2. Alabama at Texas
LINE Alabama -20.5
ATS PICK Alabama
Sometimes you just need to cleanse your palate.
Enough FCS games, and enough with mediocre Group of Five programs killing time before the regular conference season starts.
Alabama. Texas. Two giants – at least, Texas is a giant revenue producer – two big names, one massive storyline.
Just how quickly has Steve Sarkisian built up the program?
He’s got the NFL skill guys who are every bit as good as what Bama is bringing, but does he have the lines in place? Is Texas going to start tackling again?
The atmosphere should be great – even for an early game – and everyone will desperately want this to be interesting. However, I’ve had three Alabama insider types tell me this could be Nick Saban’s best team yet.
I don’t exactly buy that, but his bunch just hung 55-0 on defending Mountain West champion Utah State. It took that high-powered offense, crumpled it up into a ball, and only allowed 136 yards and seven first downs.
Saban and Bama have a reputation of destroying everyone in Week 1. How about Week 2?
There might be a Mercer and a New Mexico State in this bunch, but Texas A&M and Penn State is in here, too – twice.
Going back to 2009, Alabama is 13-0 in Week 2, winning by a combined score of 551-154 or an average of 42-12.
Texas is 1-2 in Week 2 over the last three seasons, losing to Arkansas in 2021, LSU in 2019, and slinking past Texas Tech 63-56 in 2020.
Saban hasn’t won a Week 2 game by less than 21 points since his 2013 survived Johnny Manziel 49-42.
It’s just 20.5 points, and it’s Alabama.
And finally, sticking with the big splashy game people will be paying attention to …