Notable events since the last time Alabama lost in CFP Semifinal
More Teams. More Games.
Jim Harbaugh, Blake Corum and J.J. McCarthy share their instant reactions to Michigan’s 27-20 Rose Bowl win over Alabama. (2:54)
The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines defeated the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide 27-20 in overtime in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game in a classic.
The Wolverines advanced to their first National Championship game in the BCS/CFP era (since 1998). It is also the first ever College Football Playoff victory for Michigan and the Wolverines’ first bowl game win since the 2016 Citrus Bowl.
Michigan now has a school record 14 wins — tying the Big Ten record for most in a season.
A back-and-forth game came down to the wire in the final frame. Alabama took a seven point lead with 4:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Michigan responded with an 8-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a Roman Wilson touchdown to tie the game.
In overtime, the Wolverines struck first on a 17-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum, his 26th score this season, tying Al Herrnstein (1902) for the most in a season in Michigan history. Then, Michigan stopped Jalen Milroe and Alabama on 4th-and-goal at the three-yard-line to secure the win.
Michigan hands Alabama its first College Football Playoff Semifinal loss since the inaugural 2014 Playoff Semifinals at the Sugar Bowl — the Crimson Tide lost 42-35 to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Here’s a look back at what the world was like the last time Alabama lost a semifinal game.
The ALS Association saw a 187% increase in funding as over 17 million people participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014.
Then-head coach of the San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh participated in the challenge, cracking a smile while the water hit him. Players from Alabama’s football team participated too. They stood side-by-side with head coach Nick Saban in the middle as they had water dumped on them.
Released on August 1, 2014, the inaugural “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie became the highest-grossing domestic film of the year and third-highest grossing film worldwide. It earned $333,176,600 domestically and $772,776,600 worldwide.
The film marked the beginning of a trilogy with its most recent edition releasing in May 2023.
After four successful seasons as the 49ers’ head coach, Jim Harbaugh jumped back to the college football world.
Since then, Michigan has a win-loss record of 85-25 and has won three consecutive Big Ten Championships. Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have defeated their biggest rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in three straight seasons for the first time since 1995-1997. But, most importantly, they’ve now secured a National Championship berth.
No different than going into 2024, Taylor Swift took up residency at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In the week before 2015, Swift’s “Blank Space” was slotted in at No. 1 while “Shake It Off” dropped to No. 10.
She had three songs on the charts heading into 2015 and in 2024, a testament to her consistency. Swift’s album “1989,” released in October 2014, became the No. 1 album of the year with 3.66 million copies sold.
Two of the Rose Bowl’s top performers were still years away from high school.
Alabama running back Jase McClellan was 12, while Michigan’s quarterback J.J. McCarthy was weeks away from turning 12 years old himself. One of the oldest current Wolverine players, Corum had recently turned 14 years old when the Crimson Tide lost.