This is Karen DeBoer’s first year coaching Alabama, but she has only coached Washington one game, a win over Texas and a loss to Michigan.
The Longhorns look mostly the same at this point, albeit with new skill players, running backs and defensive linemen, but Michigan is very different on offense, personnel-wise, similar on defense and has a new coaching staff.
Having played against both teams this year, DeBoer offered his thoughts on what will be college football’s biggest matchup in the opening weeks of the 2024 season.
“Both of them have a physical mindset and mentality that understands they can win big games if they can play running football,” DeBoer said. “Without really diving in and understanding what those teams have back, I think there’s a little more continuity overall at Texas with not having a coaching change.”
“Coach Moore has probably maintained a large portion of that continuity. There has been personnel turnover at some key positions, especially quarterback.”
But both teams have the same ideals: Texas wants to pass and stop the run, and Michigan wants to stop everything with the run.
DeBoer said the game will be one that will be decided on both offense and defense, with whoever outmaneuvers the opposition up front likely to win.
“I’m expecting a physical football game,” DeBoer said, “and both teams pride themselves on doing things differently and differently, probably Coach Sark with his passing game and play calling and Michigan with Coach Moore and more creative ways to run the football. This is just an actual outline of what I expect as I haven’t looked too closely at either team at this point.”
Michigan and Texas will face off at 12:10 p.m. EDT, and the game will be nationally broadcast on Fox.
