Michigan is approaching its Rose Bowl practices with more of a mental approach, according to MLive’s Aaron McMann.

Players like J.J. McCarthy, Kris Jenkins, Junior Colson, and Jaylen Harrell seemed to be on board with the idea. McCarthy noted how much different the team feels compared to College Football Playoff practices in the past.

“Coach Harbaugh had a little different schedule from previous years; the boys just feel fresh mentally, physically and spiritually,” quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “We haven’t been in full pads as much. It’s been a little bit of a toll off our body.”

The goal of these practices is to reduce injuries, according to Jenkins.

“Trying to limit as much full-blown contact as possible,” defensive tackle Kris Jenkins said. “Trying to tone that down. Trying to limit the tackling; keeping everybody fresh, keeping everyone from getting hurt.”

Colson thinks they will affect the team better in the long run. Colson is the team’s leading tackler with 79 heading into the Rose Bowl.

“It’s been a lot more mental work,” Colson said. “We’ve taken some pages out of other people’s books. A lot more mental work, a lot less physical. So, when we are going physical, you expect everybody to be 100%. I think it’s been great for us this year. I’m excited to see where it takes us.”

Lastly, Harrell believed the Wolverines are running like a well-oiled machine after the recent change.

“I’m not saying the practice schedule was why we were losing the last couple of years, but I felt like in his mind (he thought), ‘I’ve got to change something that we were doing over the past couple years,” edge rusher Jaylen Harrell said. “I feel like we’re out there rolling. Our bodies are feeling good, our minds are feeling good. We’ve been competing on the days we compete — we get out there mentally locked in, but we also get after it, too.”

Alabama and Michigan kick off the New Year in Pasadena at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.