Alabama

2024 College Football odds: Long-shot Alabama best bet to win national title

Published

1 year ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

2024 College Football odds: Long-shot Alabama best bet to win national title

Will Hill

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Thanksgiving weekend is here, and we have somehow already reached the conclusion of the college football regular season.

It seems like just a few weeks ago we were counting down the days to the start of the season. I vividly remember anxiously awaiting Week 0 and all the great matchups on Labor Day weekend the following Saturday.

The regular season is ending with a bang, with stunning upsets shaking up the College Football Playoff outlook last Saturday. Ole Miss and Alabama were picked off as big road favorites and both teams now sit with three losses.

Indiana suffered its first loss of the season at Ohio State. But unless the Hoosiers lose again this week to Purdue as 30-point favorites, they will finish the season with just one loss — a very forgivable one at that. With that in mind, Indiana is safely in, assuming it gets a win on Saturday.

As far as the rest of the field, Oregon and Ohio State are surely in and Penn State and Texas are very likely in as well. But what else do we really know about the field of 12 as we enter the final weekend?

Georgia looked like it just needed to beat Georgia Tech in the season finale, as that would have ended the Dawgs’ season with two losses, assuring them a spot in the Playoffs. But with all the upsets, Georgia will now play in an SEC Championship Game and could net a third loss.

Here’s something else to consider. Can the winner of this weekend’s South Carolina-Clemson game now get in? Does the ACC get two teams in?

What makes the next two weeks so much fun is that we have way more questions than answers.

So, as we settle in with football on the screen and leftovers in the fridge, is there a bet to be made on the national champion?

Warning: Some fans will dislike even the thought of this possibility.

Alabama +4000 National Champion

Are you 100 percent sure the loss to Oklahoma last week eliminated the Crimson Tide? I’m certainly not, and neither are the oddsmakers.

Alabama is an underdog to make the College Football Playoff, but at +180 odds, it’s certainly not priced as something that’s completely impossible.

Again, I have more questions than answers.

Alabama & Ole Miss: Will both miss the Playoff after suffering a third loss?

For example, what if Tennessee and/or Notre Dame lose this weekend? Or what if the final spot comes down to a two-loss SMU team and a three-loss Alabama team? Which would the committee choose?

The brand name of Alabama, the Tide’s win over potential SEC champ Georgia, and the possibility of an upset-filled weekend makes it hard for me to completely write off Alabama — even if I don’t necessarily agree that it belongs in the Playoff with three losses.

Yes, Alabama is unlikely to get in, but as we saw last weekend, upsets happen in this sport, and what’s unlikely one day can change quickly to reality.

If the Tide do get in — despite their flaws — they could make a run in what is a wide-open year in college football. And at 40-1 odds, that’s a bet I couldn’t argue against making.

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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Alabama

South Alabama named first team in 88th National Invitation Tournament

Published

10 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

South Alabama named first team in 88th National Invitation Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS – Ahead of the 88th National Invitation Tournament, South Alabama has been named as the field’s first team.

The automatic berth for South Alabama is based on a prior agreement made between the NIT Board of Managers and the university following the 2025 selection process that resulted in the Jaguars not being included in the NIT field.

The agreement included minimum requirements for South Alabama’s regular season results. The Jaguars surpassed the requirements with ease, finishing with a 21-10 regular season record. At 11-7 in Sun Belt Conference play, South Alabama tied for second in the league.

Regular season champions that do not make the NCAA Tournament either as an automatic qualifier or as an at-large team automatically get a bid to the NIT if they have an average ranking of 125 or better across the seven metrics that appear on team sheets.

A full overview of selection principles and procedures is available here.

The NIT semifinals and finals will take place in Indianapolis as part of a five-day celebration of basketball during which the NIT and NCAA Divisions I, II and III champions will be crowned. The semifinals will be played April 2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on ESPN. The championship game on April 5 will tip at approximately 8 p.m. on ESPN2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse following the conclusion of the Division II and III national championship games. The Men’s Final Four will be on TBS and takes place Saturday, April 4 and Monday, April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium. For tickets, visit www.ncaa.com/mbbtickets.

