No. 2 Alabama and No. 8 Michigan kick off Saturday night in the top matchup of Week 1.

Both teams have high hopes of hoisting the crystal football, but those hopes will likely be dashed for one of those teams when the clock strikes zero at Cowboys Stadium.

Can Alabama fill the void on defense left by several departures to the NFL? How will Michigan's front seven contend with Alabama's veteran offensive line? Will the big-game atmosphere cause the Wolverines to fold?

SEC lead writer Barrett Sallee and Big Ten lead writer Adam Jacobi preview the Cowboys Classic in this edition of The Program.