Alabama Football: Five Bold Predictions for Miami game
By Ronald Evans
Search far and wide and not a single Alabama Football fan can be found that believes Miami will upset the Crimson Tide. The current Alabama Football winning streak will run to 15 games Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
The not-in-prime-time game (2:30 PM CST) triggers a bit of college football history involving the Crimson Tide and the Hurricanes. Many college football fans with an interest in the sport’s history, are wrong about the first live television, regular season, prime time game. In October 1969, the Alabama vs. Ole Miss game was showcased to the nation in a heavily promoted prime time telecast. That exciting game is remembered as the first-ever prime-time college football, national broadcast. However, it was not the first. The first one was a season earlier, in November 1968. ABC wanted a trial run for its broadcast team and Alabama at Miami was chosen. The Tide won 14-6.
Enough of the history – on to some Bold Predictions.
Alabama Football vs. Miami Bold Prediction No. 1
The Miami Hurricanes have an outstanding punter. Last season, now Miami senior, Lou Hedley was No. 2 in the FBS averaging 47.2 yards per punt. The Canes were No. 1 in the FBS in Net Punting at 44.96 yards.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are expected to start a young Australian, who will be punting in his first-ever game. Saturday will give James Burnip a chance to not only punt in his first college football game. It will also be the first American-style football game he has ever played in.
Given the two defenses, Lou Hedley will punt more times than Burnip. That alone probably guarantees Hedley will have higher average yards-per-punt. This bold prediction is one of Burnip’s punts will be longer than any of Hedley’s punts.