The defending national champion Crimson Tide welcome to town the first ranked team that they will face this year when they host Penn State Saturday. Two of the most well-regarded head coaches in the game meet in Joe Paterno and Nick Saban, but this clash may come down to the quality of player personnel rather than the game plan. Alabama opened the season with a bang in blowing out San Jose State, while the Nittany Lions made a statement by dissolving Youngstown State.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday September 11, 2010 – 7:00 PM ET
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Online Sports Betting Odds: Alabama – 12
NCAA Football Betting Preview: Penn State
The Nittany Lions get their toughest test of the season in week two, traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on the defending national champions on the road. Penn State opened their schedule with a 30-point win over Youngstown State, beating up on an inferior team from the MVC. Paterno’s men actually fell behind 7-3 against the Penguins before rallying for 41 straight points to clinch the win, its ninth straight season opening victory. They will need a much better start to keep this game close, and will need freshman quarterback Robert Bolden to raise his game to an even higher level after completing just over 66-percent of his passes, while throwing for a touchdown and an interception against Youngstown State.
NCAA Football Betting Preview: Alabama
The Crimson Tide celebrated a new season as the defending national champions by absolutely wiping San Jose State off the map with a 48-3 win. Alabama was without both running back Mark Ingram and Marcell Dareus but that mattered little as Saban won his 25th straight regular season game, which is the nation’s longest active winning streak. After registering nearly 600 yards the Crimson Tide are a confident bunch heading in to a home date against Penn State, the first of five ranked opponents they will play in the next five weeks. Although the schedule is tough, Saban is the type of head coach that makes sure his troops are as prepared and focused for every game as they need to be, and with enough talent and depth that they can spare a Heisman trophy-winning running back and still secure the win, the Crimson Tide should have little problem in their first real betting test against the Nittany Lions.
The Match Up: Penn State vs Alabama
There is a reason that the Crimson Tide are national champions, and with so much football betting talent returning in their quest to make it consecutive titles, there are no signs of Alabama slowing down. The Nittany Lions are a good team, but not a great team, and with a true freshman at quarterback the offense is bound to struggle at points this season. How Bolden will fare on the national stage against a top defense will be a key storyline in this game, as Penn State tries to keep it respectable.
NCAA Football Betting Pick: Alabama -12
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