The Miami football team play against Alabama in its 2021 season opener at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta will have a Bowl atmosphere. Lines have been drawn and logos painted on the field as the Hurricanes and Crimson Tide get ready to share the field for the first time since the 1993 Sugar Bowl.
Alabama enters the game against the Hurricanes as a 19.5 point favorite according to WynnBet where you can make your pick now. Several of the Miami football players are used to opening the season at a neutral site. The Hurricanes began the 2018 season against LSU in Arlington, Texas and 2019 versus Florida in Orlando.
Miami lost 33-17 to LSU at AT&T Stadium in a game that was not as close as the final score. Florida defeated Miami 24-20 at Camping World Stadium. Miami is familiar with Atlanta playing at Georgia Tech every other year. This will be the Hurricanesβ first game in Mercedes Benz Stadium, while Alabama has played six games there.
Miami has to enter the game without being awed by the moment or Alabama. The crowd will be mostly partisan for Alabama. With sellout crowds returning for college football in 2021 the atmosphere at games should be more rauchous. This will be the biggest neutral site game for Miami since the 2019 season opener.
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β Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (@CFAPeachBowl) September 3, 2021
Playing against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando last season and the 2019 Indepence Bowl against Louisiana Tech Shreveport did not have the atmosphere that will be expected in Atlanta on Saturday. There is expected to be a crowd of 75,000 with expanded sections open at Mercedez Benz Stadium.
Saturdayβs game has the potential to be the largest crowd Miami has played in front of since losing to Clemson in the 2017 ACC Championship game that had an announced attendance ofΒ 74,372. Miami will play its home opener next Saturday against Appalachian State in front of their first full crowd since 2019.