It's a lot closer than you'd think.
It's just like the fans who say "Why would a recruit want to go to Alabama, do they want to **** cows?" Ignorance at it's finest and you can tell said posters have never been to said places.
Don't even mention Alabama and Michigan in the same sentence. Michigan is superior in every way except the current product on the field.
You obviously have not spent any time on the Alabama campus, lol. I'd take Alabama in every way over Mich, weather for starters. No way I'd take either over SF.
Alabama diploma is worth a lot less than a Michigan one. Not sure if that even entered into your mind. A man has plenty of time to see his oats. Michigan and Alabama are not in the same league. Oh and Alabama has a wonderful record of racial tolerance as well.
What I have found in life is, you make your own path, where a piece of paper comes from doesn't matter much anymore. IMO, most colleges are the same, now a days they're just ripping the youth off. You need that piece of paper because the man says you need it, that's it. You get a great job because you apply yourself and work hard, in most cases that wins out over what college you went too. And to your racial BS, the top athletes would not be flocking to that school if they weren't being treated right. It's been in the 70's in Bama for a while now, Mich weather sucks. Again, Miami would be my top choice just for the weather alone, just can't beat it, but that's just my opinion.
A few opinions on this:
It really depends on the individual. If you're the type that believes your college choice is the best stepping stone to the NFL, then where you go doesn't matter after the coaching staff, scheme fit, ability to get on the field.
If you're speaking to the 99% of prospective college students, I really hope you are not an advisor to young individuals. I think I've become known to be a bit of a numbers person on this site, but truly the numbers come into play so much in life I think I'm fine with the reputation. Can you be successful in life without going to college? Yes, of course you can. At last check more billionaires in America did not graduate college, than did. Those are the outliers. The tail ends of the population distribution. Going that direction is certainly a play. Numbers wise it's an extreme longshot, but it is a play I suppose.
If you're speaking to personal happiness, yes each individual needs to decide what makes them happy in life. I've met individuals who are handymen, drifter types with no education making very little money and they say they are very happy with their lives because they can go where they want and do what they want. I'd say these are the individuals on the other end of the curve. Both types made it work for them despite long odds to the contrary.
Now, if you're speaking to the remaining 98% of individuals in this country, the belief that having a piece of paper from anywhere doesn't matter is patently false. Having a degree from a nice, public state university is just fine if your goal is to be a middle manager or live the 50k American dream. You'll make your own path if you're starting from the normal place as most others. If you want the best advantages you can have, you go to the best school. If you want to be a great surgeon with the top fellowships, you go to Johns Hopkins. If you want to be a corporate mogul and have the chance to work with the greatest business minds out there, you go to Wharton (Penn University).
For a football player looking for the best of both world's you look at the school and get the best piece of paper you can fall back on if football doesn't work out (and really, even if it does). Keep in mind, for a football player, after football is where you get a second round of value from your free education. The contacts and networking that is gained in the area you played sports is invaluable. Worth by some estimates to be well into the six figures.
As someone who makes hiring decisions for a large corporation, I can tell you that individuals do not even get to me if they don't have a certain level of education. Eventually, hard work and applying yourself can get you to that level, but the person who went to that great school started four rungs ahead of you, and if they also worked hard and apply themselves, you'll always be working for them.
Unless you believe you're an outlier. In which case, good luck. As in debate, using an outlier for an argument pretty much means you've already lost.