In this College Football Playoff Semi-final matchup, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off against the Bearcats of Cincinnati. The Cotton Bowl is the bowl of choice for this game, taking place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas.
Will the heavily favored Crimson Tide roll by Cincinnati, or will the near 14-point underdog Bearcats pull off the unthinkable and defeat Alabama? I’ll touch on each team, give three ‘Players to Watch’, and finish with my game prediction.
Alabama
The Crimson Tide race into the college football playoffs hot off their SEC Championship victory over Georgia. The Crimson Tide have had some close calls this season, but the only blemish on their record is the loss they took in College Station to Texas A&M. Let’s discuss Alabama as a team, and see how they’ve gotten this far.
Offense
When Alabama steps on the field Friday in Texas they will bring the #6 total offense in the country. The Tide comes in ranking 6th in passing offense, An abysmal 80th in terms of running the ball. Let’s talk about Heisman winner Sophomore quarterback Bryce Young and this lethal passing attack.
Bryce Young walked away with the greatest individual trophy the college level award, the Heisman Trophy. Young finished the regular season with 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns, ranking him 4th in college football in yards and 2nd in touchdowns. Young undoubtedly earned the Heisman, and will also earn my first ‘Player to Watch’.
The elite Alabama offense not only has a stud QB, but also two elite receivers on what is one of the most stacked offenses in the country. The tandem of Junior wideouts Jameson Williams and John Metchie have been a puzzle for opposing defenses to figure out; and thus far all who have tried have been unsuccessful.
The wideouts each have over 1,100 yards, with Williams recording 68 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 111 yards per game. His 1,445 ranks him 5th in college football in receiving yards. John Metchie comes in with 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns, he averages 87 yards per game.
5th year Senior running back Brian Robinson Jr stayed the course at Bama, waiting for his opportunity to play and making the most of it. Robinson has rushed 223 times for 1,071 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 4.8 a carry.
Defense
Alabama marches into the Cotton Bowl with the 9th ranked total defense in college football. Alabama ranks 62nd in passing yards allowed, and 4th in terms of defending the run.
The Alabama front seven has been a headache for opponents to face for decades. This year it’s headlined by star edge rusher Will Anderson, and the Tide have cranked it up a notch.
Anderson has recorded 15.5 sacks this season, which is tied for most in college football. Anderson has helped Alabama record 46 sacks as a team which is the 3rd most in college football. The Tide has also recorded 114 tackles for loss, ranking them 3rd in the country in that category. Anderson will need to lead the Crimson Tide defense as they take on Desmond Ridder and a scary Cincinnati offense. Will Anderson will be my second ‘Player to Watch’.
Alabama’s pass defense may not be highly rated, but that isn’t stopping their DB’s from balling out. Each of the Alabama defensive backs have 3 interceptions. In their dominant SEC title win, Alabama had 2 interceptions with DB Jordan Battle taking it to the house for a pick-six.
Cincinnati
The Bearcats have had a season to remember this far, starting with a road win over top ten Notre Dame and capping their regular season with an AAC Championship win over Houston. Many will complain about the Bearcat’s strength of schedule this season but they’ve controlled what they can control and found a way to win some tough games.
None will be tougher than the Crimson Tide, will the Bearcats be able to take down the big bad team from the SEC, or will they further prove schedule should mean a lot more when determining the top-4 teams in the country?
Offense
The Bearcats will bring the 43rd ranked total offense into battle against the Crimson Tide. They rank 52nd in passing and 48th in rushing.
Senior quarterback Desmond Ridder has been a tremendous leader and all-around beast on the field for the Bearcats. Ridder has 3,190 yards threw the air, firing 30 spectacular touchdown throws to only 8 interceptions. Ridder has done a very nice job spreading the ball to his more than capable receiving core highlighted by his right-hand man Senior Alec Pierce. Pierce recorded 50 receptions and fell a tad short of a thousand yards with 867.
If Cincinnati is to pull off the unthinkable, Desmond Ridder must play a huge part in that making Desmond Ridder my final ‘Player to Watch’.
It may seem like the Ridder show in Cincinnati, but Junior running back Jerome Ford begs to differ. Ford has a monstrous stat line of 200 carries for 1,242 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns! Ford rushes for 6.8 per carry on average which ranks 12th in the nation.
Defense
The Cincinnati defense has been lights out, to say the least, ranking 8th in total defense. Their 44th ranked rushing defense will have to improve if they plan on stopping eclectic running back Brian Robinson. The Bearcats fair better against the pass, with their no-fly zone, ranked 2nd in the nation.
The Bearcats give up 137 yards a game on the ground, giving up an average of 3.33 per carry. Defensive lineman Curtis Brooks is one of the lone bright spots on the Bearcats front 7, recording 7.5 sacks on the season.
The Bearcats secondary has hit another level this season, and their #2 ranking speaks for itself. Cincinnati ranks #3 in passes intercepted with 18. This wasn’t a one-man show either with 4 players having 3 or more INTs. Can the Bearcats and their elite secondary put a stop to the stranglehold Alabama holds on the NCAAF world or will Nick Saban keep the Tide Rollin?
Game Predictions
- Bryce Young throws for 350 yards and 3 Touchdowns
- Will Anderson records 2 sacks
- Desmond Ridder throws for 200 and 2 touchdowns
Alabama 35 – Cincinnati 24
