A few years ago on my own sports blog, I came up with the idea of projecting the College Football Playoff matchups in the preseason by writing up fake recaps. Later, I wrote previews of the college football postseason and also the Super Bowl in the days leading up to the games. But again, I would write as if I had been gifted the chance to travel ahead, watch the games and recap them. It allowed me to do more storytelling while also giving a breakdown to the keys of the game for each team. In this first edition for The Transfer Portal CFB, there are two “preview recaps” detailing how the Michigan Wolverines or Alabama Crimson Tide would emerge victorious.   

If Michigan wins…

McCarthy Magic: Michigan’s Quarterback Has a Career Day as the Wolverines Win the Rose Bowl

J.J. McCarthy was always more of a promise unrealized over the past two years. With an arm that wowed when allowed to let it rip and game-changing speed with his legs, the talent was clearly there. At times it even shined. Until tonight, however, there was not a game where he could be pointed to as the clear difference-maker in a Wolverines win. But as the sun set over the San Gabriel Mountains, McCarthy rose to the occasion and the promise was finally met. He led No. 1 Michigan to a 27-21 win over No. 4 Alabama as he accounted for all three Wolverines touchdowns. He set single-game career highs in passing (344 yards on 33 of 40 passing) and rushing yards (67 yards on 16 carries). 

“He was special tonight, man. We’ve known he’s had it in him, and now everyone knows,” said running back Blake Corum, who was held to a season-low 37 yards on 12 carries. His fellow back Donovan Edwards had little impact on the ground as well, totaling only 33 yards on six attempts. It was evident it would be a difficult day on the ground for Michigan after the Wolverines received the opening kickoff. 

Corum’s 2-yard carry on first down was followed up by a 1-yard loss on a draw play to Edwards. Faced with a third-and-long early, Edwards’ number was dialed up again, but this time on a wheel route up the left sideline that McCarthy dropped into a bucket for a 15-yard completion. A few more unsuccessful carries by the running backs were dispersed throughout the drive. But McCarthy looked to be in a rhythm early, completing 4 of 5 passes on the drive. However, his only incompletion did end the Wolverines’ march as a third-and-6 pass to Colston Loveland was just tipped away by Terrion Arnold. James Turner calmly nailed a 41-yard field goal to open the scoring. The tone was set early that it would have to be a much different game plan than what Michigan was used to for McCarthy’s career. 

On the other end, Michigan’s defense held strong itself. Alabama gained only 66 yards on the ground all game between four ball-carriers. The dangerous Jalen Milroe was the team’s leading rusher at 32 yards. Even taking out sacks, Milroe’s total would only increase to 46 yards. Through the air, he was largely inefficient (13 of 25 for 223 yards) but managed to hit some explosive plays to make up for it. On Alabama’s first offensive play, Milroe went under center and on play action rolled right, settled then fired a 27-yard laser to tight end CJ Dippre, who was able to drag a defender several yards after the catch. The Wolverines locked in and held Alabama to 4 yards over the next three plays. On third-and-6, Milroe flushed out to his left, but with nowhere to run could only heave an off-balanced moonball to Jermaine Burton. The receiver had gotten open for a second, and a catch would have put the Crimson Tide in the red zone. But with the timing off, Mike Sainristil was able to get in position to knock the ball out of harm’s way. 

The proceeding punt was followed by a Wolverines drive that started promising, with back-to-back McCarthy to Loveland connections that moved Michigan quickly to its own 44-yard line. But once again, when trying to establish the run, the Crimson Tide’s defense instead established that the trenches would be theirs to win. Two runs to the left book-ended a running back screen pass to the right side that was also snuffed out as Kool-Aid McKinstry barreled down and hammered Corum. The promising drive stalled and Michigan punted it away. 

“Their loss of the guard [Zak] Zinter made it easier for us certainly,” said Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. “We thought they’d still pound the rock and guessed they’d favor the left side with Zinter out of the right side. We were right, but credit to the players for executing on that front.”

