In Michigan vs. The World, Jim Harbaugh & Co. just won't yield. Ask Alabama | Toppmeyer

PASADENA, Calif. – In the battle of Michigan against the world, the world keeps losing.

This big, bad supervillain from the north just keeps getting stronger and vanquishing overpowered opponents. Alabama used every ounce of its cache of escape tricks to try to wriggle out from Michigan’s thumb in this Rose Bowl.

Couldn’t do it.

Fittingly, Michigan finished the Tide with force.

Alabama needed 3 yards on fourth down in overtime to extend this game. Jalen Milroe couldn’t find an inch. Michigan’s defensive line won at the line of scrimmage – a persistent theme – to stuff Alabama’s quarterback draw.

So endures the maize and blue.

Michigan’s apparent irreverence for the NCAA rulebook cast the Wolverines and their coach Jim Harbaugh as anti-heroes all season. They seem fine with that. More, they seem fueled by this role.

I can’t chalk up No. 1 Michigan’s 27-20 Rose Bowl triumph over No. 4 Alabama to any chicanery.

Alabama got outplayed, outcoached, outschemed, the works.

Alabama football shows resilience, but Michigan endures

Of course, the Crimson Tide didn’t go down willingly. This won’t rate as one of Nick Saban’s best teams, but it ranks among his most resilient, and Alabama’s second-half rally was predictable. Milroe is armed with an overdose of clutch, and he hoisted the Tide into a fourth-quarter lead.

Michigan didn’t rattle. J.J. McCarthy showed his cool with a series of pressure-packed completions on a game-tying drive to force overtime.

Then, Michigan returned to its roots. Blake Corum ran it down Alabama’s throat for an overtime touchdown that required two plays. Alabama’s rebuttal got snuffed by Michigan’s destructive defensive front.

This Alabama group will be remembered as all guts, limited glory. Alabama perfectly timed its season-best performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship, only to be overpowered by a new No. 1 a month later.

Michigan mauled Alabama at the line of scrimmage, the Tide lacked consistent execution and showed an inability to be in the right place at the right time. Usually, Saban proves masterful when he has a month to prepare for these College Football Playoff semifinals, but Harbaugh and Co. schooled Saban.

Alabama (12-2) looked a step or two behind Michigan (14-0) – in speed, physicality and preparation.

Consider Michigan’s two first-half touchdowns, which melded perfect play-calling with flawless execution. On the first, Michigan’s wide receivers ran routes to McCarthy’s right – a diversion that duped the Tide. Corum slipped to the left, open out of the backfield, for an easy score. Later, Michigan schemed wide receiver Tyler Morris onto 1-on-1 coverage from linebacker Deontae Lawson.

A mismatch.

Call it a microcosm of the first half.

Jalen Milroe's legs vs. Michigan's physicality

Alabama tiptoed the high-wire in tight victories against Texas A&M, Arkansas and Auburn, and on this first day of a new year, the Tide nearly engineered its greatest escape.

Milroe gutted the heart of that fearsome Michigan defense on an 18-yard run on the third quarter’s final play – a dash that combined Milroe’s speed with his moxie.

One play later, Alabama was celebrating its first lead since the first quarter.

Somehow, someway, Alabama had stolen the lead just before the sun set to create a gorgeous pink sky over the San Gabriel Mountains beyond this venerable stadium, a divine scene for a team that was starting to look like a team of destiny.

That was a fairytale, though. Michigan's superiority is real.

In Michigan vs. the World, the Wolverines just won't yield

Bad snaps, a familiar Alabama bugaboo, contributed to Alabama’s arrhythmic offense. So did Michigan’s disruptive defensive front. A low snap put Alabama's final play off to a sloppy start, and the Wolverines quickly closed ranks around Milroe.

You couldn't script a more appropriate ending.

The final score tells of an instant classic, but one stat, in particular, offers an alternate reality. Michigan had 10 tackles for loss, including six sacks. Alabama registered one TFL and sack.

McCarthy delighted in the pass protection, supplying his best performance in two months.

The Wolverines are one win away from winning their first national championship since 1997 while under a pair of NCAA investigations for allegations of recruiting violations and sign-stealing.

Those off-field issues would distract some teams. Not Michigan. Harbaugh being suspended for six games didn't derail these Wolverines, either. If anything, they gained steam.

The Wolverines embraced a mentality, faulty though it might be, that the NCAA and just about everybody else was out to get them, but this team in the black hat can't be stopped.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Rose Bowl: Michigan football is perfect villain, proves again vs Alabama