May 22, 2012 - 1:33pm
Michigan-Alabama opener slated for primetime, The Game at noon
BY STEPHEN J. NESBITT
The Michigan football team announced the start times of its season opener and season finale on Tuesday. As expected, the Wolverines will be feature in a primetime 8 p.m. ET kickoff for the Sept. 1 Cowboys Classic contest against Alabama, while the Nov. 24 match-up with Ohio State in Columbus will be a noon kickoff.
Both telecasts will be hosted by ABC.
Michigan will face defending-champion Alabama in Arlington, Texas. The teams have played each other three times, all during bowl games. The Wolverines won the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, 28-24. The Crimson Tide countered with a 17-14 victory in the 1997 Outback Bowl.
In a third tightly contested match-up, Michigan topped Alabama, 35-34 in overtime in the 2000 Orange Bowl, on the backs of four touchdowns and a 34-for-46 passing day from quarterback Tom Brady.
Michigan's kickoff in Columbus will be the 109th meeting all-time between the heated rivals.
The Wolverines beat Ohio State, 40-34, last November to cap a 10-2 regular season and pave the way to the Sugar Bowl in Michigan coach Brady Hoke's first season as head coach.
Michigan has announced six kickoff times for the 2012 season so far. Three games are already slated to be primetime contests. Here are the game times (all listed as Eastern Time) that have been announced.
• Sept. 1: Michigan vs. Alabama — Arlington, Texas. 8:00 p.m. (ABC)
• Sept. 24: Michigan at Notre Dame — South Bend, Ind. 7:30 p.m. (NBC)
• Oct. 6: Michigan at Purdue — West Lafayette, Ind. 4:00 p.m. (BTN)
• Oct. 13: Michigan vs. Illinois — Ann Arbor, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
• Oct. 27: Michigan at Nebraska — Lincoln, Neb. 8:00 p.m. (TBA)
• Nov. 24: Michigan at Ohio State — Columbus, Ohio. 12:00 p.m. (ABC)
