Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide in the BCS Championship

Thursday, January 7th – Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA) – 8:15 PM ET

Rose Bowl Betting Spread: Alabama -4  

Texas: The Week That Was  

The Longhorns were very fortunate to slip by the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 13-12, and win the Big 12 Championship Game. Texas didn’t figure to be sorely tested by Nebraska, but with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh sacking UT quarterback Colt McCoy four and a half times, the Huskers carried the play for most of the evening. Heading into the final few seconds of regulation time, Mack Brown’s Longhorns trailed by a score of 12-10.

Then Texas got very lucky. McCoy threw a pass out of bounds with one second left, while Nebraska’s coaches argued that time had expired. UT kicker Hunter Lawrence was able to step onto the field and hit a 46-yard field goal on the final play to lift the Longhorns to victory.

Alabama: The Week That Was

The Crimson Tide maxed out in a forceful 32-13 thumping of Florida in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 in Atlanta. For a full year, Nick Saban’s squad dreamed of getting a rematch against the same group of Gators that defeated the Tide in the 2008 SEC title tilt. Those 12 months of waiting were channeled into a frighteningly good performance, as Alabama whipped the defending national champions on both sides of the ball. The Tide outrushed Florida, 251 yards to 88, and converted 11 of 15 third downs compared to the Gators’ 4 of 11 rate. After taking a 19-13 lead to the locker room at halftime, Bama shut out Florida in the second half and pulled away for an easy 19-point triumph.

Alabama -4 vs Texas >> Join to Bet Now

The Week That Is:  

The last time Texas played in a national championship game – the 2006 Rose Bowl – the Longhorns were a clear underdog to a team that was perceived to be vastly superior. The USC Trojans were being hailed as one of the great college football teams of all time, but Mack Brown’s boys begged to differ. Quarterback Vince Young led a spirited comeback from a late 38-26 deficit, as Texas tripped the Trojans, 41-38, on a touchdown with 19 seconds left in regulation time.  

Let that occasion serve as an example of what could happen when Texas faces Alabama for the 2009 national championship. Alabama played the best game it could possibly play one month ago against Florida, while Texas’s offense couldn’t have played any worse than it did against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game. Alabama will come down to earth, and Texas will be better. The question is this: Will Texas improve enough to beat a less-than-perfect Bama bunch? 

The odds suggest not. Texas has struggled on offense for much of the year, and Alabama’s physicality is second to none. The Longhorns might start strong, but Bama should wear down Texas in the fourth quarter. 

Rose Bowl Betting Pick: Alabama -4