Game To Watch: #1 Alabama vs #14 Miami: September 4, 2021

Alabama and Miami kickoff their 2021 season in Atlanta on Saturday at 3:30 EST. Alabama is coming off another National Championship season and will look to reload and make another run this year. On the other hand, Miami took a step forward in 2020, but will look to perform better in big games this year. They will get their first chance in their first game against a team determined to defend their title.

Recent History

Alabama is 14 – 3 all time against Miami, but the two teams have not met since 1993. There is no recent history between the two and very little to glean from games that occurred nearly three decades ago.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Can Miami Get Pressure and Rattle Bryce Young?

Bryce Young will be making the first start of his career Saturday. He is an extremely talented player, but inexperience can lead to mistakes if the defense can make a younger QB uncomfortable. Of course, Young has the benefit of being protected by one of the best offensive lines in the country so it will be tough for the Hurricanes to get to him. Miami has thrived defensively when they can get pressure on the quarterback and force the offense into negative plays. With Greg Rousseau, Jaelen Phillips and Quincy Roche playing defensive end the past two seasons it’s been easier to generate a pass rush. Miami goes into 2021 without a proven pass rusher on the roster and will rely on the likes of Jahfari Harvey and transfer Deandre Johnson at defensive end. If the new defensive ends struggle to pressure young, Manny Diaz will have to be creative with blitz packages, but the linebacker group is also unproven and committing too many players to generating pressure may leave the secondary in vulnerable positions. Miami has to force Young into mistakes, the best way to do that is by pressuring him throughout the game, but against Alabama that’s easier said than done.

Who Will be Alabama’s Go-to Players on Offense?

Alabama lost several leaders on the offensive side of the ball from 2020. Mac Jones, Najee Harris, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle all filled that role for the Tide last season, but have moved on to the NFL. Alabama has recruited plenty of talent so the question is rarely if someone new will step up, but who that will be. Bryce Young will be the quarterback and was a five star recruit in the 2020 class who is expected to be a star in Tuscaloosa. At receiver, John Metchie is the obvious pick to lead the way, he thrived playing with Smith and Waddle last year, but will now attempt to prove he can lead the group himself. Alabama also added transfer Jameson Williams from Ohio State and recruited one of the top receiver classes in the country. Alabama also has a deep running back group led by Brian Robinson, Trey Sanders, Jase McClellan and Camar Wheaton. If healthy, Sanders is the most likely to become a dominant runner, but all four have the potential to be big time running backs. It may take some time for new leaders on offense to emerge but Alabama has plenty of options on the roster.

Can Miami Move the Ball Consistently?

With D’Eriq King healthy, the potential for an improved offensive line, more depth at receiver, and more experience in the backfield, Miami should be able to score some points in this game. The question is will they score with a few big plays here and there or can they move the ball consistently and wear down Alabama’s defense. Alabama will test the players around King to see if his supporting cast can hold up. Will Anderson and the defensive front will come after Miami’s offensive line and make them prove they are truly improved as a unit. Alabama will commit players to contain King and force Miami’s receivers to prove they can win one on one match-ups downfield, an area they struggled in against Clemson last year. If Miami is reliant on King to hit big plays by himself, they will score some but not enough to make the game competitive. If the Hurricanes can establish an offensive rhythm and compete across the board they will be able to balance the game out and truly challenge Alabama.

Prediction

Alabama is a big favorite in this game and has the talent to cover the number, but youth is tricky early in the season. Miami will try to take advantage of the inexperience on offense early and get off to a good start. The Hurricanes have some quality players and King is a star at the college level, but over the course of the game Alabama’s talent and depth will prevail. Alabama 42 Miami 28.

Clemson vs. University of Miami Football image taken by TigerNet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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