Alabama vs USC – Preview and Prediction
ALABAMA 11.5 USC (53)
Implied Projected Score: Alabama 32.25 USC 20.75
MEGALOCKS LINE – Alabama 13
The Game
What a classic opening night match-up. The defending CFP Championship winning Alabama Crimson Tide takes on another tradition-rich school in the USC Trojans. Kudos for both teams for making this game happen.
The Match-Up
Alabama offense vs USC defense
The Tide offense should ROLL once again this season. It will be strange looking at that backfield without Heisman-winner Derrick Henry but Alabama has some fine talent waiting in the wings and a solid offensive line to lead the way. The WR/TE group is ridiculously talented.
How will new QB Cooper Bateman perform in the opener ? With all that talent around him, we feel that Alabama will be absolutely fine. It will also help that the USC front 7 is very inexperienced with an entire new group of starters on the defensive line. Talented, yes. But Alabama will be able to have a balanced attack in this one and get into the 30s.
USC offense vs Alabama defense
This is where things get tricky for us. Alabama just reloads year after year with phenomenal talent. We usually like to see them play a game or two to see how good they are because we just do not know to start the season. Just 5 returning starters. But SO MUCH potential. They only allowed 76 yards rushing per game last season (!!) and tallied 53 sacks. The fact that they are not facing a dangerous mobile QB is a huge plus.
The USC offense is going to be fantastic. Maybe we are drinking the Kool Aid ? In any event, the question is – How good will they be against Alabama ? Well even if their starting left tackle cannot go they have a great 1-2 punch in the backfield (almost had two 1,000-yard rushers last season) and a great group of targets in the passing game to keep Alabama on their toes. How will Max Browne do against this defense ? History says not well. But we cannot ignore the weapons available to the Trojans to go along with their fine OL. It does worry us that USC has given up over 100 sacks the past three seasons combined.
Overall, it is never a fun time playing Alabama. However, there is potential here that cannot be ignored.
Tasty Tidbits
We can’t wait to see Ronald Jones II play this season for USC…..Whoa, Nellie !.…….Alabama is going to miss Cyrus Jones on PR he had 4 TDs last season….Alabama has faced pretty good opponents in their last four season openers and won by 27,25,10,18….TOTALS TRENDS GUY will be excited to hear that the over is 16-4-1 L21 Tide neutral site games….go for it Sparky.
Summary
We probably would have played Alabama at -10 and now just going to sit it out. The inexperience of the USC front 7 will eventually cost them – BUT – it is not like Alabama does not have new faces to worry about. USC will need 20+ to cover and that is not an impossibility.
Conclusion
No official play.
Lean: No lean on the side at this number. Would want -10 for small potatoes play on the Tide. Lean over the total at any number 53 or better if you need action on this bad boy.