The Alabama Crimson Tide returns to Tuscaloosa for their first home game of 2019, following their resounding, if uninspiring, season-opening victory over Duke. While the Dukies seemed overmatched by the time the 4thquarter rolled around, that’s nothing compared to this week’s tackle fodder. The New Mexico State Aggies arrive in T-Town as a 55-1/2 point underdog. You read that right. The 130th-ranked team in the FBS (that’s out of 130 teams, if you’re keeping track) is expected to lose this game by nearly 7 touchdowns.
Now what could possibly compel the Aggies to schedule a game with perennial powerhouse Alabama? Ah, that would be $1.7 million that New Mexico State is being paid to get their collective heads handed to them. Seems very “lambs-to-the-slaughter” but when you’re a team that’s already been bounced from the Sun Belt conference, you take games where you can get them.
Now what could possibly compel the Aggies to schedule a game with perennial powerhouse Alabama? Ah, that would be $1.7 million that New Mexico State is being paid to get their collective heads handed to them. Seems very “lambs-to-the-slaughter” but when you’re a team that’s already been bounced from the Sun Belt conference, you take games where you can get them.
No, my real question is this: what is Alabama doing playing a team like New Mexico State? There’s always the old adage that you can’t simulate game speed. True, but what if the team you’re scheduled to play just isn’t as fast as the scout team defense you line up against every afternoon? I dare say that if the Tide simply played a game against their second-team units, it would be a more competitive game.
This isn’t an issue specific to Alabama. Plenty of Power 5 schools pad their early-season schedules with directional schools (Northern This or Southeast That), FCS opponents, and the like. And upsets do happen! But Vegas seems to think the only upset this week will be if the student section for Alabama comes back for the second half.
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