Week 17 College Football: Alabama Vs Washington

The college football playoff was supposed to take away the high level of controversy that took place each year when the final rankings were released, but that does not appear to have happened. There are a lot of questions being asked of the committee given their selections this year, but the time for complaining is now over. Bowl season is about to go into full swing, which means it’s time to stop talking and get on with playing football. The two big games that will decide who plays for the National Championship will take place on New Year’s Eve, and it all begins with the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. No-one has any issue with the Alabama Crimson Tide being ranked number one heading into the playoffs, and the defending champs will have the Washington Huskies to contend with before getting a shot at repeating. The bookies seem to think that this will be a one-sided affair, as they have the Crimson Tide going in as a 16-point betting odds favorite. Can the Huskies do anything to stop the Alabama express?

A Closer Look At The Week 17 College Football Predictions: Crimson Tide Vs Huskies

When: Saturday, December 31 at 3 PM EST
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: Watch ESPN
NCAAF Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Alabama Crimson Tide

If there are any cracks in the armor of this Alabama Crimson Tide team, it may well be at the QB position. Yes, Jalen Hurts had a magnificent freshman season, but he spent an awful lot of time in the comfort zone thanks to the play of the defense. The Alabama D was a beast all year long, causing turnovers and scoring points at a clip that was impossible to match. If they are off at all in this one, things could get interesting. Hurts looked a little bit like a deer in the headlights at the start of the SEC Championship game versus the Florida Gators, and he didn’t really shape up until the defense scored a pair of TD’s to turn the tide. That defense has not slowed down all year, and there is nothing to suggest it will happen now.

Why bet on the Washington Huskies

There are some folks out there who believe that the Huskies were given a bit of a raw deal by the playoff committee. The PAC-12 champions certainly deserved to be in the playoffs, and it can be argued that they deserved to be in the #3 spot ahead of Ohio State, which would have had those avoiding Alabama at this stage. Regardless, this is a team that, like the Crimson Tide, is strong in all three areas, and which is more than equipped to spring the upset. That said, it is going to need to be a perfect performance from QB Jake Browning and his team if they are to shock the college football world.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The problem that any team facing Alabama has is matching the depth that the Crimson Tide have at every single position. I think that Alabama will be just too strong for a very good Huskies team.

Alabama Crimson Tide 35 Washington Huskies 20