If you’re thinking about backing Alabama’s NCAA football lines to win the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship and you’re looking for reasons why you should bet on the Tide to strike pay dirt, then you’re in luck!
Thanks to this expert betting analysis on Alabama’s chances of winning the national title, you’re going to have a great idea of just why the Crimson Tide could cash in as a near touchdown favorite.
With that said, a game day quickly approaching, let’s get started.
What was the best National Championship game of the last 15 years?
Defense, NCAAF Lines and Winning The National Championship
A few months back, I wrote about waking up in a cold sweat after a nightmare that featured Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland and his band of merry mates trying to gang-tackle me.
All jokes aside, the Crimson Tide do have a defense that his given opposing offenses, head coaches and offensive coordinators likely, literal nightmares.
Alabama ranked second in total defense, 18th against the pass, first against the run and first in points allowed (13.4 ppg) and has not allowed more than 16 points in each of their last seven games.
“I mean, they’re as good as it gets,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said recently. “No. 1 in about everything defensively, but the biggest thing is they just have great depth in their defensive line. They roll them guys in there, play a lot of guys, a bunch of subs, and they all play at a really, really high level. That’s why they’re a great team.”
Apparently, the closer their opponents get to scoring, the stingier the Tide become. Alabama has not allowed a red-zone touchdown since the first quarter against Auburn over a month ago.
Defensive end Jonathan Allen finished sixth in the nation in sacks (12) while linebacker Tim Williams added 11. Defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson and linebacker Reggie Ragland are first-team All-Americans while safety Eddie Jackson is on the third-team.
Robinson has 42 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and nine quarterback hurries.
Ragland recorded a team-high 90 tackles, 6.5 stops for a loss, 2.5 sacks, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Jackson finished the season with five interceptions.
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema recently had this to say about Alabama’s defense.
“I can’t even tell you, I’m not great with numbers, but they probably had six guys in our opinion that there was no difference in any way they played. And then the next six were just a matter of experience.” Bielema said. “I’ve been doing this 10 years as a head coach, 20 years as a coach overall. I have never seen a defense of that caliber in all my years of playing this game and coaching it.”
Derrick Henry
Another reason you might want to wager on the Tide to win it all is the bruising rushing of Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry. The powerful junior has rushed for a stunning 2,061 yards and 25 touchdowns, including a two-touchdown effort against Michigan State in the CFP semifinals.
The bottom line for the Clemson Tigers is that, if they want to beat the Tide, they’re going to have to find a way to slow down Alabama’s Heisman Trophy-winning running back.
“Everything starts with the running game for them,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said of Alabama. “If you don’t stop the run, you have zero chance. Absolutely zero.”
Alabama’s wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
Jake Coker and Calvin Ridley
While the perception on beating Alabama means shutting down their powerful rushing attack and forcing quarterback Jake Coker beat you through the air, that may not be the case any long thanks to Coker’s emergence and wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
Henry has been held to less than 100 rushing yards five times this season, including against Michigan State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal and Alabama managed to win all five games, by an insane average of 32 points, including their 38-0 shutout win over Michigan State in the semifinal round.
Coker has completed an impressive 67.1 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while the gifted Ridley recorded 83 catches for 1,031 yards and seven touchdowns, including eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the semis.
