Well...we're finally here folks. One game--one winner crowned National Champions for the 2009-2010 Season. Either way this contest goes, I can imagine that we are in for an action packed game tonight. Both teams have fought hard to get to this point and even though there is a spread on the game, I would find myself hard pressed to bet on either team. This game will feature the best-of-the-best on both sides of the ball on offense and defense. For once, I agree with the bowl selection process for the final game and believe that these two teams are the best two in the Nation and deserve to be here.
Both teams are very strong on defense and both have scored quite a bit when the offense doesn't have the ball. We have a Heisman winner in Mark Ingram and a tough offensive line in Alabama going against arguably the best front seven in the land in Texas. These players will be playing every down like it is their last tonight, and for some it will be which should make for a sensational game.
Texas finished the year with a perfect record of (13-0, 8-0) while Alabama finished perfectly as well with a mirroring record of (13-0, 8-0). Texas won a close-hard-fought game against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game. Ndamukong Suh almost single-handedly destroyed Texas' Offensive Line. The Longhorns will need to hold fast against Alabama's blitzing defense. While Terrence Cody is no Ndamukong Suh, he can still wreak havoc in smashing offensive linemen in to running lanes; the linebackers for Alabama are some of the best blitzing linebackers in the nation and the combination of those two elements will spell trouble for McCoy and the Horns. Alabama totally destroyed Florida in the SEC Championship and made Tim Tebow cry (sorry, had to get that in there). I suspect that this game won't be a shootout but will create just as much energy as one.
Below, I will list the starting line-ups for tonight's game. I will mark some of the key players to watch with and asterisk so that we can follow some of these pro prospects a bit better. First we will look at the Big 12 Champion Texas Longhorns followed up by the SEC Champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
# 1 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS. # 2 TEXAS LONGHORNS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STARTING LINE-UPS
TEXAS LONGHORNS OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK: [# 12] *Colt McCoy 6'3" 210, Sr., 3V
RUNNING BACK: [# 23] Tre' Newton 6'0" 200, Fr. 1V
WIDE RECEIVER: [# 8] *Jordan Shipley 6'0" 190, Sr. 3V
WIDE RECEIVER: [# 11] James Kirkendoll 5'11" 175, Jr. 2V
WIDE RECEIVER: [# 7] John Chiles 6'2" 215, Jr. 2V
TIGHT END: [# 83] Greg Davis 6'4" 267, Jr. 2V
OFFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 74] Adam Ulatoski 6'8" 302, Sr. 3V
OFFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 64] Kyle Hix 6'7" 320, Jr. 2V
OFFENSIVE GUARD: [# 52] Charlie Tanner 6'4" 305, Sr. 3V
OFFENSIVE GUARD: [# 78] David Snow 6'4" 300, So. 1V
CENTER: [# 71] *Chris Hall 6'4" 300 Sr., 3V
TEXAS LONGHORNS DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE END: [# 81] Sam Acho 6'3" 258, Jr. 2V
DEFENSIVE END: [# 2] *Sergio Kindle 6'4" 239, Sr. 3V
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 91] Kheeston Randle 6'5" 275, So, 1V
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 33] *Lamarr Houston 6'9" 279, Sr., 3V
LINEBACKER: [# 18] Emmanuel Acho 6'2" 220, So. 1V
LINEBACKER: [# 1] *Keenan Robinson 6'3" 225, So. 1V
LINBACKER: [# 38] *Roddrick Muckelroy 6'2" 235, So. 1V
CORNERBACK: [# 4] *Aaron Williams 6'1" 175, So. 1V
CORNERBACK: [# 8] Chykie Brown 6'1" 185, Jr. 2V
SAFETY: [# 12] *Earl Thomas 5'10" 195, So. 1V
SAFETY: [# 21] Blake Gideon 6'1" 197, So. 1V
Led by Coach: Mack Brown (12th year, 128-26)
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK: [# 12] Greg McElroy 6'3" 220, Jr. 1V
RUNNING BACK: [# 22] *Mark Ingram 5'10" 215, So, 1V
WIDE RECEIVER: [# 8] *Julio Jones 6'4" 210, So. 1V
WIDE RECEIVER: [# 4] Marquis Maze 5'10" 179, So. 1V
TIGHT END: [# 84] *Colin Peek 6'6" 255, Sr. TR.
TIGHT END: [# 85] Preston Dial 6'3" 245, Jr. 2V
OFFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 77] James Carpenter 6'5" 300, Jr. JC
OFFENSIVE TACKLE: [# 79] Drew Davis 6'7" 305, Sr. 1V
OFFENSIVE GUARD: [# 78] *Mike Johnson 6'6" 305, Sr. 3V
OFFENSIVE GUARD: [# 75] Barrett Jones 6'5" 280, So. 1V
CENTER: [# 73] William Vlachos 6'1" 294, So. 1V
ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE END: [# 97] *Lorenzo Washington 6'5" 290, Sr. 3V
DEFENSIVE END: [# 95] Brandon Deaderick 6'4" 287, Sr. 3V
NOSE TACKLE: [# 62] *Terrence Cody 6'5" 365, Sr. 3V
LINEBACKER: [# 13] *Cory Reamer 6'4" 235, Sr. 2V
LINEBACKER: [# 32] Eryk Anders 6'2" 227, Sr. 2V
LINEBACKER: [# 25] *Rolando McClain 6'4" 258, Jr. 2V
LINBACKER: [# 35] Nico Johnson 6'3" 225, Fr. HS
CORNERBACK: [# 28] *Javier Arenas 5'9" 198, Sr. 3V
CORNERBACK: [# 3] Kareem Jackson 5'11" 192, Jr. 2V
SAFETY: [# 4] *Mark Barron 6'2" 215, So. 2V
SAFETY: [# 27] *Justin Woodall 6'2" 220, Sr. 3V
Led by Coach: Nick Saban (3rd year, 32-8)
WHEN: 8:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM PST
WHERE: ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
TV: ABC, ABC-HD
SATELITE: SIRIUS, XM