Vegas SEC Predictions
No. 2 Alabama vs. West Virginia (Atlanta, Ga.)
Line: Alabama by 24.5
Betsided
Nick Saban and Alabama enter their first game of the 2014 college football season with a new quarterback, which still hasn’t been named, and another loaded recruiting class. So what if AJ McCarron is gone? The team is stockpiled with talent all over the field and only reloads. Not to mention T.J. Yeldon is still back along with most of the offensive line to make for a deadly running game. The defense lost a lot of talent, but once again, that’s an area that simply reloads. Saban has a group of very talented starters eager to prove themselves and much hungrier after last year’s team basically coasted through the season until the last two stunners. The returning starters will also be hungry to make amends.
FanSided
The West Virginia Mountaineers enter the season looking to make up for their atrocious play in the Big 12 last year. This team has struggled significantly against major college football competition, and now Dana Holgorsen returns a good bit of talent to hopefully improve the record. Opening the season against Alabama doesn’t really come across as the best way to do that, however, especially when the Big 12 schedule is no pushover.
Prediction
My condolences to everybody in the state of West Virginia. This is simply not a good enough team to hang with the Tide. Alabama lost two games last year due to apathy. They had grown to content up to the Auburn game, which caused them to play poorly, and then they were not happy about being in a consolation game against Oklahoma. This year’s team is much hungrier and the fire has been lit again. The Tide will pour all of their determination to make amends for last year in the opening game, and there’s nothing West Virginia can do about it. Alabama will even cover the spread.
Alabama: 52 West Virginia: 14