Alabama learned its College Football Playoff opponent on Sunday. The Crimson Tide will face Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 in the CFP semifinals.

The road back to the national championship game won’t be easy. The Wolverines are ranked No 1 in the nation, the top seed in the field of four.

As UA begins preparing for the matchup, here’s what to know about Michigan.

The controversy

For weeks this season, it was the biggest controversy in the sport. Michigan was embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal.

Former Wolverine staffer Connor Stalions was alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to purchase tickets to games against future Michigan opponents, in order to record their in-game signs. After a backlash from the rest of the Big Ten, the conference took action.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh missed three games to miss the regular season after the Big Ten suspended him. Michigan at first attempted to mount a legal challenge, but eventually backed down.

It was Harbaugh’s second suspension of the season. He served three games to start the season, a penalty imposed by the school due to alleged violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan went undefeated during both of Harbaugh’s absences.

The running back

Michigan’s top offensive player is likely running back Blake Corum. The senior has rushed for 1,028 yards and 24 touchdowns this season.

That follows a junior year where he ran for 1,463 yards and 18 scores. That campaign earned him all-American honors.

In Michigan’s win over Iowa, one of the best defenses in college football despite a putrid offense, Corum scored two touchdowns. The Wolverines won that game 26-0.

If the Crimson Tide is going to pull of a second consecutive upset of a top-ranked team, stopping Corum will be one of the most difficult parts.

The road to get here

The Rose Bowl will mark the third consecutive season Michigan has reached the playoff. The first two didn’t go so well, with the Wolverines losing the semifinals to Georgia and TCU to end the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

This year, the Wolverines are the top-ranked team. It took an undefeated record to get to this point. The crucial moment, as it so often does, came in its rivalry weekend matchup with Ohio State.

The Buckeyes were ranked ahead of Michigan entering the matchup. Then, the Wolverines won, 30-24, even without Harbaugh.

UM jumped in the standings after that, but didn’t get to the top seed until Alabama beat Georgia on Saturday.