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| Nick Saban's top-ranked Crimson Tide play their SEC home opener Saturday against upstart Ole Miss. (US PRESSWIRE) |
Ole Miss (3-1, 0-0 SEC) at No. 1 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC)
Kickoff: Saturday, 9:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Spread: Alabama by 31
Watchability: Hugh Freeze's Rebels have surpassed last year's win total and enter this game with nothing to lose. Can their offense, which averages 37 points, have any success against Alabama? “They're the gold standard in football right now,” Freeze said. “Being a competitor you want to play in those environments. It will be a fun environment to play in. We'll get to see where we are in the next step of our journey.'
Shining stars: Alabama: AJ McCarron. The junior has thrown more touchdowns, 10, in the first four games of a season than any previous Tide QB. He also has thrown 176 straight passes without an interception, 14 shy of Brodie Croyle's school record. T.J. Yeldon. The 6-2, 216-pound freshman is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and has run for two TDs. He's also caught six passes for 91 yards. Ole Miss: Bo Wallace. The sophomore has thrown seven TD passes and also is the Rebels' second-leading rusher with 179 yards and two TDs. Wallace has a team-high 10 runs of at least 10 yards. He's expected to start despite an aching right throwing shoulder.
Who could steal the show: Alabama: C.J. Mosley. The linebacker leads the team with 29 tackles and is the only defender who's been honored by the team for his performance each week. He also has 1.5 sacks and an interception. Mosley is a key cog on a unit that nearly pitched three straight shutouts. Ole Miss: Jeff Scott. The speedy junior is averaging 89.3 rushing yards, which ranks fifth in the SEC, and has run for three TDs. Scott has four career 100-yard rushing games.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Bryant-Denny Stadium will be packed with 100,000 fans for the Tide's SEC home opener. RVs start rolling into Tuscaloosa on Friday, setting up a full day of Saturday tailgating before the 9:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
Magic number for Alabama: 12. That's how many turnovers Alabama has forced (6 INTs, 6 fumbles). The Tide have coughed up the ball just twice.
Magic number for Ole Miss: 147. That's how many points Ole Miss has scored, its most through four games since 2003 (162).
The game comes down to: Ole Miss is a nice story, but the Rebels are in for a long night. Alabama should score at will. If Wallace can hit some big plays to Donte Moncrief (4 TD catches), the Rebels could keep the game competitive for a half. But they'll be worn down by Alabama's superior depth at every position.
Prediction: Alabama 41, Ole Miss 13
