Tide-Tigers launch season on neutral field

By Ed Shearer, AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) August 29, 2008 10:44 am

— No. 9 Clemson has designs on winning college football’s national championship in 2008 and No. 24 Alabama is looking for vast improvement in its second season under coach Nick Saban.
The Tigers and Tide will meet in a season-opener on a neutral field Saturday night — the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in a game that will be televised nationally by ABC.
Almost 33 years have elapsed since Alabama and Clemson last met, with the Tide rolling to a 56-0 victory in 1975. That was Bama’s 11th victory in a row in a series Clemson started with three victories in a row — all shutouts between 1900 and 1905.
Clemson, featuring a dynamic running back tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, is a 4 1/2-point favorite in a game in which the Tigers hope to establish themselves as national contenders. The duo has combined for 3,957 yards, 46 touchdowns and a 5.7-yard average per carry in the last two seasons.
“I think everybody’s saying, ’Oh, they don’t deserve to be in the top 10. They always find a way to lose a game,”’ Spiller said. “We’ve just got to go out there and prove them wrong.”
“We don’t want any cupcake team to open up,” defensive back Chris Chancellor said. “We need to know where we stand right now. Our goal is to win the national championship.”
Saban has high praise for the Tigers, especially the running backs.
“Their offensive team has tremendous skill players,” Saban said. “Spiller and Davis are as fine a running back combination ... as anyone in the country.”
Alabama’s offense will test the Clemson defense, with nine starters returning, including quarterback John Parker Wilson.
Both teams will field strong defensive units and the game will depend on which has the most success stopping the other’s attack. Who wins? You have to go with Davis and Spiller. Clemson 24-17.
Elsewhere around the SEC on opening week:
Vanderbilt (plus 3 1/2) at Miami, Ohio on Thursday: RedHawks will be ready for an SEC team’s visit to their home grounds. Clayton Mullins, Joey Hudson and Caleb Bostic will make it difficult for Vandy’s offense. Miami 17-14.
North Carolina State (plus 14) at South Carolina on Thursday: All-SEC receiver Kenny McKinley is set to erase school marks for receptions and yards receiving as he enters his senior season, which he’ll get off to a great start against the Wolfpack. South Carolina 28-10.
Western Illinois (no line) at Arkansas: The Bobby Petrino era begins in Fayetteville where Hog fans hope it will resemble his previous stop at Louisville, not in Atlanta where he quit before his first season ended with the Falcons. No problem with the opener, with Casey Dick engineering an easy victory. Arkansas 31-7.
Louisiana-Monroe (plus 26) at No. 10 Auburn: Junior college transfer Chris Todd and sophomore Kodi Burns each expect playing time at quarterback for the Tigers, but neither knows which will take the first snap in the game. Coach Tommy Tuberville believes the competition is good. It won’t matter who starts. The Tigers are too strong for the visitors from Monroe. Auburn 42-10.
Hawaii (plus 35) at No. 5 Florida: June Jones got Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl and then departed for SMU after a rout by Georgia, when Colt Brennan found a Bulldog defense he couldn’t penetrate. Even if Jones and Brennan returned, Hawaii would be no test for Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his Gator teammates. Florida 49-10.
Georgia Southern (no line) at No. 1 Georgia: Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno anchor the offense of a Georgia team celebrating its first preseason No. 1 ranking. They will get the Bulldogs off to a good start. Georgia 35-7.
Appalachian State (no line) at No. 7 LSU: Armanti Edwards accounted for 3,500 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Mountaineers last year when they stunned the football world with a season-opening victory over Michigan. That was a wakeup call for any other major power having to confront the Southern Conference power. The defending national champions open with a victory. LSU 35-10.
Memphis (plus 7 1/2) at Mississippi: Houston Nutt makes his Ole Miss coaching debut and Texas transfer Jevan Snead moves into the starting quarterback slot for the Rebels. Although Ole Miss leads the series 45-10-2, many of the games have been quite competitive. This will be, too. Ole Miss 21-14.
Mississippi State (minus 8) at Louisiana Tech: This battle of Bulldogs marks the first time a team from a conference in the Bowl Championship Series pays a visit to Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. Mississippi State 24-17.
Kentucky (plus 3 1/2) at Louisville on Sunday: This marks the sixth time in seven seasons that this rivalry has had a Sunday game. Kentucky snapped the Cards’ four-game winning streak in the series last year. Louisville 17-14.
No. 18 Tennessee (minus 7 1/2) at UCLA on Monday: This is Tennessee’s second straight season opener on the road against a Pac 10 team, following last year’s loss at California. Coach Phillip Fulmer said, “First games are hard because you really don’t know 100 percent what you’re going to get, but that really goes both ways. They’re not 100 percent sure what they’re going to get from us either.” Tennessee 21-17.
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Totals for the 2007 season: 82-24 straight, 41-53 vs. spread.