The tendency with the Crimson Tide is to dismiss injuries and suspensions under the assumption that the next man up is almost as good as the starter. Still, any team would be impacted by the loss of superb LB Dylan Moses (knee), scratched from the season, and the first-half sit-downs of its top two RBs (Najee Harris and Brian Robinson) for team rules violations. Duke coach David Cutcliffe is a master in an underdog role. The Blue Devils have covered in five consecutive neutral-site games -- this one’s in Atlanta -- while Alabama is 1-4 in such spots.

Seething after a national title game loss to Clemson, the Alabama Crimson Tide come into the season with a razor-sharp focus. We know they don't rebuild, they reload. And that'll be the case as they'll be breaking in eight new starters total, with those eight garnering a ton of playing time last season. Duke's new starting QB Quentin Harris is the type of talent that gives Bama's defense fits. However, there are some big time questions about an inexperienced receiving corps heading into this matchup.