Alabama's bowl game dud against Michigan left Jalen Milroe looking in the mirror before 2025 NFL Draft decision

The ReliaQuest Bowl against a depleted Michigan team was supposed to be a triumphant moment for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Despite 2024 being a letdown campaign for first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer and quarterback Jalen Milroe, winning against Michigan in an expected two-score fashion would've saved some face.

Instead, Alabama was a disaster, and Milroe's already difficult 2025 NFL Draft decision failed to become clearer. While we projected him to go fourth overall in our latest 3-round 2025 NFL mock draft, much of that is based on his raw talent, not refined skill.

The rainy weather affected Milroe and his playmakers. Milroe completed only half of his 32 attempts for 192 yards and coughed up an interception and a fumble. His rushing was completely stifled once again this season despite Michigan being without half its best players.

Drops were an issue for his playmakers, and blocking was nowhere to be found from his line. While Alabama was without its own fair share of bowl game opt-outs, it was an embarrassing final statement from DeBoer's Crimson Tide that Milroe should return.

Jalyen Mbakwe's 34-yard reception that was ruled out of bounds completely changed the game. Alabama's playmakers struggled to find green space and convert through contact. Then, consider Jam Miller and Richard Young combined for only 12 carries for 33 yards compared to Milroe's 16 carries, and the offense was as far from DeBoer's Washington powerhouse as we've seen this year.

On a few plays where Ryan Williams might've had significant gains, Milroe either didn't see him, didn't have time to get the ball out, or flat-out missed his star freshman. The unit looked like it was playing in the spring game and lacked any sort of chemistry.

Milroe's 2025 NFL Draft decision should not factor this game in outside of being pessimistic that 2025 would go any smoother for the Tide. They've been unable to land any big transfer portal additions, instead favoring a highly-touted freshmen class that is unlikely to help Milroe. 

In fact, I'd argue that Milroe should decide whether he should transfer to Ohio State, Oregon, or Miami or head to the NFL instead. 

What became as clear as it ever has is that Alabama and Milroe have run out of time as a healthy place for either party. Unfortunately, the pairing of Milroe and DeBoer failed, and the team's weak supporting cast cost Alabama until the bitter end of a 9-4 season.