2024 ReliaQuest Bowl (December)

The game featured the (7–5) Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference, versus the (9–3) Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2024/12/08/michigan-football-bowl-game-reliaquest-bowl-tampa-florida-outback-bowl/76840747007/|title=Michigan football to play Alabama in ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on New Year's Eve|work=Detroit Free Press}} The bowl game was a rematch of the previous season's 2024 Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal), where the Michigan Wolverines won 27–20 in overtime.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2024-01-01/rose-bowl-game-coverage-alabama-vs-michigan|title=Michigan defeats Alabama in Rose Bowl OT thriller to advance to national championship|work=Los Angeles Times}} In the 2024 CFP National Championship Game, Michigan defeated Alabama's head coach Kalen DeBoer at his previous post with the Washington Huskies.{{cite web|url= https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39270238/washington-execute-cfp-championship-game-loss|title=Washington 'didn't execute' in CFP championship game loss|website=ESPN}} Both DeBoer and Michigan's Sherrone Moore were in their first season as head coach with each program.{{cite web|url=https://www.wxyz.com/sports/michigan-set-to-face-no-11-alabama-in-reliaquest-bowl-on-new-years-eve-per-report|title=Michigan set to face No. 11 Alabama in Reliaquest Bowl on New Year's Eve|website=WXYZ Detroit}} It was the seventh all-time meeting between the Crimson Tide and Wolverines, with the series tied 3–3 entering the game. Michigan made its seventh appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl (previously played as the Outback Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl), and Alabama made its third.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/alabama-michigan-reliaquest-bowl-5859cf775d2ba961725c44cca37612ac|title=A year after playing in CFP semifinal, No. 11 Alabama and Michigan meet again in ReliaQuest Bowl|work=Associated Press}}

{{main|2024 Michigan Wolverines football team}}

On December 3, Kirk Campbell was fired by Michigan as offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach Steve Casula replaced him as the interim offensive coordinator for the ReliaQuest Bowl.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/detroit/news/michigan-football-fires-kirk-campbell/|title=Michigan football fires offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell|work=CBS News}} In the following weeks, All-American juniors Mason Graham,{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2024/12/10/michigan-dt-mason-graham-to-sit-out-bowl-game-prepare-for-nfl-draft/76886502007/|title=Michigan All-American DT Mason Graham to sit out bowl game, declares for NFL Draft|work=Detroit Free Press}} Will Johnson,{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2024/12/11/michigan-football-all-american-db-will-johnson-to-enter-nfl-draft/76919358007/|title=Michigan All-American DB Will Johnson opts out to enter NFL Draft as projected top 5 pick|work=Detroit Free Press}} Kenneth Grant,{{cite web|url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2024/12/26/michigan-wolverines-kenneth-grant-declares-for-nfl-draft/76959983007/|title=Kenneth Grant, Michigan defensive tackle, declares for NFL Draft|work=The Detroit News}} and Colston Loveland,{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2024/12/13/colston-loveland-nfl-draft-2025-michigan-football/76972204007/|title=Michigan football TE Colston Loveland declares for NFL draft as projected first-round pick|work=Detroit Free Press}} each declared for the 2025 NFL draft, opting to sit out the bowl game as projected first-round picks. They were joined as opt-outs by Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings, Josaiah Stewart, Makari Paige, Tyler Morris and Myles Hinton.{{cite web|url= https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2024/12/practice-report-more-michigan-players-absent-ahead-of-reliaquest-bowl.html?outputType=amp|title=Practice report: More Michigan players absent ahead of ReliaQuest Bowl|website=Mlive}} With the opt-outs and the graduating class in 2023, Michigan returned zero starters on offense or defense from the two teams previous meeting in the 2024 Rose Bowl.{{cite web|url=https://www.maizenbrew.com/2024/12/16/24317329/michigan-football-alabama-crimson-tide-reliaquest-bowl-rose-bowl-transfer-portal-rosters-2024-season|title=The Michigan and Alabama lineups are almost unrecognizable from last season’s Rose Bowl|website=Maize N Brew (SB Nation)}}

{{main|2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football team}}

The Crimson Tide were the first team left out in the inaugural 12 team 2024–25 College Football Playoff (CFP), despite being the No. 11 ranked team in the country. Alabama was not selected into the playoff as both the automatic qualifying Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big 12 Conference champions were ranked lower, pushing Alabama to No. 13 in the seeding.{{cite web|url= https://www.si.com/college/alabama/football/alabama-first-team-out-of-college-football-playoff-field-01jekh48bdn1|title=Alabama First Team Out of College Football Playoff Field|website=Sports Illustrated}} All-SEC defensive back Malachi Moore did not play in the bowl game with an injury.{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-starter-reportedly-miss-reliaquest-210012694.html|title=Alabama starter to reportedly miss ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Michigan due to injury|website=Yahoo Sports}}

