Goodyear Cotton Bowl
December 31
Alabama (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (13-0), AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Alabama -13.5 – O/U 57.5
After all of the speculation and hype, it’s finally “game on.” The conventional wisdom in this game is that Alabama is miles ahead of Cincinnati and that the Bearcats will be lucky to just stay close with the Crimson Tide. Rest assured, Cincinnati has different plans in mind, though the same could have been said about Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. There, the Bulldogs’ defense was supposed to tie a knot in Alabama’s tail — but it was the Tide that did the knot-tying there. QB Bryce Young had his Heisman moment that evening, and his dismantling of Georgia was his crowning achievement. Cincinnati has done what no other team could manage this season — finished the year undefeated, at least going in the playoff. But Alabama’s combination of strength and speed is something the Bearcats haven’t experienced thus far. The closest has been Notre Dame’s defense and Houston’s offense, and Cincinnati overcame both of those. But going against a complete team? It will take a perfect game in order for them to emerge victorious on Friday, and Alabama is notorious for forcing its opponents to be imperfect. Cincinnati will acquit itself admirably, but Young will again lead the Tide in a solid win to set up another championship bid.
Prediction: Alabama 38-21
Prediction: Alabama 27-6
Record:
Bowl season: SU – 20-11; ATS – 17-14-0; O/U – 13-18-0
Overall: SU – 612-192; ATS – 384-334-6; O/U – 344-368-12
Copyright © 2021 by Doug DeBolt.
