You want a mismatch? I have perhaps the mismatch of the 2016 college football season on Saturday as No. 1 Alabama warms up for next week’s Iron Bowl matchup by beating up on FCS school Chattanooga on Saturday. The Tide always play a cupcake the week before the Auburn game. Needless to say, Alabama is a massive college football odds favorite.
Chattanooga at Alabama Lines, Expert Pick & TV Info
When: Saturday, Nov. 19, 7 PM ET Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa TV: ESPN2 Stream: WatchESPN Radio: Chattanooga / Alabama Opening NCAA Football Lines: Alabama -49.5 (56)Why Bet on Chattanooga?
Hmm. Maybe the Tide’s team bus will be late? Oh yeah, it’s a home game. Really the only chance Chattanooga has of covering is if Alabama is looking ahead to next week’s game. The Mocs are a pretty good FCS program at 8-2. They lost to Wofford 36-28 last time out. The Mocs managed just 265 yards of total offense, but it was turnovers and long kick returns by the Terriers were the difference. Wofford posted a 100-yard KOR for a touchdown, another 60-yarder that setup a score, and an interception inside UTC’s 15. Alejandro Bennifield finished 19-for- 32 for 177 yards, four scores and two interceptions for the Mocs. CJ Board had a game-high seven catches for 46 yards, while Derrick Craine ran 18 times for 57 yards. The Mocs’ 265 yards of total offense was a season-low, as was their 88 rushing yards. Chattanooga is second in the SoCon and No. 15 in the FCS in scoring offense (36.1 ppg). It is third in the SoCon and No. 25 in the FCS in total offense at 426.5 yards per game. UTC is fifth in the nation in total defense (276.3) and eighth in scoring defense (16.9) and leads the FCS in passing yards allowed (139.3). UTC has already posted its fourth consecutive 8-win season, the longest such streak in school history. The Mocs dropped four spots to No. 11 in the FCS Coaches Poll this week. Chattanooga is No. 12 in the STATS media poll. This is the 46th consecutive week UTC is in the top 25, the sixth longest active streak in the nation. This is the 13th meeting between these two teams, dating back to 1908. The Mocs have never beaten Alabama (0-12). UTC is 0-6 all-time in Bryant-Denny Stadium.Why Bet on Alabama?
Even the Tide’s third-string players would start for Chattanooga. Alabama (10-0) already has clinched a spot in the SEC title game again. They routed Mississippi State 51-3 last week. Tide freshman QB Jalen Hurts became the first player in Alabama football's storied history to throw for 300 yards (347) and rush for 100 yards (100) in the same game. His primary passing target, wide receiver ArDarius Stewart, became the sixth player in UA history to catch three receiving touchdowns in the same game. Stewart ended the day with a 156-yard outing on eight catches. The Tide are now 102-6 (.944) under Nick Saban when leading at the half. Alabama has held the lead in 19 of its last 24 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season, including eight of 10 games this season. Alabama owns the longest winning streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision, having won 22 consecutive games dating back to last season (a loss on Sept. 19, 2015, vs. Ole Miss). The 22-game streak is the third-longest in school history (28 games twice: 1991-93 & 1978-80) and is the longest under the direction of Saban (previous long: 19 games in 2009-10). Alabama reached the 10-win milestone for the ninth consecutive season. The nine straight years with 10 wins extends the school record. The previous total for most consecutive 10-win seasons was five, set by coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s teams from 1971-75. Saturday’s game against Chattanooga will be Saban’s 46th career game coaching Alabama as the Associated Press No. 1 team. That will tie him with Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (46). Saban is 40-5 (.889) in his previous 45 games, which is tied with Bowden and Hayes for the most wins coaching the No. 1 team. Alabama leads the SEC in scoring offense (41.2 points per game) and scoring defense (12.2 ppg). Nationally, the Tide ranks 14th in scoring offense and second in scoring defense.
