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Kalen DeBoer talked about Alabama playing against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Last year, Alabama lost to Michigan in a big game, and many of the same players are back this year.
But that’s not all.
DeBoer’s Washington team also lost to Michigan in the national championship last year. This time around, though, he seems unfazed by past defeats. He believes focusing on the current team is key. “There’s so many different pieces to this,” DeBoer mentioned. “I think this again, we’ve made it always about this team.”
Nick Saban’s Alabama almost made it to the national championship again but fell short against Michigan. The Wolverines are different now under Sherrone Moore. They finished 7-5 but recently beat Ohio State.
Alabama aimed higher this season, hoping for a playoff return. DeBoer recently attended Alabama’s awards banquet and spoke about the team’s disappointment at missing out on the new 12-team College Football Playoff.
“We got one more game together,” DeBoer said. “Going to make the most of it.” Even though they hoped for more than just one game, they’re focused on preparing for the future.
Alabama had been in nine of the last eleven playoffs, but this year SMU took their place. Despite having a stronger schedule, ranked No. 16 compared to SMU’s No. 60 by ESPN’s Football Power Index, they were left out by the selection committee.
