Alabama vs Oklahoma Sugar Bowl college football open thread

The college bowl season moves on as the Bowl games are moving closer and closer to the National Championship game. Tonight it's the Sugar Bowl which pits the 11 ranked Oklahoma Sooners against the 3 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

Alabama is heavily favored in this game. They are a 15 point favorite which makes sense considering they were the top ranked team in the nation right up until they were upset by Auburn in the SEC Championship game.

The game starts at 5:30pm Pacific Time on ESPN

A few players to watch for in the game:

For Alabama:

LB C.J. Mosley -- Looks to be the best middle linebacker in the nation and a the first linebacker off the board in the draft, Mosley had 102 tackles, with nine for a loss, seven quarterback hurries and five passes deflected this season. Then again, we know how Alabama linebackers can be a bit deceiving.

RB T.J. Yeldon - Yet another Alabama running back product like Eddie Lacy before him, Trent Richardson before him, and Mark Ingram before that. Only one of those three has done squat in the NFL (ROY candidate Eddie Lacy). Yeldon's averaging more than six yards per carry and has scored 13 touchdowns. He's a powerful back with great speed, but what else is new?

QB AJ McCarron - Man, Alabama likes players who go by initials as their first name. The Heisman finalist has led the Crimson Tide to the last three National Titles. He has opted not to play in the Senior Bowl so after this game, the next uniform he dons will be an NFL uniform.

WR Amari Cooper - With a first name that reads like initials MRE (Meals Ready to Eat for you military guys out there), is the top target for McCarron on this squad.

S Haha Clinton-Dix - His name isn't even initials, or an acronym. It's an onomatopoeia followed by a last name that probably prompted said onomatopoeia. His play on the field is nothing for the opposing offense to laugh about. He's the best safety in the nation.

LT Cyrus Kouandjio and RG Anthony Steen are the top two NFL talents on the offensive line.

For Oklahoma:

CB Aaron Colvin - A bigger cornerback which Dennis Allen and Reggie McKenzie like and the Seahawks have used to become the most dominant defense in the NFL.

WR Jalen Saunders - He could be better than his stats suggest because the Sooners have had a QB carousel all season, none of whom have played well enough to lock down the job.

OLB Eric Striker - No relation to Stryker Sulak and hopefully for his sake, no similarities either. He is just a sophomore but is starting to turn some heads. Someone to watch for next year's draft.

As you can see, and might expect, the big name NFL talent on Alabama is vast while the Sooners get by on grit. Regardless, this should be a pretty lopsided Alabama victory. Enjoy the game.