Alabama reached Michigan’s 36-yard line before being faced with a fourth-and-6. In came Will Reichard to attempt a 51-yard field goal, which would have tied his season high. With the holder a few yards off the left hash, the kick started straight at the right upright and kept tailing slightly before missing wide. With Alabama reeling from the missed field goal, Michigan went for it all. As the first quarter closed, McCarthy took the shotgun snap on second-and-7 and stood tall, shaking the incoming rush of Dallas Turner before uncorking a 40-yard line drive that stuck to the hands of Cornelius Johnson, who sprinted down to the Alabama 8-yard line. To begin the second quarter, Michigan tried back-to-back dive plays that went nowhere. So on a long third-and-goal, it was up to McCarthy to deliver. He did so by following blockers on a quarterback sweep to the right, with the pulling guard wiping out three Alabama players. That helped his quarterback find paydirt as McCarthy bounced off a tackler into the end zone. The extra point gave Michigan a 10-0 lead. 

After that drive, the teams mirrored each other with punts. After stops and starts, the Crimson Tide finally got things rolling with 5:02 left in the half. They moved quickly, first with a tunnel screen to Isaiah Bond, who weaved behind blockers and past defenders for 27 yards. Milroe finally got free on a speed option a few plays later, darting 11 yards to Michigan’s 27-yard line. Keeping up the tempo and the Wolverines on their heels, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees dipped into his bag of tricks. Jase McClellan took a pitch before rising up and lofting a pass to Amari Niblack. The tight end caught the pass and was just tripped up at the Michigan 11. Michigan called its second timeout of the half to both preserve a little time and catch its breath. It worked, as a called Milroe run was stuffed for a 2-yard loss by Kris Jenkins. That play epitomized Michigan’s defensive line’s effort, as the front four did a great job stopping the Alabama run game with elite block-shedding or just holding the point of attack. Two incomplete passes later, Reichard snuck a 27-yard field goal inside the right upright and the Michigan lead was trimmed to 10-3. 

After a holding penalty on the kickoff, Michigan was left at its 13-yard line with 2:22 on the clock. Alabama had its full complement of timeouts, so a quick stop would have meant one last drive right before halftime that could have swung the game. Instead, McCarthy engineered a masterful drive that both ended in a score and left little time for the Crimson Tide. McCarthy completed five passes for 42 yards and ran for another 20 yards. Alabama kept Michigan out of the end zone, but Turner’s 44-yard field goal split the uprights with 12 seconds left. The teams went into the half with Michigan leading 13-3.  

Whatever was said to the offenses in the second half worked. Well, at least for Michigan. The Wolverines got the ball following Alabama’s opening drive, which ended in a fumble by Burton after he was hammered by Rod Moore in a textbook tackle. Michigan recovered the bouncing ball at its 38-yard line. At that point, it was clear that it was McCarthy’s game. On six straight plays the Wolverines passed, with the final one a 16-yard teardrop by McCarthy as he was crushed by a blitzing Caleb Downs to Loveland in the back right corner of the end zone. The extra point made it 20-3, and the 17-point deficit was the biggest Alabama had faced all season. 

Kendrick Law helped the Crimson Tide’s efforts with a 72-yard kickoff return. But the offense was not able to capitalize on the short field and was held out of the end zone. Reichard’s third field goal attempt of the game was good from 39 yards out. At 20-6 midway through the third quarter, it seemed like a good time for Michigan to at least try to run the ball. Instead, the Wolverines looked to put the final nail into the coffin as soon as possible. They only ran the ball twice as McCarthy kept plays alive by darting away from pressure and finding his receivers. On the eighth play of the drive, it took a superhuman effort by Deontae Lawson to bring down McCarthy by a shoestring, otherwise it could have easily been a 25-yard touchdown run. Instead, it prevented any points. On the ensuing fourth-and-2, a quick pitch to Corum went nowhere with Tim Smith slipping the guard and burying the run in the backfield. However, the drive did use up almost all of the third quarter. Alabama was able to cross midfield as the quarter ended. 

Michigan’s secondary had done a fantastic job at preventing game-breaking plays up until this moment. But to start the fourth quarter, Alabama ran a double-reverse flea flicker, with Milroe receiving the pitch back before launching a pass that floated into the waiting hands of Burton, who tumbled into the end zone to make it 20-13 after the successful extra point. Suddenly, for the first time all game, the Crimson Tide had real momentum. They would gain even more after the defense once again stopped Michigan’s run attempts. On third down, Malachi Moore drove on a crossing route and was just a hair late in intercepting the pass. After the punt to Alabama’s 38-yard line, the Crimson Tide once again found their way into Michigan territory by using the deep ball. Milroe found Kobe Prentice for a 33-yard catch-and-run, which was the longest play of the drive. At the Wolverines’ 14-yard line, the drive slowed as the Crimson Tide ran seven plays from that point. Short runs and passes inched the ball down the 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal, Alabama elected to go for it. Michigan only rushed two and played contain in the back end. With no opening, Milroe finally tried to run for it and was stonewalled at the Michigan 3-yard line. 

