Alabama football is a tough team to stop offensively. The Tide has Jalen Milroe, who has one of the strongest arms in the SEC, and is a rushing threat on both designed plays and when the pocket breaks down.

Outside of Milroe, Alabama has speed at wide receiver. Isaiah Bond and Jermaine Burton both provide a major deep threat.

For Michigan, which faces Alabama in the College Football Playoff’s Rose Bowl semifinal on Monday, it’s a lot to prepare for.

“They’ve gone, tailored the offense to his skill set,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said Thursday. “His ability to throw the ball downfield, his ability to make those plays, his ability to get involved in the run game, I think in key moments this year they get him involved in the run game when they need to, and that’s their ability to create an extra hat in the run game. It shows up in big moments and big games. Expect to see it.”

One challenge for the Wolverines has been figuring out how to simulate what the Crimson Tide does during practice. UM and Alabama run different systems, so Jim Harbaugh and company have dug through the roster to find a comparable scout team.

It starts with backup quarterback Alex Orji, who is in charge of portraying Milroe.

“He’s done a really good job,” Minter said. “It’s hard to simulate a guy like Jalen Milroe. Alex has a unique skill set that we can try to simulate him, but to say we can simulate him to a T is probably not fair to him and how well he’s played this year. But Alex has done a great job trying to give us the best.”

Orji is mobile. That helps a bit when trying to recreate what Milroe brings to the table.

But Michigan players were focused in on Milroe’s arm.

“When we got to practice, Alex is throwing it,’ UM defensive back Rod Moore said. “Alex just throws it. I remember one time, he throw it in the post and he was probably on the opposite 30 and it got to the middle of the end zone and you see the film, that’s how Milroe throws the ball.”

The receivers are also difficult to copy. The pure speed Alabama possesses at the position has to come naturally. Minter praised the effort Michigan’s wideouts have put in so far.

He pointed to one who he felt was especially helpful.

“Eamonn Dennis is one who really stands out because he has some really top-end speed,” Minter said. “So his ability to run some of those routes that take the top off the defense has been good. He’s done a great job.”

Alabama and Michigan are scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. CT Monday in the Rose Bowl. The game will be aired on ESPN.