In what might be the biggest regular-season college football game of the year, the Alabama Crimson Tide welcome the Texas Longhorns to town this weekend. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET from Bryant-Denny Stadium and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
There are College Football Playoff implications on the line when No. 11 Texas and No. 3 Alabama meet up this Saturday. It’s also a rematch from last year’s thrilling showdown when the Crimson Tide escaped with a narrow 20-19 victory at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Texas has the edge in the all-time series against Alabama, posting a 7-2-1 clip in the 10 meetings between these two historic programs. The Crimson Tide have won the last two matchups, including the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.
Both programs are coming off convincing victories in Week 1, which essentially served as tune-up games for this showdown. Texas started off slow but eventually coasted to a 37-10 win over Rice. Alabama, meanwhile, left no doubt in its 56-7 thrashing of Middle Tennessee State.
Between recent form and home-field advantage, Alabama appears to have the edge over Texas on paper. FanDuel Sportsbook has confirmed as much, listing the Crimson Tide as touchdown favorites with a total of 53.5 for this Week 2 showdown.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Texas at Alabama
Time/TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Point spread (from FanDuel): Alabama -7 (-114)
Moneyline: Texas +220/Alabama -275
Over/under: 53.5
Analysis: This is a really interesting game. Neither team showed much in Week 1, though we did get a better idea of some personnel decisions.
For example, Alabama opted to roll with quarterback Jalen Milroe after a three-player preseason battle for who would have the honor of replacing Bryce Young. Milroe offers more upside with his mobility, as he added seven carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. He finished 13-of-18 for 194 yards through the air, though rarely had to move past his first read.
As for Texas, quarterback Quinn Ewers is back and got off to a solid start to the season. He went 19-for-30 for 260 yards and three scores against Rice. There are many who believe Texas would have defeated Alabama last year, had Ewers not left the game early due to injury.
The rematch figures to be competitive, but Alabama deserves to be the favorite. Nick Saban has a 28-2 all-time record when coaching against one of his former assistants, and Steve Sarkisian will have a difficult time bucking that trend in Tuscaloosa.
Prediction: Alabama 28, Texas 20
