BCS Championship Game Preview – Everything You Need to Know

College football betting comes to a close when the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns collide for the national title at the Rose Bowl on Thursday night. Oddsmakers have set the college football point spread at -4 in favor of Alabama, while the total is set at 46 points.

Ever since the teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at the beginning of bowl season, the spotlight has shone the brightest on the big-name talents – players like Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Alabama’s Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram.

There has been a lot of talk about the two teams’ defenses, which both ranked among the Top 3 in the country. As well as a lot of coverage on the coaching battle between the Crimson Tide’s Nick Saban and the Longhorns’ Mack Brown.

However, when the whistle blows and push comes to shove, it will be some of the lesser-known players making the difference. Colt McCoy and Ingram will do what they do, but the winning team will be the one whose talents step up to the challenge.

Here’s a look at some players who could have an impact on Thursday’s BCS Championship:

D.J. Monroe/Marquise Goodwin (Texas KR)

Perhaps the biggest wild card heading into Thursday’s title game is the status of Longhorns kick returner D.J. Monroe. The talented red-shirt freshman, who was second in average kick return yards in the nation with almost 36 per game including two touchdowns, has missed the last three games after getting arrested for a DWI in November.

Freshman Marquise Goodwin could get the nod from coach Brown, who hasn’t decided who he will start on special teams. Goodwin has averaged just over 22 yards per return and found the end zone in a win over Texas A&M. Alabama is susceptible to big returns on special teams, ranking second last in the SEC in opposing kick return yards (26.55) and giving up two touchdowns on returns this season.

Trent Richardson (Alabama RB)

Richardson put together an impressive freshman campaign behind Ingram. He rushed for 640 total yards (49.23 per game) and found the end zone six times. Against Florida in the SEC Championship, the explosive back carried the ball 11 times for 80 yards and finished ranked 13th in the conference in yards per game.

Hunter Lawerence (Texas K)

If it wasn’t for the steady foot of Hunter Lawerence, the Horns wouldn’t be in the national title game. The senior kicker launched a 46-yard field goal as time expired to edge the Nebraska Cornhuskers 13-12 in the Big 12 Championship. He has hit 88 percent of his field goal attempts this season and hasn’t missed since a blowout win over UCF on November 7. Last season, he was perfect in Texas’ win over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, booting one field goal and three extra points.

Colin Peek (Alabama TE)

Alabama’s tight end is quickly becoming the team’s go-to guy in the crunch. Colin Peek was on the receiving end of a touchdown in each of the Tide’s last two wins, including a 39-yard day on three catches against the Gators. The Georgia Tech transfer was recently on the cover of Sports Illustrated catching that score against Florida and is playing a bigger role since returning from a knee injury.

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