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<\/a><\/p>\nTexas averaged the third highest scoring output with 40.7 points per game, while he completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 picks with a quarterback rating of 147.5. Of course, numbers mean very little when you can\u2019t win a big game. However, losing hasn\u2019t been a part of the Longhorn\u2019s regimen this sports betting season, unless they\u2019re going up against the ncaaf oddsmakers. Texas is just 5-7-1 ATS this season and even though the tight line is indicative of Texas\u2019s chance to win, it\u2019s almost designed to lure the Big 12 bettors out of their worrisome position.<\/p>\n
CLICK HERE FOR THE BEST CFB CAPPERS PICKS FOR ALL THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ACTION! —–><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Longhorns are the last team to win the BCS Championship since the SEC has gone on a 3-0 winning streak with Florida and LSU dominating the scene late in the decade. Of course, McCoy wasn\u2019t a part of Texas\u2019s gameplan as they rode Vince Young\u2019s big back to a win over USC.<\/p>\n Helping McCoy will be wide receiver stud Jordan Shipley who caught a team leading 106 passes for 1,363 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of course, as Nebraska proved, the Longhorn\u2019s offensive line might not be up to the challenge of stopping a grizzled defensive line, and containing Shipley is actually much easier for a loaded defense.<\/p>\n Thursday, January 7th The Crimsons Tide rely on a stiff secondary bolstered by Javier Arenas and Mark Baron. Their defensive line, led by Marcell Dareus (6.5 sacks and 31 tackles), has shown a decisive knack for harassing backfield players. In the SEC Championship game against Tim Tebow and the Gators, the Tide rolled right through the offensive line to stump Tebow at 247 yards passing, and gave up just 88 yards rushing against. Florida never got in to rhythm, and couldn\u2019t keep up with Ingram on the score board.<\/p>\n The very same type of game awaits Texas. Though their defense is fast and well coached by Mack Brown, they haven\u2019t had to face a serious offense nearly all season. With Texas Tech rebuilding and Oklahoma trotting out a freshman quarterback after the injury to Sam Bradford, Texas had a veritable patty cake season compared to what they\u2019ve dealt with in the past. When they clashed with a riley Nebraska team led by Ndamukong Suh, they simply couldn\u2019t get rolling offensively.<\/p>\n The Tide do not have a player at the level of Suh (who does?) but they\u2019re used to showing up in big games on both sides of the ball. Against Florida they won 32-13, and defeated Auburn a week prior 26-21. They\u2019ve defeated LSU 24-15. In fact, the most points anybody has scored on this team is the 24 points scored by the Hokies in the first week of college football betting. Only three teams have breached the 20-point barrier against Alabama, and it\u2019s no secret that the SEC is a much more difficult conference to have steady stats in than any other. Stat sheet analysts will highlight Texas\u2019s 62.9 rushing yards allowed average on defense, but that is a skewed stat. The Big 12 is notorious for being a passing conference and Texas\u2019s habit of ramping up the score early on has led teams to chase them through the air. Alabama\u2019s betting backers can rest assured that Colt McCoy will be contained on Thursday night, and that means that Alabama can do what it does best: pray on the weaknesses of the opposing defense.<\/p>\n Heisman Trophy winner, Mark Ingram, came on huge in the latter half of the season to clinch the esteemed title over McCoy and Stanford\u2019s Toby Gerhart (who should\u2019ve won in my opinion), but he\u2019s a force to be reckoned with. Ingram piled up 113 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns against Florida and is balanced by the under appreciated Greg McElroy at quarterback.<\/p>\n McElroy is the closest thing you get to a \u201cgame manager\u201d at the college level, but he does it extremely well. Nick Saban likes to test his opposition by using the first five minutes to see if his opposition is keying on the run or the pass. Then he simply goes the other way. It\u2019s a simple, yet extremely effective, method. Check the numbers. If McElroy has a huge game, Ingram doesn\u2019t need to do a lot of work. Ingram\u2019s blowing up? McElroy nails a couple key passes to keep the defense off balance.<\/p>\n The Tide rolled right through the Florida Gators\u2019 defense, and you can\u2019t tell me that Texas has a stiffer defense than that one. The Gators are a faster, stronger version of what Texas rolls out and the Longhorns haven\u2019t faced an offense as balanced and controlling on the field as Alabama\u2019s.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the same old tune in the BCS Championship game as the SEC dominates yet again to net its fourth crystal trophy in the same number of seasons. Colt McCoy proved in the last two seasons that he doesn\u2019t blow big games with massive amounts of pressure, but the game against Nebraska proved that it\u2019s still a part of who he is. With the stakes as big as they get, and the scariest defense in the league feasting on his throat, McCoy is about to prove why he\u2019s not ready to be a champion yet.<\/p>\n
\nRose Bowl, Pasadena — 8:10pm EST
\nNCAAF Betting Line: Alabama -4 (46)<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media.partners.betus.com\/BANNERS\/football\/sportsbook_NCAAGOTW1_250x250_mybanner1.gif\")
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