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Alabama

Is flashing your headlights legal in Alabama? Here’s what the law says

Published

22 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Is flashing your headlights legal in Alabama? Here’s what the law says

A quick flash of your headlights can catch someone’s attention faster than a horn. On busy or quiet streets, it’s a simple, wordless way drivers communicate.

Sometimes it’s a quick “thanks,” a warning or just a mystery. But is this way of communicating legal? Here’s what Alabama law says about flashing headlights.

Is it legal to flash your headlights at other cars in Alabama?

Yes, in Alabama, it technically is legal to flash your headlights at another car. There are no laws that explicitly say it’s illegal. However, some codes prohibit the use of high beams.

Alabama law says drivers must use low beams when within 500 feet of oncoming traffic or 200 feet of the vehicle ahead. These rules help everyone see clearly and stay safe.

Is flashing headlights to warn drivers of speed traps a form of free speech?

See a speed trap? Flashing your headlights to warn others is common. Is it legal? The Free Speech Center at MTSU notes that courts have protected this as free speech.

In 2012, Michael Elli of Ellisville, Missouri, was pulled over for warning of a speed trap by flashing his headlights. Officials said he hindered police, but later agreed he did not.

Other similar cases were Elliott v. Warrick County in 2014 and Beaver v. City of Federal Way in 2018.

Jennifer Lindahl is a Breaking and Trending Reporter in Alabama for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect Team. Connect with her on X @jenn_lindahl and email at jlindahl@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Breaking Down Auburn’s Path to the NCAA Tournament Ahead of Alabama Clash

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Breaking Down Auburn’s Path to the NCAA Tournament Ahead of Alabama Clash

The Auburn Tigers are firmly on the bubble heading into the final game of the regular season, and the urgency couldn’t be higher for Steven Pearl and company.

Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa for a rematch with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, currently standing at 16-14 overall and 7-10 in the SEC. Alabama knocked off the Tigers on their home floor at Neville Arena just over three weeks ago, meaning Auburn should be seeking revenge this weekend inside Coleman Coliseum.

The Tigers have dropped seven of their last nine games, most recently falling to Ole Miss 85-79 last Saturday and defeating LSU by 14 points on Tuesday’s senior night. Auburn played like two extremely different teams in these two matchups, and it certainly needs to carry the momentum it garnered from the midweek win into Saturday.

The newly updated NCAA Tournament projections feature Auburn on the outside looking in, according to multiple outlets. The Tigers are listed as ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s second team out of the field, which is disappointing after sitting as a solid No. 7-seed just a few weeks ago.

In CBS Sports’ latest bracketology, Auburn is projected to land as the First Team Out, alongside New Mexico, Seton Hall, and Indiana. However, the Tigers actually boast a higher NET ranking than all seven of the other squads featured in CBS Sports’ Last Four In and Last Four Out.

Prior to its clash with Ole Miss last Saturday, the general consensus was that if Auburn took care of business on its home floor against the Rebels and LSU, the Tigers would put themselves in a good position to crack the tournament, assuming they lost to Alabama in the season finale.

However, obviously, Auburn was unable to get both tasks done, as Pearl’s squad, frankly, seemed uninspired in what was a near must-win game for the Tigers versus Ole Miss. Auburn looked slightly more motivated in its victory over LSU on Tuesday, but could it be too late?

Now, with Auburn sitting just two games over .500 overall and playing some of its worst basketball as of late, it feels as if its season is absolutely on the line in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

ESPN’s most recent betting odds lean toward Auburn missing the tournament, but a win over the Crimson Tide could, and would, certainly shift that line.

If the Tigers are able to emerge from Coleman Coliseum victorious, which would be a top-20 Quad-1 win on the road, they will most likely hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

But on the flip side, if Auburn falls to its arch rival to close the regular season, it would likely need to win three games or more in the SEC Tournament next week to feel somewhat hopeful about its postseason fate.

Nonetheless, as mentioned previously, there’s no excuse why urgency shouldn’t be at an all-time high on Saturday. With their NCAA Tournament hopes virtually on the line and a chance for revenge on their most-hated rival, the Tigers should come out desperate and hungry from the tip.

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