Alabama football and its fans felt slighted after not making the College Football Playoff as a 9-3 SEC team, despite ugly losses to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt during the season. They were

Alabama football was heavily favored and had every advantage in the ReliaQuest Bowl, and still flopped in a turnover-filled loss to Michigan.

TAMPA, Fla. — No one expected Michigan football to come into Raymond James Stadium and upset the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide. However, the Wolverines took the Jan. 1 game against Alabama and returned the favor again on Dec. 31 to close out the bookended calendar year.