The Playoff semifinals are elite schematic matchups. College football analyst, former player, and friend of the show Michael Felder of ItsFelder joins Scheme School to dive deep into the Xs and Os behind the two games. We break down the Rose Bowl between Michigan and Alabama (7:27) and the Sugar Bowl between Washington and Texas (53:23). Production: Anthony Vito.
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These games deliver two distinctive stylistic matchups. The Rose Bowl is the “three yards and a cloud of dust” blueprint. In ways we discuss, Jalen Milroe and JJ McCarthy have opposite strengths as QBs, and they’re throwing to mirror-image groups of receivers. On defense, Bama might have its best back end in quite a while. For Michigan, well, we just don't know.
In the Sugar: Sorry, Texas, this just isn't a great matchup for you. Expect points from the game featuring two playcallers at the top of their craft, but we ask ourselves which QB we'd rather have.
We rank all eight sides of the ball in these two games, and the teams’ chances overall to bring home the last national title of the four-team Playoff.
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