys. And only God knows that question. We’ll know by the end of the season.

On if he’s conversed with U-M coaches on next year:

He actually brought it up and asked if I wanted to talk about it in the week off. And I told him, ‘I’m only focused on Bama, coach.’ He loved it. He was fired up.

On if the CFP could impact his NFL plans:

I can see that. I can see that. I feel I’m just approaching it just like I did week one. Every single time you put yourself out there it’s an opportunity to showcase it to the scouts and the NFL teams. I’m just focused on the same mentality I’ve been since week.

On the Alabama games that stand out on tape:

A lot of them. Auburn was a good one, Kentucky was really good one. Georgia, obviously. But just a bunch of different looks that different teams gave — it wasn’t just the game specifically, but messing around with different personnel, seeing how they react to those and different formation sets and stuff like that. So I’d say those three specifically, and the Ole Miss game, and Texas A&M. All of them really, but those three stand out.

On what stands out with the Alabama defense:

They’re super fundamentally sound. Coach Saban and Coach Steele, they do a great job of getting them in the right spots at the right time. And obviously, they’re athletic all across the board. They’re physical, they’re tough, they’re disciplined. So it’s gonna take our all to be able to get against them and perform the way we want to perform. But we got some pretty good athletes on our side, too. And it’s gonna be a fun one. I’m excited.

Everything Nick Saban said on Monday, Dec. 18, ahead of Alabama-Michigan national semifinal at the Rose Bowl

“I think everybody’s got to practice with a plan, a sense of purpose.”l

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with the media after practice on Monday, Dec. 18.

The Crimson Tide (12-1) play No. 1 Michigan (13-0) in the national semifinals on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Calif. The winner advances to the national championship game on Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Here’s everything Saban said on Monday:

Opening Statement …

So the first three days of practice here, we’ve really tried to focus on fundamentals. I think everybody’s got to practice with a plan, a sense of purpose. Everybody’s got to kind of reinvest into conditioning, reinvest into fundamental techniques, discipline to execute, blocking, tackling. It will all translate into positive performance in the game. And I think it’s hard to carry the momentum from the season into the game when you’ve got almost a month between games, so players really have to reinvest in all those things.

The players did a good job in the two weeks in between and finals weeks, and we’ve got thre