The Sugar Bowl will be interesting for the same reason it isn’t.
The fact Alabama’s 11 a.m. New Year’s Eve date doesn’t come with the typical stakes clearly sapped some of the December juice. With that, however, comes a degree of freedom not possible in playoff semifinals.
What about the motivation level of a team that finished one spot out of the playoff? That Citrus Bowl win over Michigan was a launching pad for a national title the following season, much like the 2010 win over Michigan State in the same bowl. Alabama twice came out flat in no-stakes Sugar Bowls with convincing losses to Utah and Oklahoma .
“Even though it’s not a playoff game, it’s still a huge game for us,” said Alabama defensive back Brian Branch. “We going with the same mindset as we do in the previous game. I feel like it’s even a bigger time for us in this game and we’ve got to work hard.”Some teams use bowl games as a quasi-preseason game with young players getting more reps than the outgoing veterans.
“It’s given guys an opportunity to step up and see what they can show,” starting center Seth McLaughlin said. “We’ve had a lot of guys leave, and I wish the best for them. They’ve had to make their own decisions, and I love all those guys. Those are my brothers, so I’m excited to see these young guys step up and see how they do.
Other potential NFL draft opt outs like Branch, Jordan Battle and Henry To’o To’o chose to play instead of watch. “I feel like the secondary next year is probably going to be better than the secondary this year,” Branch said. “More of my teammates will be more comfortable and I expect great things.”
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