Alabama football fans enjoyed watching Nick Saban and the players arrived in Disneyland, but there was a moment from Wednesday that drove them up a wall.
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s head coach, took questions from reporters about the matchup against the Crimson Tide.
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He was specifically asked about sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe, and his response had Tide fans believing Harbaugh is another naysayer for Alabama to “LANK” on New Year’s Day.
He compared the native Texan to his backup quarterback, Alex Orji, stating Milroe is a ‘more polished’ version of him. Harbaugh may have meant it as a compliment to Orji, especially with how Milroe has played this season, but Alabama fans took it as a backhand comment to Milroe.
Orji has played in four games, but he has not recorded a passing statistic. He has one rushing touchdown on 11 carries to an average of 6.3 yards per attempt.
Orji has not done much if anything at all, yet he draws a comparison to Milroe.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) looks for a receiver against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, Dec 2, 2023.
Milroe, on the other hand, has 2,718 passing yards, 468 rushing yards, 35 total touchdowns, and six interceptions. He is tied for sixth all-time in school history for single-season touchdowns and is seventh all-time for single-season total yards (3,186).
Milroe is one of three permanent team captains for the Crimson Tide.
We will see how Milroe and the Tide uses Harbaugh’s comment as motivation.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
