College Football Playoff, Peach Bowl: Alabama vs Washington preview and predictions
Here’s a complete preview and prediction for the College Football Playoff battle between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Washington Huskies in the Peach Bowl.
The College Football Playoff is almost upon us. Four teams are waiting for their chance to become two and have the right to compete for a National Championship. The first game on New Year’s Eve will be between the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 4 Washington Huskies in the Peach Bowl.
For those that want to watch the Peach Bowl on Saturday, the game will be broadcasted on ESPN. There is also a live stream option available to watch the College Football Playoff online via the WatchESPN app. There will be a subscription that is required to use the app. Here is everything you need to know about watching the Peach Bowl, including TV info, live stream info and more. Details for New Year’s Eve are below.
Date: Saturday, December 31, 2016
Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Atlanta, GA
Venue: Georgia Dome
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
When you’re two of the best teams in the nation, everyone knows what brought you to the big dance. For Alabama, it’s their physicality at all levels of the defense and the ability to win in the trenches and run the ball effectively.
Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has been a monster this season for the Crimson Tide and he has proven to be one of the next big things in college football. With a dominant run game behind him led by Damien Harris and others, the Tide will force the Huskies to stop the run.
Jake Browning leads the way for the Huskies at quarterback. The dynamic quarterback had a big season that put him in the Heisman Discussion, thanks to his ability to find John Ross and the talented crop of Huskies receivers.
Budda Baker and a talented Huskies secondary have helped pave the way for plenty of big hits and turnovers in Seattle. This defense has proven they are elite and that the Huskies just aren’t a high-powered offense that gets by on points. They will test Hurts.
Prediction
No one should ever count out Chris Petersen after what he was able to do with Boise State. The Huskies are a great team that will only continue to get better. However, they’re running straight into a machine that is Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide are the more proven team and have the physicality to control the Huskies at the point of attack.
Pick: Alabama 44, Washington 27