Cotton Bowl Preview and Prediction: Alabama vs. Michigan State

Alabama and Michigan State are playing in the Cotton Bowl on Thursday. The winner will play for the College Football National Championship in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 11. Alabama and the Spartans have only one previous meeting on the gridiron, when Alabama won 49-7 in 2011 Capital One Bowl. The series was canceled in 2013 by Alabama. Both teams are 12-1 and won their conferences this season. Michigan is a double-digit favorite. Mark Dantonio's team thrived as the underdog this year in a road trip to Ohio State.

Cotton Bowl is Thursday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas.

Michigan State's offensive line was picked in the preseason as one of the best in college football. Alabama's defensive line is one the nation's best. The line will be key in Thursday night's game. Alabama limited opponents to 74 rushing yards per game and registered 46 sacks. Michigan State is the ninth-ranked run defense. They are expected to stop Alabama running back Derrick Henry. It will take a lot of effort to prevent him.

Michigan State is playing in the Cotton Bowl. The team needs a big performance from quarterback Connor Cook. Alabama's front seven is very good. Michigan State has three capable running backs, but they need to find some yardage on the ground. Alabama’s secondary is loaded with promising talent, and good quarterbacks have had success against it.

Alabama's offense flows through Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. The Crimson Tide needs to spread the field and allow quarterback Jake Coker to take advantage of opportunities in Michigan State's secondary. Michigan's defense ranked 69th in pass efficiency. Starting safety RJ Williamson is back for the Cotton Bowl.  Alabama and Michigan will play each other on Thursday night. Alabama needs the same blueprint as Ohio State used against Michigan. It needs not to test the Spartans’ secondary downfield or feed Henry 25-30 times.

Both teams want to establish the run, win the battle at the line of scrimmage and lean on their defense. Alabama wants to force Michigan State to take to the air in third-and-long situations and control the battles at line-of-scrimmage. Michigan state is the underdog, but Alabama has too much talent and its defense will clinch a spot in the national championship.