Alabama comes into this matchup as the top-ranked team in the country fresh off a convincing Week 1 win. The Crimson Tide cruised to a 55-0 win over the Utah State Aggies, with Alabama tallying 559 total yards in the matchup. The college football Week 2 matchup with Texas is set to be an even greater challenge for Alabama, as they are coming off a 52-10 win in Week 1. Texas had some buzz and some people were expecting them to crack the Top 25 this week, but they remain unranked coming into this matchup. Making a statement against Alabama would certainly be in their best interest but they will face a much more difficult challenge than their Week 1 matchup against UL Monroe. With this matchup set to have some major eyes on it, here are three predictions for what to expect from Alabama.
Alabama Bold Predictions For Week 2 Vs. Texas Football
3. Alabama forces 2+ interceptions
While Texas got the win as they hoped last week, it was not as smooth of a debut for QB Quinn Ewers. In the matchup with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, Ewers completed 16 of his 24 pass passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an interception on just his second pass of the day.
While he settled in after this, Ewers will have a more difficult task against the Alabama football defense, which has multiple players expected to make the NFL leap next season.
Quinn Ewers throws behind the receiver and it gets picked off #CollegeFootball #HookEm
— The College Football & Basketball Experience (@TCEonSGPN) September 4, 2022
Expect the battle-tested Crimson Tide defense to rattle the Texas QB. The Week 1 interception by Quinn Ewers occurred when he was forced out of the pocket and attempting to thread the needle on the pass.
Forcing him out of the pocket by putting pressure on him could be a problem for Texas this week. There will be less margin for error against this defense and Ewers will have some major issues if he does not clean things up. Look for Alabama to attempt to make the young 19-year-old QB uncomfortable and pull in two interceptions as a result.
2. Bryce Young Tallied 6+ total touchdowns
It was a strong Week 1 performance for Bryce Young. The Heisman trophy winner looked cool, calm, and collected in his 2022 debut. He completed 18 of his 28 pass attempts for 195 yards and five touchdowns. Young also ran for 100 yards and a touchdown. This was his first 100+ yard rushing performance of his career. Prior to last week, his career-high was 42 yards on the ground.
While his arm is still his greatest asset, this growth in mobility is intriguing for Bryce Young. He also was taken out of the game after the first drive in the second half. Expect this type of production to continue in week two and for Bryce Young to make his case for a back-to-back Heisman.
While Texas will be a greater challenge than Utah State, it is nothing that Young cannot handle. He also may have a chance to show more of what he can do and use his arm in a greater way this week. Expect him to find his way into the end zone six or more times again in Week 2 as Alabama football is set to put forth a high-scoring effort.
1. Alabama wins by 3+ touchdowns
There are a number of great storylines leading into this matchup. Texas is set to join Alabama in the SEC in the next few years, Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian formerly was the Alabama offensive coordinator, and Texas has an all-time 7-1-1 record against the Crimson Tide. With both teams in search of a 2-0 record on the season, there is a lot at stake for both sides.
As great as the storylines of the matchup are, talent always wins out. Alabama is the more talented team on both sides of the ball and they also will have their focus on getting the win. Expect the Crimson Tide to travel down to Texas and get the result they desire. Between the concerns with Quinn Ewers managing the Alabama defense and the confidence in Bryce Young, there is plenty of reason for optimism for the Crimson Tide.
The spread of the matchup favors Alabama football by 19.5 points. Expect them to reach this total and continue their quest for the National Championship once again. Texas is a solid program that is moving in the right direction, but the Crimson Tide is more proven and ranked number one for a reason. The Longhorns have a nice buzz surrounding them this season but don’t overthink this one and expect the tide to keep rolling.
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