Sep 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban celebrates on the sidelines with safety Vinnie Sunseri (3) during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
It wasn’t exactly what we had hoped for when Alabama and Michigan were slated into the feature game of college football’s opening weekend. The Crimson Tide thrashed the Wolverines 41-14 and proved that they have wasted no time stocking back up on talent after losing five guys in the first 35 picks of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Alabama jumped out to an early lead and just never looked back. They completely outclassed the Wolverines in every aspect of the game.
Freshman running back T.J. Yeldon provided a spark that Alabama needed with 111 yards and one touchdown on the ground on ten carries. Yeldon added a 26-yard reception to his yardage total and showed that he has the skills to be one of college football’s next great running backs.
For Michigan, quarterback Denard Robinson proved why most talent evaluaters have him switching positions when he enters the NFL. Robinson looked lost against the talented Crimson Tide defense and completed less than half of his 22 pass attempts while tossing two interceptions. It was clear that Robinson does not have what it takes to be a NFL signal-caller.
Perhaps the most talented defensive player in the game was Alabama’s Dee Milliner. The corner back picked off Robinson once and was causing havoc all game long. He was beat once for a long score but that was only after he tripped and Robinson took advantage of the opportunity.
What we learned from this game is that Alabama is still ridiculously talented and has a very good chance at defending last year’s national title victory. If week one is any indication, it is hard to imagine anyone other than Alabama and USC playing in the championship game early next year.
