For Alabama, low snaps were the Chekhov's Gun of the 2023 college football season.

An issue that has plagued the Crimson Tide offense since Texas in Week 2 reared its ugly head at the worst time possible. Alabama needed a touchdown trailing Michigan 27-20 and facing fourth-and-3 from the 3-yard line. Quarterback Jalen Milroe had to snatch the snap off the turf to run what appeared to be a called quarterback run up the middle.

Michigan stuffed Milroe for just a yard gain, ending the game and leading to questions about the decision to run into the teeth of the Michigan defense, which had re-found some of the swagger it had lost earlier in the second half.

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Milroe did run the ball on designed runs to great effect during the second half of the Rose Bowl after Michigan dominated the Alabama offensive line in the first 30 minutes. But with two timeouts having been called and Michigan keeping eight in the box — despite Alabama having three receivers spread out — there was some skepticism about whether a run into the teeth of the No. 1 run defense in the country was the best fourth-down call.

Nick Saban explains fourth-down play

After the game, Alabama coach Saban said the team had teed up the play-call as one of two 2-point plays for the Rose Bowl; considering the ball was at the 3-yard line — the same distance as a 2-point conversion attempt — the Crimson Tide opted to run it. Moreover, Saban said the offense expected Michigan would try to pressure, but anticipated getting blocks to gap the defenders out.

The issue, Saban said, was that Alabama was unable to get the block it needed:

As for the snap, it was an issue throughout the game. But it was the second time in the second half it became a devastating one: In Alabama's first series of the second half, Milroe was unable to handle two straight snaps, which essentially put an end of what had started as a promising drive.

Adding insult to injury on the final play of the game was the fact the fourth-and-3 was extremely convertible after Alabama faced third-and-goal from the 14. But, per Saban, Alabama wasn't able to get the block. And the Crimson Tide's season ended for it.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Saban explain Alabama's final play of Rose Bowl loss to Michigan