Sugar Bowl Preview: How Motivated is Alabama?

Many times bowl games such as the Sugar Bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners can be predicted by looking at how the two got there. Take for example, the Sugar Bowl five seasons ago when the Tide got curb stomped by the Utah Utes in shocking fashion. Utah came in unbeaten from the Mountain West Conference. They were excited to be playing in one of the major bowls against a traditional powerhouse like Alabama. The Tide got there after a crushing defeat in the SEC Championship game against the Florida Gators. They were disappointed to be there as they had visions on the BCS Championship dancing in their heads. It showed on the field as the Utes pounded them in one of the rare times a Nick Saban coached Tide team has gotten steamrolled.

So with the way these two teams got to the Sugar Bowl this year, one would think the advantage belongs to Oklahoma. However, there are some differences between this year and five years ago for the Tide. The biggest difference is the Tide has won three National Championships since then so they can stare down at all those rings and feel a little better about going to New Orleans this year. Also, they did not lose in the SEC Championship game this time. They lost in the regular season finale against the Auburn Tigers. So technically, they were not quite as close to the championship game this time.  And let’s be honest for a minute. this time they are playing Oklahoma. Oklahoma is not Utah. Alabama can get fired up about playing the Sooners a lot easier than they can about playing Utah.

The Sooners got to this game in dramatic fashion by beating their arch rivals, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They made a tremendous last minute touchdown drive to pull out the win and take away a BCS bid from the Cowboys and also the Big 12 Championship. So they come into this game feeling good about themselves. They also just watch two huge underdogs in the Michigan State Spartans and UCF Knights win BCS Bowls just yesterday. So they have to like their chances tonight.

This game is between two of college footballs most prestigious programs in one of the sports biggest games. If the guys on both sides can’t get fired up about that, then they need to have their pulses checked. The Tide’s A. J. McCarron will surely by jacked up about leaving his prolific career on top. He is one of the all time great quarterbacks in SEC history and it would be a shame for him to go out on a two game losing streak.

Sports betting has Oklahoma +16.5 -110 and Alabama -16.5 -110 ATS. Moneyline is the Sooners +520 and Alabama -560. Over/under is 51.5 with both over and under -110.

If there is one thing we learned from yesterday’s BCS Bowl action it is that these underdogs are rising up to the challenge. We like the Sooners to keep this up. Take Oklahoma +16.5 and the over -110.