{{Americanfootballbox

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|state=autocollapse

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|bg2=#eee

|title=2024 ReliaQuest Bowl

|date=Tuesday, December 31, 2024

|time=12:05 p.m. EST

|road=No. 11 Alabama

|R1=0|R2=10|R3=0|R4=3

|home=Michigan

|H1=16|H2=0|H3=0|H4=3

|stadium= Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida

|attendance= 51,439

|weather=Cloudy • Temperature: {{convert|76|F|C}} • Wind: {{convert|10|mph|kph|abbr=on}} northeast

|referee=Tuta Salaam

|TV=ESPN

|TVAnnouncers=Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), and Sherree Burruss (sideline)

|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=401677102 Box score]

}}

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| Time=8:15

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| Type=FG

| yards=45

| Kicker=Dominic Zvada

| kickresult=good

| Visitor=0

| Home=3

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| Time=5:52

| DrivePlays=4

| DriveLength=7

| DriveTime=2:18

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| Type=FG

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| Kicker=Dominic Zvada

| kickresult=good

| Visitor=0

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| DriveLength=16

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| QB=Davis Warren

| yards=13

| Kicker=Dominic Zvada

| kickresult=good

| Visitor=0

| Home=13

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=1

| Time=2:04

| Team=MICH

| DrivePlays=4

| DriveLength=3

| DriveTime=2:04

| Type=FG

| yards=21

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Dominic Zvada

| Visitor=0

| Home=16

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=4:06

| Team=ALA

| DrivePlays=4

| DriveLength=71

| DriveTime=0:50

| Type=RecTD

| Receiver=Robbie Ouzts

| QB=Jalen Milroe

| yards=25

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Graham Nicholson

| Visitor=7

| Home=16

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=2

| Time=0:04

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| Kicker=Graham Nicholson

| Visitor=10

| Home=16

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=7:21

| Team=MICH

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| DriveLength=47

| DriveTime=5:17

| Type=FG

| yards=37

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Dominic Zvada

| Visitor=10

| Home=19

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEntry

| Quarter=4

| Time=4:38

| Team=ALA

| DrivePlays=8

| DriveLength=42

| DriveTime=2:43

| Type=FG

| yards=51

| kickresult=good

| Kicker=Graham Nicholson

| Visitor=13

| Home=19

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{{AmFootballScoreSummaryEnd |Visitor=13|Home=19}}

{{AmFootballGameStatistics

| Float = left

| Visitor = Alabama Crimson Tide

| VisitorDisplay = ALA

| Home = Michigan Wolverines

| HomeDisplay = MICH

| VisFirsts = 15

| VisPlaysYds = 62–260

| VisRushing = 29–68

| VisPassYds = 192

| VisPassing = 16–33–1

| VisTOP = 21:48

| HomeFirsts = 13

| HomePlaysYds = 66–190

| HomeRushing = 51–115

| HomePassYds = 75

| HomePassing = 11–15–1

| HomeTOP = 38:12

}}

{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers

| Float = right

| Visitor = Alabama Crimson Tide

| VisitorDisplay = Alabama

| Home = Michigan Wolverines

| HomeDisplay = Michigan

| VisPasser = Jalen Milroe

| VisPassStats = 16/32, 192 yards, TD, INT

| VisRusher = Rico Scott

| VisRushStats = 1 carry, 28 yards

| VisReceiver = Germie Bernard

| VisReceivingStats = 4 receptions, 80 yards

| HomePasser = Davis Warren

| HomePassStats = 9/12, 73 yards, TD

| HomeRusher = Jordan Marshall

| HomeRushStats = 23 carries, 100 yards

| HomeReceiver = Fredrick Moore

| HomeReceivingStats = 3 receptions, 37 yards, TD

}}

{{clear}}

• 2024 Gasparilla Bowl, contested at the same venue 11 days earlier

{{Reflist}}

• Game statistics at [http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/index.html?id=560477 statbroadcast.com]

{{2024 bowl game navbox}}

{{ReliaQuest Bowl navbox}}

{{Alabama Crimson Tide bowl game navbox}}

{{Michigan Wolverines bowl game navbox}}

ReliaQuest Bowl

Category:ReliaQuest Bowl

Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football bowl games

Category:Michigan Wolverines football bowl games

ReliaQuest Bowl

ReliaQuest Bowl