College Football Playoff: The Cotton Bowl
(4) Cincinnati Bearcats at (1) Alabama Crimson Tide
Cincinnati: It’s finally happened! For the first time in the history of the College Football Playoff, a non-power five school has made it to the four-team bracket. This group is no slouch whatsoever. I’ve been paying attention to them closely for over a year and they deserve everything that’s been given to them. What I admire about them is they believe. If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody will and they have that confidence where they feel they can line up with anyone and beat them. I’ll give you a few examples of how this team is not intimated. One, they came within a field goal of the Georgia Bulldogs last season in the Peach Bowl. Even after that game, I said this is going to motivate them to move forward. This season, they were able to beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road in South Bend which I said was one of the best wins by a top-five team this year. Their offense is also a unit that can push the football down the field and it all starts with Desmond Ridder. His arm is powerful, the pocket presence is excellent and he can make all the passes. The Bearcats aren’t here without him. They will make their playoff debut tomorrow in Arlington.
Alabama: This isn’t anything new for them. In the eight-year history of the College Football Playoff, they have been a part of this seven times. I can say this season had a different feel for them. When you think of their football team, they usually breeze through their schedules, win their division, get to the conference title game and go on from there. Yes, they were able to accomplish all of that, but for the first time in almost two full seasons, they tasted defeat in the regular season. I even said after they lost to the Texas A&M Aggies that every game would have to be taken seriously as if it were a postseason showdown because you lose another one, they aren’t here. I can admit I was concerned watching them in the Iron Bowl because they didn’t look sharp as usual. The great teams can win games in different ways though and that’s what sets them apart from everyone. Let’s talk about the SEC Championship now. They had to reintroduce themselves to everyone once again and dominate the Georgia Bulldogs by scoring 41 points on the top defense in the country. Say what you want, the Tide is still the team to beat and they can get it going when it matters the most. Do not count them out. They feed off the negativity. They’re back playing postseason ball.
Cincinnati X-Factor: Ahmad Gardner– With fellow corner Coby Bryant (That’s his name actually), they make up the best duo of cornerbacks in the country. Years ago, I would always mention that some coaches would build teams up from the backend to the defensive line. That’s exactly what Cincinnati did. Ahmad’s nickname is “sauce”. You can’t have a nickname like that and not have game. What impresses me about his game is he does everything on an island. No help over the top whatsoever. He can go step for step with every receiver lined up in front of him.
Alabama X-Factor: Will Anderson Jr.– This is Alabama’s best defensive player. Will’s jump off the snap is amazing. His first step is lethal and he simply uses speed to get past blockers. Even if the quarterback is moving to the complete other side of the pocket, he’s traveling to the other side as well. We always talk about football players setting the edge, not many do it as consistently as Will. Whether he’s standing up as a linebacker or puts his hands in the dirt, he’s a consistent force.
Final Thoughts: Everybody wanted a non-five power conference team to get its opportunity in the playoffs. Here we are! The first thing that caught my eye about this matchup was the quarterback matchup. Desmond Ridder and Bryce Young have been two of the best this year playing their positions. One thing I’ve noticed about Alabama this year is they can’t consistently run the ball as we’ve seen before. That’s not too much of an issue especially if Bryce is operating. It’s a fact Cincinnati has a good all-around defense. They will bring different looks and pressures which will be key in limiting the Alabama offense. Alabama has had trouble with dual-threat quarterbacks. I can’t wait to see how Ridder will be used in this one. Look out for Jameson Willams. With John Metchie III out, the passing game travels through him.
Prediction: Alabama 51 Cincinnati 24
