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.

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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.

Another quick bowl prep team note
TMI has the latest on the Michigan Wolverines football team
Brice Marich
BRICE MARICH
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Michigan has started preparing for their semifinal college football playoff contest against Alabama on January 1st.

Practices have been underway as the Wolverines inch closer to the Rose Bowl. With the extra bowl practices, it’s also a great opportunity for younger players to emerge and get more work in.

With that in mind, I’m hearing a few youngsters have been flashing and turning heads, but I’ve also heard of a player that’s young in eligibility, but maybe not in age has been doing the same in offensive lineman Andrew Gentry.

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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.”
Cody Goodwin
CODY GOODWIN
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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 three good days of work. We want to continue that for the next four practices, and hopefully we’ll get closer to where we need to be, in terms of being able to go play like we’re capable of playing in this game.

It’s a great opportunity for our players. It’s a great challenge for ‘em. But you’re not really owed anything when you play in these games. It’s like a one-game season when you’re playing in the playoffs, so we’ve got to put everything into it we can. And everybody’s working hard to try to do that.

I’d like to congratulate the 15 guys we had graduate on Saturday. Three guys got masters degrees — Justin Eboigbe, Seth McLaughlin, and Will Reichard; and 12 other guys graduated. We’ve had six guys make some kind of All-American teams — Dallas (Turner), Kool-Aid (McKinstry), Terrion (Arnold), JC Latham, Will Reichard, Caleb Downs. Really proud of those guys for their performance, but I think they would be the first to tell you that their success comes because of their teammates and all the guys who contribute to allowing them to have positive performances.

We’re just grinding through it and working. Tomorrow, we’ll get back at it.

Alabama coach Nick Saban during practice Dec. 16, 2023 in Tuscaloosa. (Photo: University of Alabama)
I want to ask you about self-scouting and tendency-breaking stuff that you do as a staff normally during an idle week. Is that an exercise that gets repeated, to some extent, at this time of the year, ahead of a bowl or playoff game?

There’s no question about it. We do quality control just about every week on what our tendencies are in what we’re doing. What we can do to try to break those in some way, shape or form. And certainly with this extra time here that’s something that we most certainly are trying to do.

Could you just speak to the decision to bring in George Helow and what kind of role he’ll fill on your staff?

George has been here before. He was with us for a long time. Knows our system. I think every year that we’ve been in the playoffs we’ve tried to bring somebody in, primarily because we spent two weeks really on the road recruiting. So somebody to do a little extra work that has good experience. And when we get off the road, being able to give us a good scouting report of what we need to know. So that’s the purpose, just to add sort of a special assistant to me, whatever you want to call it to when I come off the road be able to get me up to speed on what’s happening. So that’s the reason we’ve always done that.

Given everything that’s come out about Michigan this season, are you planning on doing something different with your signs in this game?

Uh, not really. We always change things up a li