Michigan players audibly gasped when Alabama was revealed as their College Football Playoff opponent

The only thing the Michigan Wolverines had to worry about Sunday morning after a Big Ten Championship was who awaited them in the College Football Playoff. At 13-0 with a resume filled with solid wins (over Ohio State, Penn State, and Iowa among others), there was no doubt they’d make the four-team field with a national title on the line.

But the players, staffers and associates gathered to watch ESPN’s selection show still wound up surprised, if their reaction to their Rose Bowl opponent is any indication. The broadcast flashed the logo of the 12-1 Alabama Crimson Tide, leading to a a chorus of gasps and groans before a wave of acceptance washed over the maize-and-blue crowd.

Michigan reacts to Alabama being selected at No. 4. Wolverines and Crimson Tide in the CFP semi. pic.twitter.com/V2mrgLQA3W

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 3, 2023

Alabama made the field over a 13-0 ACC Champion Florida State and ahead of fellow 12-1 SEC contender Georgia, leading to a morning filled with complaints and debates. And the players in attendance in Ann Arbor weren’t the only ones surprised, excited or annoyed to see Nick Saban on their road map to a national championship.