In our lead-up the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl Semifinal tilt between Alabama and Cincinnati, we’re going to break down some efficiency comparisons between the two, and see where the line stands.
As of today, 23 December, the spread has edged up slightly to ‘Bama -14, from -13.5. The moneyline, always a heavy ‘Bama number, has gone up 10% in the last week — from -$500 to -$550.
What are people seeing that is driving this, exactly?
In two words? Offensive. Efficiency.
Alabama has been an absolute machine offensively (2nd overall), despite its poor rushing game (57th in efficiency), a porous line (105th in sacks allowed, 35.