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2009 Sugar Bowl Predictions – Utah v. Alabama Football Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd on December 31, 2008

utah-bama

No team has richer bowl history than the Alabama Crimson Tide, but will the sour taste of losing in the SEC title game, blowing a national championship shot, keep the Tide down? College football odds makers don’t think so and have listed Alabama as a 9-point favorite with the total set at 46.

The No. 4 ranked Crimson Tide are 12-1, but they likely can’t help but think what could have been. They carried a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter against Florida in the SEC title game, but they couldn’t get the job done. Florida rallied to win 31-20 to advance to the BCS championship game. The Tide now have to settle for the Sugar Bowl, where it has made 12 prior appearances as the most frequented destination of its NCAA-record 56 bowl games. The Sugar Bowl has been a big part of Alabama success under coach Paul ‘Bear” Bryant. The Tide won national titles after Sugar Bowl victories in 1962, ‘79 and ‘80. Alabama’s last appearance in New Orleans came on New Year’s Day in 1993, when a 34-13 win over Miami capped a 13-0 season under Gene Stallings for its 12th and most recent national championship. The Tide are 8-4 in the Sugar Bowl and have an impressive 31 bowl wins to lead the country.

The Tide offense has been strong this season, averaging 31.2 points and 196.5 rushing yards, but they will have to get the job done without All-American left tackle Andre Smith, who was suspended for violating team rules. His loss now begs the question if tailback Glen Coffee will have as much running room. Coffee rushed for 1,347 yards and 10 scores this season. Coffee needs 125 yards to break Bobby Humphrey’s single-season school rushing mark.

If Alabama is not able to run the ball effectively, that will place added pressure on QB John Parker Wilson to get the job done through the air. Wilson does not have big numbers, just 2,096 yards passing with nine touchdowns against six picks, but he is a good manager of the game and he has come up big in crucial situations. Wilson’s favorite target is wideout Julio Jones. The 6-foot-4 freshman had team highs of 51 catches, 847 yards and four TDs – all Alabama rookie records for a receiver.

While offense enjoys the headlines, Bama’s defense has been the force of this team this season. The Tide ranked third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 256.9 yards allowed per game, fourth in rush defense at 78.9 and sixth in scoring defense with 13.0 points a game. If you like the Crimson Tide to win this game and cover the number in the process, bet Alabama at -9 at BetUS.

While Utah’s bowl history is not as deep as Bama’s, the No. 7 Utes have a solid track record. Utah is 10-3 all-time in bowl games and currently carries the second-longest active bowl winning streak at six games. The biggest win during this stretch was its 2005 Fiesta Bowl victory over Pitt to cap off a 12-0 season.

While Utah does not play in a BCS conference, it is beginning to be respected as a team that does. Utah is the first school from a non-BCS conference to play in a second BCS game since the format was created in 1998. Utah is carrying on an increasing trend which has now seen three straight non-BCS schools play in BCS bowl games. Utah also owns the country’s longest active winning streak at 13 games.

Utah’s offense will put Bama’s defense to the test in this one. The Utes finished 15th in scoring at 37.4 points per game, reaching the 40-point mark six times. QB Brian Johnson, the 2008 Mountain West offensive player of the year, threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns in a balanced offense. His go-to-guy was Freddie Brown, who had 65 grabs for 775 yards and seven scores. On the ground, Matt Asiata and Darrell Mack combined for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, with Asiata averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Utes finished 12th in the land in points allowed (17.3) and 14th in rushing defense (104.8 ypg). If you think the Utes will be up to the challenge, bet Utah at +9 at BetUS.

Do you college football betting on all of the bowl games with Jimmy Boyd’s award winning college football picks.

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