Cotton Bowl: Bearcats vs Crimson Tide, drama before the game

December 8, 2021

As the number four team in the country, the Cincinnati Bearcats will play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Cotton Bowl during the College Football Playoff semifinals.

College football's only undefeated team, Cincinnati is the first non-power five team ever to reach the College Football Playoffs. Cincinnati's inclusion surprised many, but they beat some worthy opponents throughout the season including Notre Dame and Houston, making them certainly deserve a shot at the National Championship.

For nearly a decade, Alabama has been the best team in the country. Beating them, especially in an environment like this, will be a challenge. However, the Bearcats have to give their best to prove that they belong among the top teams in the country.

Disrespect to the Tide

There have been five games between Alabama and Cincinnati, dating back to 1908. All five were won by the Crimson Tide with a combined score of 156-27.

In the wake of the College Football Playoff committee's official announcement on Sunday, the Bearcats now might have the opportunity to avenge their losses.

Due to the fact that Cincinnati fans haven't seen the two teams play since 1990, they're most likely unfamiliar with the modern rules. The first rule of playing Alabama is to never disrespect them.

However, recently, a Bearcats fan named Ryan Brady broke the rule and created a scene at Nipper Stadium when he threw an Alabama t-shirt on the ground and danced all over it. Cincinnati's chances of winning the game have been cursed as a result of his action.

The prediction doesn't look so good for Cincinnati

It's going to take a big punch in the face from Cincinnati to defeat Alabama in this game. Alabama won't necessarily think Cincinnati cannot compete with them, but they are going to let their foot off the gas a little more than they should.

If Cincinnati came out firing on all cylinders and took an early two-touchdown lead at halftime, they might have a better chance of winning the game. However, even if they have a lead of 14-21 points at halftime, the game is far from over since Alabama can score points at will, they will start slowly, but wake up at half-time and do what they do best.

It is likely that Alabama will go into halftime with a three-point lead. If Cincinnati did not make full use of Alabama's downplay, they will still lose and end up getting badly beaten.

As soon as the second half starts, Alabama will come out and shut down Cincinnati. The Tide is poised to score at least 50 points against the Cincinnati team in the second half alone if Bryce Young throws for over 300 yards. Despite Cincinnati's high-level defense, it'll still be too much to face Alabama's elite offense.

At the end of the day, a stronger team is going to win the game, and that's what Alabama has. Cincinnati will most likely lose by two touchdowns or more, but there is nothing to be ashamed of. Despite what everyone in the world thinks, the Bearcats have exceeded all expectations in the season. The playoffs are an important stepping stone for a program that looks to make some noise in the upcoming seasons.

Gus
Gus Anderson
Gus Anderson is a gambling wizard. As a kid he dreamt about becoming a Tennis, Hockey and Golf professional but ended up as a gambling professional with focus on both sports & casino.