Alabama Crimson Tide vs Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, 1/1/11, 1:00 PM EDT, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Alabama -11
Current Betting Line: Alabama -9
Opening Total: 50.5
Current Total: 51.5
Alabama was unable to reach its main goal of reaching the national championship game and now get a chance to play Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida. “They’ve got a great team,” said coach Nick Saban. “Hopefully our team will play their best game of the year and establish the legacy of what they’ve accomplished and what they can accomplish.” Saban will be matching up with a previous program that he ran when starting his coaching career and facing a former member of his coaching staff at Michigan State during his time on campus from 1995-99. “Coach really has been probably my biggest mentor as a coach,” said Spartans coach Mark Dantonio. “When I had the opportunity to come here – and I probably sit here now as a head football coach because of him bringing me here.” Alabama is 25-14 ATS over the past three years and currently near a double-digit favorite on the college football lines page.
The Crimson Tide led the SEC giving up 14.1 points and 296.0 yards per game, while forcing 21 interceptions, which could be a key statistic in this contest due to Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins throwing five picks in the last four games. Alabama also was tied for first in the conference with the least amount of turnovers (14) and will look to continue that trend on Saturday afternoon. The program is 31-22-3 all-time in bowl games and no team in college football history has played in more bowl games, and no squad has more wins in the postseason.
Michigan State is making its fourth-straight postseason bowl appearance for the first time since the 1987-90 campaigns, matching the longest bowl streak in school history. “We feel, although we’re not in a BCS bowl, that we’re playing in a BCS-type game because of the quality of the season that we put together and the quality of the season that Alabama’s put together.” Dantonio is the first head coach in school history to earn a postseason bid in each of his first four seasons. The Spartans are 7-14 in bowl games, including a 1-1 record in previous Capital One Bowl appearances. Seventeen seniors will be making their final appearance in a Spartan uniform and they’ve compiled a 33-18 record during their time on campus. Michigan State is 1-5 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points.
The Spartans will be matching up with the Crimson Tide for the first time in school history. Michigan State has compiled a 5-7-1 record against current members of the Southeastern Conference and posted a 36-14 mark in games played against non-conference opponents since 1999. It’s important to note that the team has been excellent in the second half this season, outscoring opponents by a 191-123 margin. The team also ranks second in the Big Ten and No. 13 nationally in red-zone defense, allowing opponents to score on 73 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Spartans are 5-1 ATS versus teams with a winning record, while the Crimson Tide are 2-9 ATS following a SU loss.
