(Sporting Alert) — After a busy New Year’s Day of bowl fixtures, college football action has just one game on the schedule on Thursday with No. 3 Alabama taking on No. 11 Oklahoma in what is expected to be a very entertaining Sugar Bowl clash at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The Crimson Tide (11-1) started out the season with the hope of defending their national title and everything looked well on course until there were stunned 34-28 by the Auburn Tigers, dashing their all hopes to play for another BCS championship.
Now the defending national champions have refocus and is now looking forward to wining the Sugar Bowl.
“(Nick Saban told us) we shouldn’t let this loss bring us down to the point where we just keep hang-dogging and keep our heads down going into the game and lose (the Sugar Bowl), too,” left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio was quoted as saying.
The game will be an interesting one to watch with Oklahoma (10-2) head coach Bob Stoops getting his chance to show why the Big 12 is just as good as the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The Sooners come into Thursday’s game high on confidence after they upset their arch rivals the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 33-24 in their last outing and are ready to face one the strongest programs in the country at the moment.
“[We’re] anxious to play a great Alabama team,” Stoops, who admits that his team will be facing one of the nation’s best teams, said.
“I think everyone would agree, in my eyes, they’re still the best team in the country. Here they are, they’ve been the best team in the country for three years, up to the very last play of the regular season.
“So a great, great team. We recognize that. Coach [Nick] Saban and his staff have done a great job in the way they’ve developed their team.
“So we know we have a big challenge, but very excited about the challenge. We’ve worked hard to put ourselves in the position, hopefully, to win the game tomorrow.”
NCAA College Football Bowl Game TV and Streaming Schedule – Jan. 2, 2014
Gator Bowl – No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Alabama*
Place: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Los Angeles
Date and Time: Thursday, January 2, 2014, 8:30 pm ET
Live TV Channel: ESPN, WatchESPN.com
