New Year's Day brings a seismic matchup in "The Granddaddy of Them All" with No. 1 Michigan set to meet No. 4 Alabama at the Rose Bowl for a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game.
LIVE: Updates, highlights from Alabama vs. Michigan in CFP semifinal
Can the Wolverines finally get over the hump in their third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff on the heels of back-to-back losses in the semifinal round?
Though a sign-stealing scandal threatened to derail its season, Michigan prevailed above the noise. Navigating two separate suspensions of coach Jim Harbaugh, the Wolverines ran the table, downing Ohio State and winning the Big Ten for the third time in as many years.
Dynamic quarterback J.J. McCarthy and stalwart running back Blake Corum anchor Michigan’s offense. On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines tout the nation’s top scoring defense, allowing just 9.5 points per game.
Coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide struggled to find their footing at times this season. Alabama shuffled through quarterbacks before Jalen Milroe emerged as a formidable starter, and the Tide needed a prayer — a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line — to defeat Auburn.
But Alabama sure looked like its vintage self when it vanquished Georgia in the SEC title game. Its defense, boasting a fierce tandem of pass rushers and a secondary littered with NFL prospects, tamed the Bulldogs. The domineering performance earned the Crimson Tide a spot in the playoff field for the eighth time, the most of any college football program.
Here's what you need to know about the New Year’s Day clash between Michigan and Alabama, including broadcast information and start time.
What channel is Alabama vs. Michigan on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live Stream: Fubo
Alabama vs. Michigan will air nationally on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) and Laura Rutledge (sideline reporter) on the call.
If you're a cord cutter, you're in luck. Fans can stream the game on Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy. And for a limited time, fans can take advantage of a discount price of $4.99 per month for the first month when signing up for a quarterly plan.
Alabama vs. Michigan start time
- Date: Monday, Jan. 1
- Kickoff: 5 p.m. ET | 2 p.m. PT
Alabama vs. Michigan is set to kick off at 5 p.m. ET from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Wolverines, who won the first Rose Bowl in 1902, are back in Pasadena for the first time since 2007. Michigan last won the Rose Bowl in 1998, when it captured a national championship.
The Crimson Tide technically played at the Rose Bowl in 2021, defeating Notre Dame to advance to the national championship game. But COVID-19 restrictions moved the game to Arlington, Texas.
Alabama last played in Pasadena in 1946.
Alabama football schedule 2023
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2 | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 56-7 |
| Sept. 9 | vs Texas | L, 34-24 |
| Sept. 16 | at South Florida | W, 17-3 |
| Sept. 23 | vs Ole Miss | W, 24-10 |
| Sept. 30 | at Mississippi State | W, 40-17 |
| Oct. 7 | at Texas A&M | W, 26-20 |
| Oct. 14 | vs Arkansas | W, 24-21 |
| Oct. 21 | vs Tennessee | W, 34-20 |
| Nov. 4 | vs LSU | W, 42-28 |
| Nov. 11 | at Kentucky | W, 49-21 |
| Nov. 18 | vs Chattanooga | W, 66-10 |
| Nov. 25 | at Auburn | W, 27-24 |
| Dec. 2 | vs Georgia | W, 27-24 |
| Jan. 1 | vs Michigan | TBD |
Michigan football schedule 2023
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET)/Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2 | vs East Carolina | W, 30-3 |
| Sept. 9 | vs UNLV | W, 35-7 |
| Sept. 16 | vs Bowling Green | W, 31-6 |
| Sept. 23 | vs Rutgers | W, 31-7 |
| Sept. 30 | at Nebraska | W, 45-7 |
| Oct. 7 | at Minnesota | W, 52-10 |
| Oct. 14 | vs Indiana | W, 52-7 |
| Oct. 21 | at Michigan State | W, 49-0 |
| Nov. 4 | vs Purdue | W, 41-13 |
| Nov. 11 | at Penn State | W, 24-15 |
| Nov. 18 | at Maryland | W, 31-24 |
| Nov. 25 | vs Ohio State | W, 30-24 |
| Dec. 2 | vs Iowa | W, 26-0 |
| Jan. 1 | vs Alabama | TBD |
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