Eight minutes remained, and the Wolverines had dodged one bullet only to face another. Two short runs left the ball at the 6-yard line. On third-and-6 and Alabama defenders creeping to the line, McCarthy took the snap, and with free rushers in his face fired a pass over the line to Johnson, who caught the pass right at the line to gain and twisted to fall beyond the sticks. Having taken a shot to the stomach, McCarthy was on a knee in the huddle but remained on the field. Edwards helped out his quarterback by taking a simple inside handoff and bouncing outside for 10 yards before hurdling a defender for another 4. With the air back in his lungs, McCarthy took over the drive. The rest of the way was covered by his passes and runs. After using 6:27 of the clock and two of Alabama’s timeouts, Michigan was faced with a fourth-and-4 from the 13-yard line. The Wolverines went for it, with McCarthy dancing around pressure long enough for Loveland to break open in the end zone to almost essentially ice the game at 27-13. 

Alabama would score a touchdown with 27 seconds to go as Milroe connected with Bond on a 23-yard touchdown. The Crimson Tide went for two and got it on a Milroe draw to make it 27-21. The onside kick skipped out of bounds, and McCarthy knelt out the victory. 

“I’m so proud of him. Just so proud,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said of McCarthy’s performance. “People have been saying he’d never be a real quarterback, but tonight he shut them all up. I’m so proud.” 

As he jogged off the field, McCarthy paused and took one last look around as Wolverine fans chanted “J.J.” He smiled briefly and waved before his face became serious once again. The promise had been delivered, but it wasn’t complete. With another game like this, McCarthy could seal the deal and bring home a championship.   

If Alabama wins…

Jalen Mil-rolls: Alabama Beats Michigan Thanks to Quarterback’s Performance

Jalen Milroe is considered one of the best game-changing players in the country. But before Monday, his doubters would not peg him as a game-changing quarterback. It is something Milroe has heard for a long time. When prompted about ever being asked to play a different position, he gave a firm answer.

“All my life, even when I was in college. Shoot, my own offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, told me I shouldn’t play quarterback. So, you know, there’s a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that’s something I have motivation from.”

Milroe channeled that motivation into a career performance (20 of 31 passing, 261 yards, two touchdowns; 16 carries, 126 yards, one touchdown) as No. 4 Alabama beat No. 1 Michigan 24-20. The Crimson Tide sported a perfect mix of a punishing ground game to balance out the explosive plays by Milroe. However, that only came after Michigan’s opening drive, which signaled that the Wolverines were here to play. They went the full 75 yards after the opening kickoff touchback, going 11 plays over 5:58 of game clock. After eight runs, the ninth was a 2-yard plunge by Blake Corum into the end zone. The maize and blue crowd roared after such a dominant opening statement. Corum would finish with 116 yards on 22 carries while Donovan Edwards racked up 109 yards on 19 attempts. 

Alabama knew it had to answer in kind, and it did with authority. After a kick return to the 27-yard line, Milroe took a pistol snap, faked a handoff then pulled it, rolling right. He continued rolling then hit the jets, racing down the right sideline before weaving back into the middle of the field and finally diving down just before a pursuing Wolverine could hammer him. But now the Crimson Tide’s fans were at full throat after the 33-yard scamper. After a few short runs to get to third-and-2, Milroe once again used his legs after a rusher came off the right side. He faked, getting the defender to leap and grasp at air as the quarterback escaped out the side door before flipping a pass to a crossing Isaiah Bond. The receiver turned upfield as nothing but green grass laid ahead. Only a great hustle play by former wide receiver turned All-Big Ten cornerback Mike Sainristil prevented a touchdown as he shoved Bond out of bounds at the 9-yard line. But it was all for naught, as Sainristil had to sub out to catch his breath. The Crimson Tide immediately called a pass at his sub, which was caught by Kobe Prentice on a beautiful whip route that left the defender on the ground as Prentice shook free for the easy touchdown.

