Alabama Football: Crimson Tide fans rooting for several teams Saturday

Alabama football fans will be rooting for a larger-than-usual group of teams this weekend. It is common for many Alabama Crimson Tide fans to pull for opponents of one of Alabama’s rivals. This week and through Championship Saturday, Playoff considerations will also drive attention to games normally of less interest to Alabama fans.

Seven Games Potentially Important to Alabama Football

There are seven teams that should they lose would enhance the Crimson Tide’s Playoff potential. They are listed below in chronological order of game times. Not listed is the Georgia at Tennessee game because the best result for Alabama Football is a Georgia win rather than a Tennessee upset. Plus some Alabama fans are unable to root for the Vols – ever. All game times are CST. All point spreads are provided by FanDuel.

• Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins; 11:00 AM – Even with Michigan’s turmoil and now two coaches not on the sideline against the Terps, the chances of a Maryland upset are slim. Maryland is a 19.5-point underdog.
• Louisville Cardinals at Miami Hurricanes; 11:00 AM – Louisville is just a 1.5-point favorite. That spread might not fully reflect the current state of Miami’s quarterbacking. When benched Tyler Van Dyke returned last week after an injury to starter Emory Williams, he was a dismal 2 of 7 for 29 yards, throwing an interception on Miami’s final play. One reason Van Dyke lost the starting job was interceptions.