Harbaugh: 'Gonna take everybody' to stop 'potent attack' of Alabama offense

As 2023 nears its end, people all across America look forward to watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve at Times Square in New York City. The dropping of the ball is one of the most celebrated moments of the year as the calendar flips to a new year, signifying a chance for everyone to set new goals, wipe the slate clean, etc.

Meanwhile, as people are celebrating the flip of the calendar from 2023 to 2024, college football fans will be focused on two of the biggest games of the season. Players who will be playing in the College Football Playoff won't have time to enjoy a stress-free night on New Year's Eve, and they certainly won't be sitting down on New Year's Day to write a list of resolutions.

Instead, on Jan. 1, just 17 hours after the official beginning of 2024, Michigan and Alabama will meet at the Rose Bowl to play in what will be the biggest game of each player's football career, up to this point.

Michigan is tasked with defeating college football's undisputed best program of the last 15 years — Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Saban and the Tide have appeared in eight of the 10 College Football Playoffs, and the Crimson Tide have won six national championships since 2009.

It's going to be a tall task for the Wolverines, and although Alabama doesn't quite have the level of talent it's had in the past (see DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Jameson Williams, Derrick Henry, etc.), Jim Harbaugh noted on Wednesday that the Crimson Tide still have a "potent attack" on offense.

In typical Jim Harbaugh coach speak, he said the entire defense is going to need to step up to stop the Crimson Tide.

"It's gonna take everybody. It's gonna take everybody in this game... It's going to take everybody to stop the potent attack of Alabama."

Harbaugh also talked about the offense, which he opened up a little more about.

"Offensively, it starts up front," Harbaugh said. "I believe our guys are in a great position. [We have a] quarterback we're completely confident in, receivers look good, tight ends, running backs, it's gonna take everybody."

As far as the game itself goes, Harbaugh says he, like the rest of the college football world, expects a nail-biter on New Year's Day.

"I just want to be in a position on gameday that — just know that we did everything we possibly could to get ready for this game... It's one of those kind of games. [I've] been studying Alabama; they're really good. So good, they could clear run us out of the stadium. And we're good, too — we've got the ability to do the same to them. Or, the other possibility is that it could be one heck of a football game, and I kinda think that's the way it's gonna go."

Michigan has a history of playing tight games in the Rose Bowl. Fans might remember classic games against Texas in 2005, Washington State in 1998, Washington in 1993 and USC in 1989 and 1990.

If this year's Rose Bowl Game is anything like the aforementioned five — all of which finished with a scoring margin of eight points or fewer — the 110th version of the Rose Bowl will be one for the ages.

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