While the swift response was effective in gaining momentum, it did little to help the Alabama defense rest. Michigan went right back to the ground, gaining 3.7 yards per carry. That average, along with timely play action calls that left tight end Colston Loveland open for three receptions, led to another long, time-consuming drive. Once again, it was a short run, this time by Edwards, who took a counter run and burst to the corner before diving for the pylon for an 8-yard touchdown run on second-and-goal . However, a holding penalty was called, and after being backed up, the Crimson Tide secondary snuffed out the Michigan drive. A wide receiver screen went nowhere, then Caleb Downs timed his head turn perfectly in time to easily bat down a pass to the back of the end zone intended for Roman Wilson. James Turner made the short 32-yard field goal to cap off the 13-play drive that took just over six minutes of clock. Taking a 10-7 lead into the second quarter was a win for Michigan. But the touchdown being taken off the board and the ensuing plays by the secondary made it feel as if Alabama had snuck out of the first quarter much like a boxer who is losing most of the round only to steal some punches and points back right before the bell rings to end a round.  

Once again, Alabama’s speed hit Michigan fast and furious. After a block in the back call on the kickoff put the Crimson Tide at their own 16-yard line, a rested and healed Jase McClellan (he’d been dealing with a foot injury toward the end of the regular season) raced for a 27-yard gain around the left side. A couple plays later, Milroe took a deep drop and let a pass fly toward a streaking Jermaine Burton, who had 3 yards of separation. Quinten Johnson had yanked Burton’s jersey as a last-ditch attempt to prevent a touchdown, but even that did not prevent Burton from settling under the pass and cruising the remaining 8 yards for a 46-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead. 

After constant jabs by Michigan and haymakers from Alabama, the defenses settled in. The Crimson Tide began selling out on the run more often, which disrupted any passing plays while Michigan lived with Alabama getting decent runs over long plays. Milroe carried the ball a few times as did McClellan, but they were bottled up to runs that went no longer than 8 yards. A few punts later, Michigan was able to hit its longest pass of the day. J.J. McCarthy tossed a swing pass to Edwards which was actually a lateral. Edwards ran, then threw back to McCarthy, who caught the pass and followed a wall of blockers for a 43-yard gain. The Wolverines then went back to the ground, with Corum breaking for a 16-yard dash up the right sideline before getting caught and wrestled down by Terrion Arnold. With Alabama having used two timeouts already and trying to preserve its third for a potential drive before halftime, Michigan was more than happy to just lean forward and munch for short gains. But when the Wolverines tried to hit a play longer than 5 yards to try to score a touchdown, the Crimson Tide secondary once again rose up. Kool-Aid McKinstry almost intercepted an out route, then Arnold’s tight coverage a few plays later forced an incomplete pass on third-and-7. Michigan settled for another Turner field goal, this time from 40 yards out. The kick cut the deficit to 14-13 with just over a minute to go in the half. That was the score as the teams headed to the locker room after Alabama’s drive went nowhere but used enough time which led to Michigan kneeling out the clock. 

The third quarter opened with fireworks. Alabama’s Roydell Williams took the kickoff from deep in his end zone and raced out without hesitation. He went right up the middle and was just tripped up at the Alabama 43-yard line. A few plays later, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees called for a flea flicker, and it appeared to have worked as Amari Niblack was open on a post route. But Milroe was pressured by Junior Colson, who had abandoned his empty zone to try to prevent a pass from getting off. While Milroe was able to get the pass away, it was hurried and late, allowing for Rod Moore to make a play on the ball. He and Niblack got hands on the pass, resulting in an incompletion. Deflated, Alabama ended up punting and pinning Michigan at its own 4-yard line. 

Backed up, Michigan simply saw it as an opportunity to go on a long drive. It did so once again, but this time the Wolverines mixed in the short passing game. Simple hitches, swing passes and screens along with a healthy diet of Corum up the middle and Edwards on outside runs got the Wolverines all the way down to Alabama’s 11-yard line. But that’s when disaster struck. McCarthy once again managed the game well (he finished with 155 passing yards on 17 of 26 passing) but could not convert when it was squarely laid on his shoulders to make a play. Alabama sent the house on second-and-1, anticipating a run. It was instead a pass, but with bodies in his lap, McCarthy ran back and away before racing to his left and trying to gain yards back. For a split second, he spotted Loveland open and tried to fit the ball between two defenders. One of those defenders was McKinstry, who intercepted the pass before being brought down immediately. 

