No. 3 Alabama will welcome No. 11 Texas on Saturday under the lights at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in what is arguably one of the top games of the season -- if not the top matchup of 2023. The Crimson Tide cruised in their opener against Middle Tennessee with a 56-7 win behind five scores from quarterback Jalen Milroe in his first start of the season. Receiver Isaiah Bond added five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in a breakout performance.
Texas got off to a slower start in its opener against Rice, a 37-10 victory. The Longhorns led just 16-3 at halftime before quarterback Quinn Ewers led a third-quarter explosion. Ewers finished with 260 yards passing and three touchdowns, but none of the Texas running backs finished with more than 55 yards rushing as several vie to replace departed star Bijan Robinson.
The Crimson Tide and Longhorns are set to become conference mates in 2024 when Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC. However, these teams already have some history. Alabama edged Texas 37-21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. Last year, the Tide used a field goal in the final seconds to shock the Longhorns 20-19 in Austin, Texas. Here's how to watch Alabama try to move to 3-0 against Texas under coach Nick Saban.
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How to watch Alabama vs. Texas
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Alabama vs. Texas: Need to know
Saban vs. his assistants: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is just the latest former Saban assistant heading to face the master. Over his career, Saban has coached 30 games against former assistants. Only two have emerged victorious -- Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and Kirby Smart at Georgia, both in 2021. Sarkisian came painfully close to emerging victorious one year ago as Texas held a 19-17 lead with 90 seconds remaining before the Tide pulled off a miracle comeback behind Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. Still, the experience should give Texas confidence that it can compete with the best.
Playmaker under center: The Crimson Tide are replacing the Heisman Trophy winner Young at quarterback, but first-year starter Milroe has quickly emerged as a different kind of explosive talent in the backfield. In two starts, Milroe has proven himself as an explosive athlete, pulling together eight total touchdowns in wins over Texas A&M last season and Middle Tennessee last week. His best play came off a bad snap, which he corralled and somehow turned into a 21-yard rushing touchdown. Milroe is still growing as a passer, but his dual-threat acumen gives Alabama something special to build around.
Worthy's world: Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy exploded onto the college football scene with a 261-yard, two-touchdown performance against Oklahoma as a freshman that seemed to position him for superstardom. Against Alabama last season, he kept it going with five catches for 97 yards. However, Worthy's production began to dip late in the year after a hand injury. Against Rice, Worthy seemed back to normal, catching seven passes for 90 yards. Alabama will be a big test of Worthy's career thus far and would provide great film for NFL scouts if he's able to put together a star performance. Texas needs Worthy to play at his top gear to pull the upset.
Alabama vs. Texas prediction
Odds via SportsLine consensus
Texas will play perhaps its most significant game since losing the 2010 BCS National Championship to the Crimson Tide. In a year when Alabama is replacing several key pieces and trying to develop a quarterback, the Longhorns have a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Texas has all the pieces to pull off a historic upset and reintroduce itself to the national college football world, and the 'Horns will take full advantage. Pick: Texas ML +228
Which college football picks can you make with confidence in Week 2, and which underdogs win outright? Visit SportsLine to see which teams will win and cover the spread -- all from a proven computer model that has returned more than $2,500 in profit over the past seven-plus seasons -- and find out.
