Missouri Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Prediction, kickoff time, TV, betting line
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Missouri
TV: ESPN
Betting line: Alabama by 28
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
PREDICTION
Well, Mizzou fans, you’ve made it all the way to both the starting line and the finish line. Finish line because there will be MU sports in the middle of a pandemic. But only the starting line because it’ll be a long 2020 season that features 10 SEC games.
It’s been a long half-year without Mizzou sports, but the Tigers are back. This one is a pretty brutal matchup against the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide — quite the task for first-year Mizzou coach Eliah Drinkwitz, but his debut is here nonetheless.
The Crimson Tide — despite a relatively disappointing two-loss season in 2019 — haven’t taken many steps back coming into this year. They’re still loaded with playmakers on both sides of the ball. Their starting quarterback will be Mac Jones, who took over for Tua Tagovailoa during the final few games of last season.
Look out for playmakers like Najee Harris, Jaylen Waddle and LaBryan Ray on the Crimson Tide, though that’s only scratching the surface of their talent.
If the Tigers, who are huge underdogs, want to make it a game, it’ll have to start on defense. Mizzou brings back its defensive coordinator in Ryan Walters and a significant part of its depth from last year.
The Tigers’ pass defense should be stout, especially because Mizzou returned one of the top safety tandems in the SEC. If there is a concern, it’ll be on the defensive line. Mizzou is experienced on that line, but the production has been iffy in previous years. Kobie Whiteside must have a big game as the leader in the trenches.
The biggest question mark is on offense, where Mizzou and Drinkwitz won’t name a starting quarterback until game time. The offensive line has been banged up and dealt with COVID-19, so while Mizzou has a lineup, it’s difficult to gauge how talented it will be. The skill positions, between running back and wide receivers, seem to be a point of strength. We’ll finally get the first glimpse of what Drinkwitz’s offense will look like come Saturday.
Part of what makes Alabama so deadly is its depth of premier talent. It’s difficult to keep up with the No. 2 team in the country when it can rotate in backups without losing much in production. In a game of attrition and physicality, the Crimson Tide are one of the worst matchups in the nation for any foe.
We’ll say Missouri gets on the board early to make it interesting but Alabama pulls away as the Tigers still work through the expected kinks and acclimates to Drinkwitz’s scheme and culture.
Alabama 34, Missouri 14