Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes he knows why Michigan was able to beat Alabama football in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.
The Wolverines beat the Crimson Tide 27-20 on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl before finishing a perfect season over Washington in the National Championship Game, claiming its first championship since splitting with Nebraska in 1997.
REQUIRED READING: Inside Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer’s one-summer shot at playing pro baseball
“I don’t think Michigan should have been able to beat Alabama. Alabama was the more talented team. Georgia was a more talented team. Ohio State was a more talented team. Michigan was just committed more,” Klatt said on his show the Joel Klatt Show on Monday.
“They were devoted more to the cause, the selfless cause of the team, than anybody else and they won the national championship.”
Nick Saban comments
Nick Saban shocked the world when he announced his retirement on Jan. 10, ending a stint with the Crimson Tide which resulted in six national championships in 17 years.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Saban told ESPN’s Chris Low that the landscape of today’s college football contributed to his decision to hang up his whistle.
“I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: ‘What assurances do I have that I’m going to play because they’re thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?'” Saban said. “Our program here was always built on how much value can we create for your future and your personal development, academic success in graduating and developing an NFL career on the field.”
Klatt wonders if what Saban alluded to factor in the loss for the Crimson Tide, a team he said had more talent than the Wolverines.
Led by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Michigan sent a college football-high 18 players to the 2024 NFL Combine. Runner-up Washington sent 13, while Florida State (12), Texas (11) and Georgia (11) sent more prospects than Alabama (10).
“I think within Saban’s answer is a picture of why Michigan was able to win the national championship and go 15-0 and maybe other teams weren’t, specifically this year,” Klatt said “This sport is still about being selfless and dying to, as an individual, something bigger than yourself. The best teams generally do that.”
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Joel Klatt uses Nick Saban’s comments to explain why Michigan beat Alabama
