No. 11 Alabama's three first quarter turnovers doom Crimson Tide in ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan

No. 11 Alabama couldn’t overcome a disastrous first quarter in a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday.

The Crimson Tide turned the ball over three times in a span of four plays during the opening 15 minutes as Michigan jumped out to a 16-0 lead.

That turned out to be enough points for the Wolverines to win the game, though they had to sweat at the end. Alabama got to the Michigan 15 yard-line with less than a minute to go, but Jalen Milroe’s fourth down pass to the end zone fell incomplete before getting to the goal line.

The loss means Alabama finishes coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season at 9-4. It’s the first time the Crimson Tide have ended a season with fewer than 10 wins since a 7-6 campaign in 2007. That was Nick Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama entered the game as a 16.5-point favorite but was all discombobulated to start. The Tide punted after receiving the opening kickoff and things went downhill from there as rain started to fall at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Jalen Milroe fumbled on the first play of Alabama’s second possession and Michigan kicked a second field goal. Milroe was then picked off two plays into Alabama’s third drive and Michigan took over at the Alabama 16 yard-line. Three plays later, Davis Warren hit Fredrick Moore for a 13-yard TD.

Milroe was sacked and fumbled again to open Alabama’s fourth drive and Michigan took over at the Alabama 6 yard-line. The Tide defense held the Wolverines to a field goal again, but the margin ended up too big to overcome thanks to a stellar effort from a Michigan defense that didn’t have stars Mason Graham and Will Johnson as they prep for the 2025 NFL Draft.