This is going to be one of the most brutal, in the trenches defensive battles we've seen this year. Both coaches will want to play it safe and be conservative on offense and a lot of clock will be run off. What sets this game apart is the level of commitment to achieve the goal of a national title. In that Alabama has the experience and the jewelry to go with it, I lean to the "Tide" for the win. That being said, I am taking the points with an "Irish" squad that has defied all odds to come from virtually nowhere to attain the #1 ranking in the country and most of all, they earned it. With a punishing defense and a vastly improved offensive set, these guys ain't chopped liver. They deserve to be where they are and the numbers bear it out. I know that Vegas sets the line based upon public sentiment and raw numbers, but all things being equal, take away the playoff experience of "Bama" and these two teams are pretty much even across the board. I see a 2-3 point edge for Alabama and thats only based on their previous National Title experience, so 9- is an inflated number to me. I also see this going under the posted total of 40(interesting to note the opening total was 42). My gut tells me this is a low scoring affair with Alabama winning by a FG 20-17 GL all
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