The Texas Longhorns will get an up-close view of their future Saturday when they take on the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The Longhorns will be moving from the Big 12 to the SEC, where the powerhouse Crimson Tide resides, in July 2025. Head coach Steve Sarkisian, who was the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in their championship season of 2020, has begun loading up with players in advance of the move and will find out how far he has to go to compete with the best of the best.
“It’s one game, you know,” Sarkisian told the media. ”My goal is to be in Dallas on December 3 (Big 12 championship),” Sarkisian, who is 52-42 as a head coach at three schools, told the media. “This game has no impact on that. I want to play really well. ”
Bryce Young picked right up where he left off in his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign from a season ago by accounting for six touchdowns on Saturday as the Crimson Tide lit up Utah State 55-0. Young, who can join Ohio State’s Archie Griffin as the only players with back-to-back Heisman Trophies, threw for 195 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 100 yards and a score. It was Young’s fourth game with five touchdown passes in 24 career contests with the Crimson Tide. Tua Tagovailoa is the only Alabama player with more touchdowns in a game with seven.
It only took one game for Young to become the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. The quarterback leaped ahead of Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud on the college football lines, Young (+275) is slightly ahead of Stroud (+300) and USC’s Caleb Williams (+550) to win the Heisman.
According to the college football odds, Alabama is +175 to win the national championship against the field (-215). Texas is +6000 to win the title.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF odds for Alabama vs Texas. We’ve plenty of NCAAF predictions.
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide defense, led by linebackers Henry To’oTo’o and Chris Braswell, pitched a shutout in a season opener for the first time since 1988. Braswell, who played special teams and was a backup on defense last season, had the greatest impact with four tackles, including one for a 10-yard loss, and a forced fumble. The Crimson Tide did not come up with a sack, so Will Anderson Jr. remains at 24.5 sacks for his career.
“For me, I try to approach every quarterback the same,” Anderson told the media. “But for a Young quarterback like that (Texas’ Quinn Ewers), it’s gonna be fun. This is his first game going against a defense like this, so we’re going to go out there and do our thing.”
Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns redshirt freshman quarterback Quinn Ewers, who transferred from Ohio State, overcame an interception on his second college pass before throwing for 225 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-10 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.
“It was a good lesson for him, he tried to force a throw,” Sarkisian, who was the offensive coordinator for Alabama in their championship season of 2020, told the media of Ewers, who came out of the game in good shape aside from his car getting towed. “You can’t expect him to ride this bike and do it with training wheels on. I’ve got to let him go.”
If the Longhorns are to have a chance in this game, running back Bijan Robinson will have to make plays on the ground and through the air. The junior, who is a long-shot bet to win the Heisman Trophy at +2,200 after rushing for 1,127 yards last season, scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in the season-opening game.
Alabama vs Texas Injury Report
Alabama tight end Cameron Latu, who missed the season opener with a knee injury, was to begin practicing this week according to coach Nick Saban and is probable for this game.
Alabama vs Texas Head-to-Head
The Longhorns and the Crimson Tide haven’t met since the BCS Championship game in 2010, a game won 37-21 by Alabama to give Saban his first national championship at the school. Texas went 7-0-1 in the first eight meetings with Alabama, all of which occurred prior to 1983. Five of those matchups were in bowl games, including two in the Cotton Bowl and one each in the Orange, Sugar and Bluebonnet bowls.
Alabama vs Texas Game Information
- Game: Alabama vs Texas
- Location: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 10, Noon ET
- Alabama vs Texas Live Stream: ESPN
Alabama vs Texas Betting Lines
Alabama vs Texas Prediction
Only a team like Alabama could lay nearly three touchdowns on the road and be a reasonable bet to cover. The Crimson Tide were 4-3 last season against the spread when favored by 20½ or more points, but not sure the Longhorns are up to the task.
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
Alabama vs Texas Trends
Alabama vs Texas Edge
Alabama vs Texas Results
Alabama vs Texas Game Injuries
Alabama vs Texas Game Summary
