Alabama Football: 3 bold predictions for Tide against Arkansas State

2. Arkansas State scores in the first quarter

The Red Wolves have a fairly potent offense with Justice Hansen and while there’s no way he throws six touchdowns against the Tide Hansen won’t be shutout of the first quarter. ASU plays a tough schedule having played the Miami Hurricanes in 2016, they played Nebraska and were supposed to play Miami again before a real hurricane derailed that game in 2017, and the Red Wolves played the USC Trojans and MIssouri Tigers in 2015.

Hansen, a senior, is in his third year of starting action so he’s faced not only the Sun Belt but some top quality Power 5 competition before. The Red Wolves are a really athletic team that plays wild and a fun brand of defensive minded football built on speed and aggressiveness. The Crimson Tide are undeniably the better roster and it’s hard to argue that a Nick Saban coached program isn’t the best coached and most prepared in the country.

While the Arkansas State defense might have started the season off a bit slowly they’ve never been shy of contact or a big moment. The Red Wolves blitzkrieg’d the Central Florida Knights in 2016 during Scott Frost‘s first bowl game appearance as a head football coach. ASU will use that combination of aggressive play and athleticism to jump on the Crimson Tide early before Alabama rolls over them easily.