Alabama Vs. USC: Bold Predictions For Crimson Tide, Trojans In Season Opener

College football opening weekend 2016 is filled with great matchups. For instance, Alabama vs. USC is going down on Saturday.

Squads like the LSU Tigers and Wisconsin Badgers will also be duking it out. Not to mention, a top 25 showdown between the Oklahoma Sooners and Houston Cougars will take place. To wrap up what could be one of the most exciting opening weekends in college football, the Ole Miss Rebels and Florida State Seminoles will battle it out on Monday.

Nonetheless, all eyes are on Alabama vs. USC, as they should be. These are two of the most storied programs in the history of the sport. Not to mention, Alabama is coming off of a national championship and are ranked No. 1 in both major polls entering 2016. As for the Trojans, they have seen better days. They are coming off of a nightmare season in which they lost their head coach and finished with a record of 8-6. With that said, USC did make the Pac-12 title game in 2015 and it is also ranked as high as No. 17 entering the season.

Will the Crimson Tide stick to their dominant ways, or will the Trojans shock the college football world by pulling off the upset? Time will tell. In the meantime, these bold predictions should keep fans entertained.

Although the Crimson Tide are No. 1 in the nation entering 2016, this team still brings some question marks to the table. Alabama has to try to replace Heisman winner Derrick Henry, which will be no easy task. He was an absolute workhorse for the Tide last season. There are also questions surrounding the quarterback position for Alabama.

Moral of the story, this is the first game of the season, so the Crimson Tide will likely have to work out some kinks early on.

As for the Trojans, they will likely play this game like it is the national championship. Sure, Nick Saban is a mastermind no matter what the circumstances are and he helped lead the Crimson Tide to a big victory in the season opener last season, but USC has enough talent to be a great football team.

USC is a team that has fallen off of the map from a national perspective and they are looking to get back into the spotlight. The spotlight will be on the Trojans when they score the first touchdown of the game.

Max Browne Finishes With Two TDs, Three INTs

Max Browne is going to be playing in the biggest game of his life and it just so happens to be the first game of the college football season. USC has been home to some very talented quarterbacks over the years. Guys like Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, and many others come to mind when thinking of USC quarterback alumni. If Browne can continue that trend, then the Trojans could pull off the upset in the showdown.

Unfortunately, he will be going up against a team that only allowed 14.4 points per game in 2015, which was good enough to rank Alabama at No. 3 in the country in that category. Of course, this isn’t last year. The Crimson Tide are not the same team as last year, and no one really knows what to expect out of Browne.

He will have two touchdowns and three interceptions. Eventually, Alabama’s fierce defense will break him down.

Bo Scarbrough Racks Up 200 Or More Rushing Yards

Now that Henry is in the NFL, it is time for Bo Scarbrough to take over the offense. Scarbrough is a monster and although he hasn’t proven anything yet, he has the talent to lead the Crimson Tide to yet another title. Alabama always seems to have one of the top running backs in college football.

lol this is a running back what do they put in the water at alabama pic.twitter.com/1nEggjxiCD

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 30, 2016

Scarbrough might only have 104 rushing yards in his career, but don’t be surprised if Saban relies on the running back to carry the offensive load against the Trojans, which could lead to a big night for Scarbrough.

Alabama Wins By The Score Of 24-17

It would be so easy to say Alabama is going to run away with this game. After all, they are the No. 1 ranked team in the country and Saban always has his guys ready for the big game. Look no further than last season to figure that out.

Alabama vs. USC is a major showdown. Two historic programs will be going at it. Two teams that are ranked in the top 25 will be taking the field.

Upsets happen and although the Trojans have the talent to pull off the major upset, they will come up short when the clock hits zero. Still, they will put up a fight.

[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]