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Alabama vs. Utah
Crimson Tide -9 vs. Utes
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The Alabama Crimson Tide will play in a familiar place when they take on Utah in the Sugar Bowl Friday night in New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl was the site of the national titles the Crimson Tide (12-1) won in 1962, 1979 and 1980 and 1993. Their last trip was that 1993 contest which wrapped up their most recent national title.
They wont get a shot at the national title this season after losing to Florida in the SEC title game, but will be happy to be in a BCS game. They will play in the Sugar Bowl for the 13th time and will play in their 56th all-time bowl game, an NCAA record. The Tide has gone 31-21-3 in those contests and 8-4 in Sugar Bowls. The 31 bowl wins is also first in the NCAA.
Utah (12-0) also has had some success in bowl games, albeit on a much more abbreviated scale than their opponents. The Utes are 10-3 in 13 bowl games and have won six in a row, currently the second-longest streak. They also own the nations longest overall winning streak at 13 games after Alabamas 13-game run was halted by the Gators.
The Utah Utes look to finish with an undefeated record and are now the first non-BCS school to play in a BCS game. They got here this season in large part to their steady defense, which ranked 12th in FBS with 17.3 points per contest and 14th in only allowing 104.8 rushing yards per game.
This will be put to the test by Alabamas high-flying offense which lit up the scoreboard with 31.2 points and 196.5 rushing yards per game, however a cog on their offensive line will be sitting this contest out. Andre Smith was suspended for violating unspecified team rules. The junior was named an All-American and won the Outland Trophy as best lineman. This will affect Glen Coffee who has gained 1347 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season and has posted four 100-yard games which included eclipsing 200 yards once. With 125 yard, Coffee will set the all-time Tide rushing record for a single-season.
If the offense sputters because of Smiths absence, Alabama can look to its defense which ranked third in FBS with 256.9 yards, fourth by only allowing 78.9 yards on the ground and sixth by only allowing 13 points per contest.
The programs have never met before.
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