Michigan’s Rose Bowl win was particularly epic. Legendary. One-of-a-kind, and any other elite adjective you wish to bestow on the game.

Taking down Alabama with a fourth-quarter drive and overtime push is not for the faint of heart. However, the Wolverines rose to the occasion and delivered when it mattered the most in Pasadena.

But, one thing is abundantly clear: If Michigan really wants the title, that type of performance from the Rose Bowl better not crop up again in Houston.

Because the Wolverines are still standing, all the attention is on Jim Harbaugh flipping his College Football Playoff legacy and the lights-out performance from Michigan’s defense. And rightfully so.

However, the dramatic push to end the game mostly covered up a performance from the Wolverines that contained a number of warts. Sure, some of Michigan’s miscues were undoubtedly influenced by Alabama, but a number of plays were simply mistakes by the Wolverines.

The biggest area of concern for anyone watching the Rose Bowl stemmed from Michigan’s special teams unit. Multiple muffed punts and missed kicks kept Alabama in the game, and it’s possible the Wolverines would have run away from the Tide if not for self-inflicted wounds.

The special teams unit (coordinated by Jay Harbaugh who received a fair share of flack for the Rose Bowl) was not just a problem in limited doses. The issues started early with a Semaj Morgan muffed punt in the first quarter, and that was just the start of the issues.

Morgan’s muff directly led to points for Alabama with the Crimson Tide cashing in the short field for the game’s first touchdown. It’s fair to wonder what could have been without that play alone. Alabama’s offense struggled to move the ball all game long, and a 13-3 lead for Michigan at halftime could have led to a blowout in the second half.

In fact, the Wolverines should have had 14 points on the board at the break after another touchdown in the second quarter. Unfortunately, a poor snap on the extra point took a point off the board. The special teams unit would go on to leave more points on the field with James Turner missing a 49-yard field goal attempt.

In a game that finished regulation tied at 20-all, those points clearly made a difference. Michigan had multiple chances to steal momentum and run away with things falling by the wayside, but arguably the biggest blunder on special teams came with less than a minute to play.

After tying things up, Michigan’s defense showed its worth yet again, forcing Alabama to punt instead of surrendering a game-winning field goal. It even appeared that the Wolverines would get around 45 seconds to potentially deliver a game-winning moment of their own.

Unfortunately, Jake Thaw delivered a sequence of disastrous proportions, narrowly avoiding a game-deciding blunder.

On the punt, Thaw was backtracking and tried to deliver a fair catch at the 5-yard line. That decision alone is questionable at any point in the game, and it was especially egregious in the closing moments of a tie game.

He muffed the punt before narrowly regaining control just outside of the end zone. And while Thaw avoided a turnover (or a safety), he left the offense without a chance to win the game and added some drama with Michigan on the goalline to finish regulation.

The good news is Michigan was able to overcome the special teams miscues, but it was far from a clean game for the Wolverines on offense as well. Set aside the game-tying drive and overtime for a moment, and there are issues to clean up ahead of Monday.

Consider the trick play in the second quarter that involved an errant pass from Donovan Edwards. JJ McCarthy was able to turn this into a highlight-reel play with a one-handed catch and off-balance dime, but this play nearly turned into gold for Alabama instead of the Wolverines.

Sure, the end result was positive, but expecting this type of fortune off a trick play miscue is unwise moving forward:

A similarly botched play also cropped up in the fourth quarter. After getting a turnover from Jalen Milroe, Michigan called a flea-flicker from the 31-yard line with a chance to take the lead.

Instead, Blake Corum hurried the lateral, and the ball bounced to the turf in front of McCarthy. The QB was able to fall on the ball and retain possession, but it turned out to be a blown opportunity for the Wolverines.

Replays showed Michigan had open players downfield had the lateral been executed properly. And, this sequence set up the field goal try for Turner that was yanked wide left.

At the end of the day, Michigan did what championship-caliber teams do: Make the plays when your team needs it. Still, there’s no point denying the Wolverines made the Rose Bowl closer than necessary with mistakes the team did not traditionally make over the course of the season.

Michigan was clearly the better team in Pasadena, and the Wolverines appear (on paper) as the most complete team in the matchup with Washington. There’s also no point in denying Jim Harbaugh’s team cannot afford a similar performance with the title on the line.

Facing Alabama, Michigan was able to suffocate and bewilder an inexperienced QB and overpowered offensive line. With a veteran like Michael Penix Jr. operating behind a talented line, the Wolverines will not get those luxuries in Houston.

The defense should make enough plays against Penix and the Husky offense to open the door. It will be up to the offense and special teams to make sure Michigan makes good on those opportunities.