Cotton Bowl Prediction: #1 Alabama vs #4 Cincinnati

Alabama (12-1) will look to repeat for the second time of the Nick Saban era when it takes on upstart Cincinnati (13-0) in the Cotton Bowl. Cincinnati has answered every challenge it has met this season, often in impressive fashion, yet the Bearcats are 13.5-point underdogs.

Will the nation's best program continue to prove to be so, or will we see a big shift in the power structure of college football.

Here are the Irish Breakdown predictions for the game.

BRYAN DRISKELL, PUBLISHER

Prediction: Cincinnati 37, Alabama 34

I'm going with as much of an emotional choice as I am an analytical one. I'd love to see a team like Cincinnati knock off a team like Alabama. I also don't think it's as outlandish as some might think. The question, however, is which version of these two teams shows up in the Cotton Bowl.

Do we get the Alabama team that pounded Georgia, Ole Miss and Miami, or the team that barely beat a bad Auburn team, a bad LSU team and a bad Florida team. Do we get the Cincinnati team that spanked Notre Dame, Houston, SMU and UCF or the one that struggled against Navy, Tulsa and Tulane?

In the last two seasons the Bearcats have been at their best in the biggest games. There are also two matchups that make me think Cincinnati has a chance to keep Alabama from jumping all over them the way they did Georgia. One, Cincinnati has arguably the best cornerback tandem in the country in Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant, and defense end Myjai Sanders has the kind of edge speed to give the Alabama blockers problems. Alabama is also playing without John Metchie, who caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards.

But if Cincinnati is going to win this game it needs quarterback Desmond Ridder to have the game of his life. He'll need to get the ball out to Alec Pierce, Michael Young and the tight ends, hit a deep shot or two to Tyler Scott and the Bearcats will need Bama transfer Jerome Ford to get a run or two.

That all sounds great, but the final piece is not letting Will Anderson take the game over. I think the Bearcats get it done.

VINCE DEDARIO, FOOTBALL ANALYST

Prediction: Alabama 31, Cincinnati 13

There is no more of a Davis vs Goliath than this matchup in the CFP. Cincinnati is the first Group of 5 team to break through the glass ceiling of the College Football Playoff and will be playing for all those schools but also with nothing to lose. Their defense is very good but they just do not have the horses to compete with the skill of Alabama, specifically at QB. Can the Bearcat front contain Bryce Young? That will be a big question in this game. In the end I just think Cincy is overmatched in this one and all the big games that Nick Saban has coached in will benefit his team.

RYAN ROBERTS, RISENDRAFT

Prediction: Alabama 37, Cincinnati 17

It’s been a good run Bearcats. Unfortunately, it ends here. Alabama is just a different animal.

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