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Wisconsin vs Alabama preview, predictions, betting odds live stream info

By Jack Crosby

Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban talks with wide receiver Deionte Thompson (14) during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban talks with wide receiver Deionte Thompson (14) during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Wisconsin Badgers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

On Saturday night the opening of the 2015 college football weekend rolls along, and the marquee game of the evening this year will be new head coach Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers taking on Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. This match up between two traditional powers from the Big Ten and SEC will be taking place inside the large confines of AT&T Stadium in Dallas, marking yet another neutral site opener for the Tide.

Details for Saturday’s game are below:

Date: Sept. 5

Start Time: 8 PM ET

Location: Arlington, TX

Stadium: AT&T Stadium

TV Info: ABC

Live Stream: WatchESPN app

Radio: For the Alabama radio affiliate, click here. For the Wisconsin radio affiliate, click here.

Ticket Information: For Alabama ticket info, click here. For Wisconsin ticket info, click here.

Keys To Victory

Wisconsin

Under the direction of first-year head coach Paul Chryst, who is coaching his first game as the head man of the Badgers following a few years spent running the Pitt Panthers program, Wisconsin has a chance to make some serious noise to get that era started. Of course, Chryst will keep that traditional Wisconsin philosophy of trying to run the ball down your throat, which might not work all that well against this Alabama defensive front. That being said, veteran quarterback Joel Stave and this Wisconsin receiving crew will have to make their presence felt by trying to spread the field. If they can spread out this Crimson Tide defensive unit, they’ll be more successful with trying to utilize the power run game to come away with the upset.

On the defensive side of the ball, the key here is getting to whoever the Alabama quarterback is. Undoubtedly, given all that’s happened over the summer, this is the most unstable position on the entire Crimson Tide team. Whoever that ‘Bama signal caller is, that Wisconsin defensive front needs to get to him early and often to throw them off the rhythm.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide come in as the No. 3 team in the nation, meaning that once again the expectations are pretty high. Despite those expectations, though, the main issue that Alabama has coming into this one is the fact that they aren’t quite set on who their quarterback is. Whether it’s Blake Barnett, David Cornwell, Cooper Bateman, Jake Coker or the dark horse as of late, Alec Morris, they have a tough task on their hands of following in the footsteps of the way Blake Sims was able to take this offense last season. Running back Derrick Henry is certainly a legitimate freak of nature, but you can’t put too much of the load on the shoulders of he, Kenyan Drake and the rest of that crew. A well-coached Wisconsin defense will take care of that in a hurry.

Defensively, Alabama needs to keep the Wisconsin running game in check. Sure, Melvin Gordon is gone, but we’ve learned time and time again that they don’t just rebuild at this position, they reload. Replacing Gordon as the primary load carrier this season is Corey Clement, who just happened to rush for 949 yards and nine touchdowns last year —  and this was with Melvin Gordon still on the team. If Clement and the Wisconsin offensive line can somehow have their way with the Alabama defensive front, the boys from Tuscaloosa could be in some trouble.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Alabama -12.0

Moneyline: Wisconsin +375, Alabama -450

Over/Under: 49

Prediction

This certainly is quite the intriguing prime time game to get to open up the season, no matter how many people will choose Alabama simply for the sake that their name is Alabama. As the past few weeks have passed and we’ve drawn closer to this battle, there are more and more out there that see Wisconsin coming out the winners here in Week 1.

I am not one of these people, however, Wisconsin will not be embarrassed.

While Nick Saban is alluding to the fact that he doesn’t know who the quarterback is, I think he has a pretty good idea who he wants to lead the offense. They’ll hit some bumps along the way with the passing game in this one because it’s the first game of the season, but they’ll eventually get into a rhythm. This will allow the tandem of Henry and Drake to get there’s here and there.

It’ll be closer than some might expect, but Alabama starts the season 1-0 after this one.

Final Score: Alabama 27, Wisconsin 20

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