by Chuck Sommers
Wednesday, Sep 07, 2022
Game time: Noon ET
Venue: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
Where to watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Alabama -20.5; total 64.5
FanDuel: Alabama -20.5; total 64.5
BetMGM: Alabama -20; total 64.5
Caesars: Alabama -20; total 65
Season record
No. 1 Alabama: 1-0
Texas: 1-0
What an exciting first official week of college football with a lot of shakeup in the top 25 already, as well as some fun matchups that make Week 2 all the more intriguing. Jack Banks is off to a strong 4-1-0 start after Week 1. Can he keep it up again in Week 2? Will you be building off a strong first week of college football? Make sure to check out Jack's picks, as well as other choices from our champion handicappers in our Best Bets section.
Alabama - Texas preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Alabama: won 55-0 vs. Utah State
Texas: won 52-10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Texas back? We’re about to find out on Saturday.
Texas back? We’re about to find out on Saturday.
The ghost of Colt McCoy may come back to haunt the Alabama Crimson Tide, or maybe even Garrett Gilbert will get one more chance for revenge, while Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson just run over the collective soul of the Texas Longhorns.
But if those names sound familiar, yes, this is the first time since the 2010 BCS (!!!) National Championship game that Alabama and Texas will get together on a football field, and to say that a lot of things have changed since that time (outside of Alabama winning a bunch of football games and Texas not getting back to that point since) would be an understatement.
Steve Sarkisian vs. Nick Saban is the penultimate type of game that deserves a 9 a.m. slot, and I’m not sure there’s a better way to get a Bloody Mary ready and probably some nice meat on the grill for the brunch/lunch hour.
Texas got off to a strong start, one so strong that it’s pushed them closer to the top 25. The Longhorns defeated Louisiana-Monroe 52-10 after Quinn Ewers threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns. For a group that went 5-7 a year ago, and will soon have Arch Manning in the fold, any win is good.
But now with Alabama on the horizon, things are about to get crazy at Texas, and one can only imagine what will happen if Texas pulls this one off.
"I didn't have any butterflies going into today. A little bit on the first play, but not even as much as I did in high school," Ewers said of his debut. "I liked it. I enjoyed the game."
That’s what it’s all about, enjoying the game. Or enjoying it for one week before getting annihilated by Alabama, whichever one really floats your boat as a Division I school. And it looks like Texas might be getting a ticked-off Alabama team next week, and arguably for the whole year.
The Crimson Tide are understandably not fans of having to come in second place last year. When you’re a program that’s been spoiled by winning for so many years, one loss in the national championship can send everything up in smoke. After losing to Georgia in the title game in January, after such a successful run up to that point, you’d think the Tide would come back to Earth for a little bit and just coast to another College Football Playoff appearance.
Of course this is ‘Bama so things like that don’t exist. Bryce Young was under 200 yards, but the reigning Heisman Trophy winner threw five touchdowns in Alabama’s 55-0 romp over Utah State in Week 1 this past Saturday. Young also led the way on the ground with 100 yards rushing and another score, while two of his tosses wen to Traeshon Holden.
''I just try to do whatever is best for this team, whatever the defense gives us,'' Young said. ''That's definitely interesting. It definitely wasn't something I was planning. For me, it's just taking whatever the defense gives us.
''Today that was just what was available. It's cool.''
Alabama had a 539-136 yards advantage over Utah State. Not to say that won’t happen Saturday against Texas, whose defense was the closest thing to Swiss cheese and one could be last year, but if things get out of hand, Alabama could end this one easy.
Prediction
The line started at 14.5 and has since gone up a whole touchdown since. Alabama is 14-5 ATS as a road favorite between 14.5 and 21 since 1992, and I’d imagine the bulk of those wins have come from the Saban era. Texas hangs around due to the home crowd, but I can’t see Alabama winning by less than three touchdowns. Alabama wins by 24
Betting trends
Alabama is 7-5 ATS off an under the past three years.
Alabama is 4-5 ATS the past three years after scoring 50 or more the previous game.
Texas is 1-6 ATS as an underdog the last three seasons.
Texas is 5-1 ATS in non-conference games the past three seasons.
Statistical leaders
Alabama
Passing: Bryce Young -- 195 yards, 5 TD
Rushing: Bryce Young -- 100 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Traeshon Holden -- 70 yards, 2 TD
Texas
Passing: Quinn Ewers -- 225 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bijan Robinson -- 71 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Jatavion Sanders -- 85 yards, 1 TD
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this Alabama Crimson Tide - Texas Longhorns prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily college football projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