“I was so mad after the first one. It would’ve been a pick six,” McKinstry said of his near interception at the end of the first half. “I’m just glad I was able to get the second chance.”

That ended a 17-play drive by Michigan that had taken 9:04 off the game clock. The only downside for Alabama was that McKinstry was tackled at his own 3-yard line. After a quarterback power run out to the 6-yard line, the Crimson Tide turned up the aggression again. Milroe kept the ball on a play fake and took a drop into his end zone before finding Bond down the sideline for a 27-yard gain. On the next play, Milroe pulled the ball on an RPO and whipped a pass to Burton on a delayed out route. The receiver caught it and put a juke move on the defender and raced to midfield. Several plays later, Milroe just missed another shot play to Burton that would have been a gain of at least 30 yards. However, Michigan was bailed out on the next play as on third down Alabama was called for a false start. Facing a third-and-14, the Crimson Tide tried a quarterback draw to get into field goal range, but Ernest Hausmann read it perfectly and stopped Milroe for no gain. Instead of attempting a 57-yard field goal, Nick Saban elected to punt. It went out of bounds at the Michigan 18-yard line, but a holding call backed up the Wolverines to their own 8 with just over a minute to go in the quarter. 

Another long drive awaited, and once again Michigan saw to it that it would be another long, time-consuming drive. The drive went from the end of the third quarter into the fourth as the Wolverines were satisfied with getting just enough to set up third-and-short plays, which they seemed to convert each time. Finally, with just over nine minutes left, Edwards got free on a Texas route and dashed his way for a 14-yard catch-and-run down to the 1-yard line. On the next play he leapt over the pile to finish off the drive that had spanned over eight minutes and 17 plays. The extra point made it 20-17 Wolverines with 7:46 left. 

Alabama may have been losing the game and the time of possession battle, but there was a sense that it would just strike quickly again. This time, Michigan truly sold out on preventing a deep pass, giving up checkdowns and short out routes. Milroe missed on a few but would make up for it with timely scrambles that kept Michigan off balance. More importantly, the Crimson Tide were actually burning some clock so their defense could catch its breath. It became a balance of using up the play clock while also making sure the offense stayed on schedule. Alabama was able to take the time down to just over two minutes left and comfortably had a field goal in hand to tie. Michigan used its first timeout as 20 yards separated the Crimson Tide from the end zone. While the Tide would have loved to use more of the clock, no one could fault Milroe for striking when the time was right. Coming out of the timeout, the redshirt sophomore quarterback dropped back and saw a lane open. He darted forward, hesitated, then bolted ahead as he committed to run through the teeth of the defense. Dodging, dipping and twisting, he somehow went untouched beyond outstretched Wolverines hands. Like a great boxer, Milroe had landed big punches early, settled in for jabs then when the opponent had worn down, when for the knockout. He crossed the goal line with 2:07 remaining after completing one of the greatest runs in the history of the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide faithful were cheering as the extra point went through to make it 24-20.

Now having to rely on the passing game, Michigan faltered. It only managed to gain 16 yards before a fourth-and-2 play. The Wolverines called a run play, but Corum was met by a host of Crimson Tide defenders right after he took the handoff. Michigan did not use a timeout on its offensive drive, so it was able to set up a third-and-4 with 1:24 left. Alabama could have chosen to call a simple run to wind the clock and potentially set up a field goal of around 45 yards. Instead, it went five wide. Michigan left its defenders close to the line anticipating a quarterback run, allowing for Milroe to hit Bond for a 17-yard gain. Bond went down immediately, securing the ball to his chest and never letting go until his teammates came running over. 

“I didn’t really believe we’d just iced the game, so I just lay there holding that ball for dear life,” he said after the game with a laugh. The Crimson Tide knelt out the clock and flooded the Rose Bowl field with crimson. 

It was bizarre to watch Alabama win through big plays with a quarterback who could break a defense with his arm and legs while Michigan was the ground-and-pound team that ate huge chunks of time. After all, in this very stadium, Alabama beat Texas 37-21 to win the national title in the 2009 season while starting quarterback Greg McElroy completed only 6 of 11 passes for 58 yards. That was the beginning of this Alabama dynasty. After Monday’s win and a few years of people declaring the dynasty to be dying, it looks like the inevitable rise of the Crimson Tide might keep chugging along.