Alamo Bowl: Arnold vs Fifita Freshman Faceoff
The Alamo Bowl Betting 2023 Predictions Are Heating Up!
The Valero Alamo Bowl will kick off at 9:15 pm ET on Thursday, December 28, between the Arizona Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners.
Although Oklahoma is ranked No. 12 in the nation and 10-2 on the season, they’re not going to have the same pieces on the field that they had earlier this season.
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel will transfer out of Oklahoma and look for his third home in college football. Gabriel threw for 3,6660 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. His QBR of 87.3 was the fourth-best in college football.
However, he won’t be playing in this game. It’ll be freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold, who has only thrown 24 passes in college.
However, Arizona doesn’t need to worry about any of that. The Wildcats found a gem in Noah Fifita this season. He’s a freshman quarterback who finished the season with a QBR of 85.6. He threw for 2,515 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. However, he didn’t even start the season as the team’s starting quarterback.
It would’ve been fun watching Fifita and Gabriel get after it. Instead, we’ll have two freshmen fighting for the bowl win.
With the uncertainty around Oklahoma’s offense, Arizona is now a three-point favorite after opening as a 1-point underdog. The total is 62.5, down from the opening number of 64.5.
We’ve got you covered with some Alamo Bowl Betting 2023 predictions below.
Alamo Bowl
Arizona Wildcats vs Oklahoma Sooners 
Day/Time:
Location: Alamodome
Stream: ESPN
Noah Fifita Named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
We just spoke about him above.
Noah Fifita was named as the Pac-12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year.
It’s genuinely unclear where Arizona would be without Fifita. He only started to see the field consistently four games into the season against Washington.
But after a couple of losses to Washington and USC by one score, Arizona didn’t lose again with Fifita under center. The Wildcats added six straight wins in the Pac-12, including four ranked opponents.
Fifita wasn’t a true freshman. He redshirted last season. But he was on pace for a 3,000-yard season with 30+ touchdowns.
As of now, he’ll be back next year as the quarterback for Arizona. The Wildcats are in a much better position heading into next year with Fifita sticking around.
Arizona Departures & Injuries
The Wildcats haven’t lost any major NCAAF key players to the portal. However, backup running back DJ Williams is listed as questionable due to a leg injury.
He rushed for 345 yards on 79 carries, earning four touchdowns.
Goodbye, Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel gave Oklahoma some unforgettable memories throughout his two years in Oklahoma. He knocked off Texas earlier in the season on the road, 34-30. That’s a huge memory that Oklahoma fans will cherish.
But apparently, Oklahoma wasn’t good enough for Gabriel. He’ll be taking his 3,660 yards passing yards and 30 touchdowns elsewhere next season.
Many analysts believe it’ll be Oregon that will snatch up Gabriel. He’d fit right in with the same scheme that Bo Nix ran this year.
That said, Gabriel will not play for Oklahoma Sooners as quarterback in the Alamo Bowl. It’ll be freshman Jackson Arnold getting the start in this game. He’s also expected to be the No. 1 quarterback for Oklahoma’s future.
This will be a good matchup for Arnold to showcase his skills and get comfortable as an FBS quarterback. It’ll also allow Oklahoma to have tape of Arnold in live-action to critique and improve Arnold’s game.
It’s the start of a new era for Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Departures & Injuries
As talked about previously, Oklahoma has already lost Dillon Gabriel at quarterback.
They’ve also lost No. 2 running back Tawee Walker to the transfer portal. He added 95 carries for nearly 500 yards this season. No. 3 running back Marcus Major is also heading into the transfer portal after earning 78 carries for 308 yards.
There were also many offensive linemen and other defensive players who added themselves to the portal on Monday.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby also left. He took the head coaching job at Mississippi State. So that will be another challenge for the Sooners.
Oklahoma won’t have much depth for this matchup against Arizona.
Our Alamo Bowl Betting 2023 predictions are below.
Will A Star Be Born?
Arizona’s star was already born. The Wildcats got their guy in Fifita.
But what about Oklahoma?
Jackson Arnold was a highly recruited five-star quarterback who already burned his redshirt eligibility by playing in six regular season games.
He committed in January 2022 and spent an entire season under Gabriel, which should help him prepare for this game and beyond.
Oklahoma averaged 43.17 points per game this season. While it’s unlikely the Sooners can replicate that in Arnold’s first start, he’s one of the few freshmen with enough potential and promise to put up those numbers.
Meanwhile, Arizona added 34.33 points per game behind their freshman quarterback, Noah Fifita.
Each team earned about 300 yards passing per game. Oklahoma rushed for over 180 yards, while Arizona added nearly 150 yards on the ground.
It’s safe to say both offenses performed much better than the defenses this year. Even with Arnold under center, we should give Oklahoma the benefit of the doubt offensively. They’ve got one of the most highly touted freshmen under center after he had an entire season behind one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
When you check that Alamo Bowl score, a star will be born. Arnold will compete with Fifita late at night on ESPN in a standalone game. The NCAA Bowl odds predictions believe that, too, looking at the total at 62.5.
We’re excited for all the college football games during bowl season. But this one should be high-scoring with many exciting plays down the field. Our concrete Alamo Bowl Betting 2023 predictions is that we’ll see many points between two of the best freshman quarterbacks in the nation.
For NCAAF news, betting analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
