The Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns both made it through Week 1 unscathed in relatively clean and nondescript victories. Alabama football ran over Middle Tennessee State 56-7. Texas took down (but did not cover) in-state foe Rice 37-10. Mission accomplished. Both teams handled their business in their warm-ups for their season and their next game.

That next game will feature… each other. Once again, Alabama will play Texas in Week 2 of the college football season. They played each other last season when Alabama football squeaked out a 20-19 over the Longhorns in Austin. That game was decided by a game-winning Alabama field goal with 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

This game will look drastically different than that game from a year ago. Bryce Young was drafted number one overall by the Carolina Panthers. Both Bijan Robinson (eighth overall) and Jahmyr Gibbs (12th overall) were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft as well. Quinn Ewers, Texas' starting quarterback, left this game due to injury early on a year ago. He is healthy and good to go for this game. Jalen Milroe will make only his third start for the Crimson Tide. This will be a great game. That's one prediction. A game with this magnitude warrants more than that though. Onto some bold predictions.

2) Jalen Milroe runs for at least 75 yards

Alabama has stated that they want to go back to being more of a run-first team this season like they were in year's past. The math would disagree with that decision, but it makes sense with this roster. Alabama football's defense is once again dominant. Jalen Milroe, Alabama's new starting quarterback, is a very promising quarterback and super athletic player, but is not the passer that Bryce Young or Mac Jones was while they were at Alabama. And that's fine. It makes sense for Nick Saban to play to the strengths of his roster.

That isn't to say that Milroe can't win as a passer. He looked good doing just that against Middle Tennessee State in Week 1 when he completed 13 of 18 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. The best throw on the day came when he lofted a beauty to burgeoning star Isaiah Bond for a 47-yard touchdown before the half.

So, Jalen Milroe can win as a passer, but his best traits revolve around his athleticism. Milroe is dynamic in the open field with blazing speed. That athleticism jumped off the screen last year against the Arkansas Razorbacks in his first real game action while filling in for an injured Bryce Young.

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Milroe ran for 77 yards and a score on this play. He ended that game with 91 rushing yards. In Alabama's next game that season against Texas A&M in College Station, Milroe ran for 81 yards. Last week, Milroe dashed for only 48 yards but also scored twice. Milroe can use his legs to his advantage and has done it against top-notch competition before. He'll do it again against Texas.

1) Alabama wins by double digits

Texas is a formidable squad. Quinn Ewers looks like he will be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. His receiver, Xavier Worthy, might join him there too. Ewers was off to a great start in last year's matchup before he got injured. He and the strong support around him on both ends of the ball will be able to keep it close.

But Alabama football will pull away at the end. They have six starters returning from last year's defense that ranked inside the top 20 in an assortment of statistics, including points per game allowed (18.2; tied for ninth) and opponent third-down conversions allowed (30.3; tenth). They're at home too. It won't take too long for these teams to meet again with Texas joining the SEC starting next season, but this matchup should go to Alabama.