The #20 Wisconsin Badgers (0-0) will visit the #3 Alabama Crimson Tide (0-0) on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will televise at 8 pm ET on ABC. The current odds list Alabama as a 10.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 49.
Corey Clement will have some big shoes to fill as Melvin Gordon entered the NFL. Corey had a stellar season as a backup where he ran for 949 yards and nine touchdowns. Joel Stave will look to improve on last year’s stats where he managed to throw nine touchdowns and ten interceptions. He will have Alex Erickson and Troy Fumagalli returning as the top two receivers. Wisconsin is really known for their outstanding defense and this year will be no different. They allowed quarterbacks to throw for under 170 yards per game and I think we will see more of the same this year. The Badgers are 1-4 ATS in their last five neutral site games.
Jake Coker takes over at quarterback after passing for just over 400 yards and four touchdowns as a backup. Alabama will rely on their running game to carry them through. Derrick Henry returns after rushing for 990 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kenyan Drake will split carries after he missed most of last year with a broken leg. Alabama will also come in with a strong defense where they allowed just 18 points to their opponents. The Crimson Tide is 2-6 ATS in their last eight games in September.
My Pick: Alabama -10.5
This will probably be a better game to watch then to bet on but I will go with Alabama. They have a good rush defense and if they can contain Henry and Drake, they should win this go with ease. They are well-rounded and they have a lot more weapons on offense. I’ll take Alabama in this one.