PREMIUM
Rogers' Saturday Night SHOWDOWN >> FSU vs. Bama!
(NCAAF) Alabama vs. Florida State,
Point Spread: 7.00 | -105.00 Florida State (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 7.00 | -105.00 Florida State (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: It's safe to say that Saturday's showdown between preseason No. 3 Florida State and No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta (at Atlanta's new Mercedes-Benz Stadium) is the marquee matchup of the opening week of CFB 2017. To say the least, this is a special game, as it marks just the fourth-ever opener all-time of top-five opponents and the first-ever between top-three opponents. Alabama lost 35-31 to Clemson on a last-second TD in the College Football Playoff title game last January, bidding for a perfect 15-0 season and a second straight national championship. The Florida State Seminoles finished 10-3 last season, capped by an impressive 33-32 victory over Michigan in the Orange Bowl as a seven-point TD.
Florida State: The Seminoles will not have RB Dalvin Cook, who was taken in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. However, QB Deondre Francois is back, after throwing for 3,350 yards and 20 TDs as a red-shirt freshman. Replacing Cook (FSU's all-time leading rusher) will not be easy but junior Jacques Patrick and freshman Cam Akers are talented. However, the OL needs to improve over last year's bunch is FSU wants to be in the national title discussion. FSU's defense allowed 25.0 PPG last season, just the second time in the last seven years that an FSU defense had allowed more than 20 points. The good news is that nine regulars return on defense plus will have star safety Derwin James back at full strength after he played just two games in 2016 because of a knee injury.
Alabama: The superlatives are endless when discussing the Crimson Tide, as Saban's team seeks its fifth national title in nine seasons. Alabama lost 11 players to the NFL draft. Jalen Hurts returns and is the first Tide QB to return since AJ McCarron in 2013. He accounted for 36 TDs last season, passing for 2,780 yards and rushing for 954. RBs Damien Harris (1,007 yards) and Bo Scarbrough (954 yards) both return but TE Howard and WR Stewart are both gone. The OL figures to be just as good in 2017. Sure the defense has lost seven starters to the NFL Draft (three in the first round) but no one doubts that the Tide will once again feature one of the nation's best defense units.
The pick: The College Football Playoff will be decided this season in Atlanta's new Mercedes-Benz Stadium and it seems only fitting that the first college game at the $1.5 billion replacement for the Georgia Dome will likely help determine who is playing on Jan. 8. I won't ignore the fact that Alabama has won by 10 points or more in 40 of its last 45 regular season games but....These are the two winningest college programs since 2010 and FSU is a perfect 4-0 ATS as an underdog the last two seasons. Make FSU an 8* play.
Florida State: The Seminoles will not have RB Dalvin Cook, who was taken in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. However, QB Deondre Francois is back, after throwing for 3,350 yards and 20 TDs as a red-shirt freshman. Replacing Cook (FSU's all-time leading rusher) will not be easy but junior Jacques Patrick and freshman Cam Akers are talented. However, the OL needs to improve over last year's bunch is FSU wants to be in the national title discussion. FSU's defense allowed 25.0 PPG last season, just the second time in the last seven years that an FSU defense had allowed more than 20 points. The good news is that nine regulars return on defense plus will have star safety Derwin James back at full strength after he played just two games in 2016 because of a knee injury.
Alabama: The superlatives are endless when discussing the Crimson Tide, as Saban's team seeks its fifth national title in nine seasons. Alabama lost 11 players to the NFL draft. Jalen Hurts returns and is the first Tide QB to return since AJ McCarron in 2013. He accounted for 36 TDs last season, passing for 2,780 yards and rushing for 954. RBs Damien Harris (1,007 yards) and Bo Scarbrough (954 yards) both return but TE Howard and WR Stewart are both gone. The OL figures to be just as good in 2017. Sure the defense has lost seven starters to the NFL Draft (three in the first round) but no one doubts that the Tide will once again feature one of the nation's best defense units.
The pick: The College Football Playoff will be decided this season in Atlanta's new Mercedes-Benz Stadium and it seems only fitting that the first college game at the $1.5 billion replacement for the Georgia Dome will likely help determine who is playing on Jan. 8. I won't ignore the fact that Alabama has won by 10 points or more in 40 of its last 45 regular season games but....These are the two winningest college programs since 2010 and FSU is a perfect 4-0 ATS as an underdog the last two seasons. Make FSU an 8* play.
