| AT&T Cotton Bowl | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
#13 Alabama (9-2) vs. #18 Texas Tech (9-2) Jan. 2, 10 a.m. (Fox) Favorite: Tech by 3.5 |
 |
I’m surprised Texas Tech is favored in this game, since getting blown out by Texas in October they haven’t gotten much respect nationally. I guess the guys in Vegas think the Alabama offense is so bad they won’t even be able to put up points against an average Red Raider defense. I agree with them.
Running back Taurean Henderson has to have a big game if Texas Tech has any hope of winning this game. If he breaks a couple of delays and catches the ball out of the backfield for some yardage then it’s going to completely change the game. Force the Crimson Tide defense to have to think about more than Cody Hodges and the passing game and Tech should be able to score some points. If they do that, they’ll win this game as Alabama is just awful on offense. Tech isn’t great on defense but they’re better than they used to be and if they can prevent the big play they should be able to make just enough stops to win.
Though it should be close, Texas Tech wins this game if they score over 20 points and they should be able to do that if they play as they’re capable. If they do win, the supposedly awful Big 12 will be 5 – 2 in bowl games with several big wins over ranked teams and upsets.
Players to Watch: Bama LB DeMeco Ryans, Bama QB Brodie Croyle, Tech RB Taurean Henderson, Tech SS Dwayne Slay
Prediction: Alabama 17, Texas Tech 24
If Texas was in the Cotton Bowl…
Easily the second best defense Texas would face this season (behind Ohio State) but the Alabama offense has struggled mightily this season. The Crimson Tide could only put 6 points on the board against Tennessee and 13 against Ole Miss, two defenses not even in the same league as the Horns’. I think Texas’ defense would score more in this game than the Bama offense. While their defense is tough, the Texas offense is going to have great field position all game long and would make enough plays to make this a rout. Texas 34, Alabama 0.
Texas is playing with a lot more confidence, is healthier, and has a lot more guys involved than they did back in October. The Red Raiders were exposed by the Horns in the first matchup and didn’t exactly roll through the rest of the season. I think this rematch turns into an even bigger blowout than the first as Jamaal Charles runs all over the place. Texas 61, Texas Tech 20.
reply to #1
Brian
January 2nd, 2006 at 11:05 am
Sure looked like the Bama WR’s knee was down on the 70+ yard TD. It looked like it might’ve been but Fox never showed a freaking replay from a decent angle. On the Tech catch they replayed a minute ago the Fox announcer mentioned in passing that Bama was lucky that play wasn’t reviewed. Of course he didn’t bother to say why or show a replay. I need an HD TiVo so I can have the best of both damnit.
The BCS on Fox next year is going to suck.
reply to #2
Brian
January 2nd, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Man, Tech’s offensive linemen are morons. Only down 7 with six minutes to go, with a RS freshman in there at QB for his first real minutes of the year, they false start twice and immediately get in the kid’s face and scream at him about the snap count. Real smart.