Big Ten Daily (Jan. 2): Michigan Defensive Line Quiets Critics in Rose Bowl Win

Michigan's defensive front played a major role in the 27-20 win over Alabama in the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines finished the game with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss to advance to the National Championship Game.

Michigan's defensive line aced the test. Entering Monday's Rose Bowl Game, there was a level of concern about how the Wolverines' defensive front would handle the dual-threat capabilities of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.

Perhaps the question should have been geared towards Milroe and the Crimson Tide's offensive line. Michigan's front seven embarrassed Alabama for most of the night.

Michigan sacked Milroe six times and collected 10 tackles for loss in Monday's College Football Playoff semifinal. Most importantly, the defense stuffed the Alabama quarterback on a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line in overtime to seal a 27-20 victory.

“Our front seven, man. We came out here and knew the task,” said Michigan sophomore defensive lineman Kenneth Grant. “The whole month, everyone was talking about ‘Bama this, Bama that. Bama fast. Bama big.’ We came out and did the unthinkable. No one believed in us from the start. We came out and did it and proved everyone wrong. And that’s period.”

Milroe finished the game completing just 16-of-23 passes for 116 yards — his lowest output of the year. He did not account for a touchdown in the loss.

Alabama ended the game with just 288 yards, the lowest production since a College Football Playoff semifinal win over Clemson following the 2017 season. The Tide converted just three-of-13 attempts on third down against Michigan's defense.

As for that 4th-and-goal call on the final play of the game?

“We knew exactly what was going to happen," said linebacker Junior Colson. "When the moment gets tough, you go to your best player and they went to their best player, and we were right there to stop it. We sent the house. We said it’s 4th down, one last play, everybody strained, everybody strained to the ball.”

Monday's Rose Bowl win was a complete defensive effort for the Wolverines. Colson led the way with 10 tackles. Braiden McGregor recorded with two sacks. Josaiah Stewart ended with a pair of stops in the backfield. 

Eight different Michigan defensive players were credited with a tackle for loss.

Michigan's success on the defensive end against Alabama translates to an appearance in the National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 8. The Wolverines will play Washington, another high-powered offensive squad.

This time, though, Michigan's defense shouldn't be questioned. It showed us exactly what it's capable of doing in Pasadena on New Year's Day.

The Ugly Iowa Stat

When reflecting on Iowa's 2023 season, it's largely going to be viewed as a success. The Hawkeyes recorded a 10-win season, won the Big Ten West and appeared in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Those are all significant accomplishments.

There's also going to be a little bit of the, "what could have been" mindset. You have to wonder what the Hawkeyes might've accomplished if they fielded a somewhat competent offense this year.

Monday's Citrus Bowl was a painful experience for Iowa. The Hawkeyes finished the game with just 173 yards in a 35-0 loss to Tennessee — a third shutout this season for Kirk Ferentz's team.

Iowa didn't score a single point in its final two games, suffering a 26-0 loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Hawkeyes played three ranked opponents during the season — Penn State, Michigan and Tennessee — losing by a combined score of 92-0.

That's ugly, no matter how you slice it.

Yes, defensive coordinator Phil Parker and special teams coordinator LeVar Woods deserve a ton of credit this year. Without those two brilliant minds, this season could've been disastrous for the Hawkeyes.

And give some credit to Ferentz, too. Finding a way to win 10 games while averaging just 15.4 points per game is a miracle of biblical proportions.

Iowa should celebrate its accomplishments. Hitting a double-digit win total is never easy. But you can't look back on the 2023 season without asking the "what if?" question.

Big Ten Posts 5-4 Bowl Record

With the exception of the National Championship Game, bowl season has come to a close. The Big Ten ended the postseason on the right side of the .500 mark.

The conference concludes bowl season with a 5-4 record. However, the conference struggled in New Year's Six bowls, as well as contests scheduled on New Year's Day.

Of the five teams to play in a New Year's Six bowl or participating in a game on New Year's Day, Michigan was the lone winner out of the Big Ten. It was a disappointing result for the conference's top-tier teams.

Here are the final results from the Big Ten's bowl appearances:

• Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern 14, Utah 7
• Quick Lane Bowl: Minnesota 30, Bowling Green 24
• Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers 31, Miami (Fla.) 24
• Cotton Bowl: Missouri 14, Ohio State 3
• Peach Bowl: Ole Miss 38, Penn State 25
• Music City Bowl: Maryland 31, Auburn 13
• ReliaQuest Bowl: LSU 35, Wisconsin 31
• Citrus Bowl: Tennessee 35, Iowa 0
• Rose Bowl: Michigan 27, Alabama 20 (OT)

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