Crimson Red Sports

The mismatch in this game that stands out to me is the Michigan defensive line versus the Alabama offensive line. Alabama’s o-line has received a lot of preseason hype this year, and it’s likely deserved. Kouandjio, Steen, Jones, Warmack, and Fluker are all hulking beasts of men. The smallest is Steen at 6’ 3” and 303 lbs. The average size across the line is 6’4” and 314 lbs . If you put the entire o-line on a truck scale, it would weight out at 1571 lbs, which is three quarters of a ton, for those of you marking your scorecards at home. Their job all night will be to push around Michigan’s defensive front.


Michigan switched to a 4-3 base defense last year, with some success, holding their opponents to 1549 total yards rushing on the year, good enough for second in the Big Ten. But three of the four starters on that line are gone, leaving DE Craig Roh, 6’5” 269 lbs.


The replacements are nose Will Campbell, 6’5” 322l bs.; DT Jibreel Black, 6’2” 260 lbs.; and either DEs Frank Clark, 6’2” 228 lbs., or Brennen Beyer 6’3” 290lbs. In 2011, Roh had 21 solo and 11 assisted tackles. Black leads the newcomers with 18 tackles last year.

In the title game against LSU, who had the best four man front you’re likely to see in college football, UA gave up 2 sacks. McCarron also had enough protection to complete 67% of his passes. If you think that Michigan’s d-line will pass rush bettter than LSU’s, well, you must be an Auburn fan.