George Kittle has a bit of a personal stake in the Rose Bowl between No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Alabama when the two teams meet on Jan. 1.

Kittle, the San Francisco tight end, is looking for a little payback against his 49ers teammates who played at Michigan. You see Kittle played his college ball at Iowa, Michigan’s 26-0 victim in the Big Ten Championship Game.

“There’s nothing like a good Alabama thumping that Michigan’s going to receive for Christmas,” Kittle explained on “The Rich Eisen Show.”

Kittle explained to Eisen, who went to Michigan, he had to sit in the locker room after Iowa’s loss to the Wolverines and listen to wide receiver Ronnie Bell, cornerback Ambry Thomas and kicker Jake Moody – all former Michigan players – talk about the beatdown his Hawkeyes took.

“It’s going to be fun for you guys to get your Christmas present,” Kittle told Eisen, who also went to Michigan. “I’m not betting on Alabama, respectfully, and not in my facility.”

Kittle, who said he predicted the Wolverines would win the Big Ten in the preseason, said Michigan is “Iowa with a better offense.”

Check out the interview above.

Earlier this month, Blake Corum scored twice, tying the school record for touchdown runs with 55, and Michigan beat Iowa. With coach Jim Harbaugh back on the sideline for the first time in four weeks, the Wolverines (13-0) routed Iowa (10-3) to win three straight outright conference crowns for the first time in school history.

And with then-No. 1 Georgia falling to then-No. 8 Alabama in the SEC title game, Harbaugh and the Wolverines to claimed the top playoff seed.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.