Nick Saban expresses his approval of Alabama’s opening week line. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Betting lines for the first week of college football were released this week by 5dimes Sportsbooks, and it appears Alabama’s streak of dominance extends all the way to Las Vegas. The Crimson Tide opened as 24-point favorites over Virginia Tech for the teams’ Aug. 31 opener in Atlanta, marking the 42nd consecutive game in which Nick Saban’s program will enter as the favorite.

According to AL.com, Alabama has not been an underdog since the 2009 SEC Championship Game, when the Tide went on to beat favored Florida 32-13. Roll Tide, indeed.

Other notable first-week lines, as of Thursday:

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Nick Saban will have this many five-star running backs on scholarship by the time ‘Bama plays Wisconsin. (AP)

SABAN TO THE COWBOYS (STADIUM)—
Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) March 20, 2013

Fans of large smashy men banging themselves together on a football field while wearing varying shades of red, rejoice: 2015′s season-opening Cowboys Classic will feature Wisconsin and Alabama on September 5. You will recall that the Tide have a history of recent success in Arlington; ‘Bama returns to Atlanta for the 2013 season opener versus Virginia Tech. The move extends a streak of interesting-looking high-profile nonconference matchups, with LSU and TCU scheduled for 2013 and Florida State and Oklahoma State (States Florida-and-Oklahoma?) booked for 2014.

Fans of neutral-site football played in climate-controlled environments will find much to enjoy on opening weekend. (AP)

Unaffiliated viewers of high-profile neutral-site college football games, rejoice: There will be no choosing between the God’s House O’Chicken Kickoff and the Jerrydome Football Space Camp Classic this year. Per a Tuesday ESPN announcement, the Atlanta game, Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in the Georgia Dome, will kick at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 31, while the Arlington clash, TCU vs. LSU at Cowboys Stadium, will get underway at 9 p.m. With the potential pointsplosion of Georgia at Clemson lurking in between at 8:00 p.m., it’s shaping up to be a very fine first Saturday indeed. Just under six months to go! [weeps uncontrollably]

Tuesday, in Blacksburg: “Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas is returning for his senior season. The 6-foot-6 redshirt junior told the Hokies coaching staff on Tuesday, the final day to declare for the draft.”

Tuesday night, on the internet:

Awesome day #HokieNation. We got a commitment from our TOP recruit for 2013 @lthomas_3. Thanks LT. Wish the season started today. #BeatBama

— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) January 16, 2013

Wednesday morning, on the internet:

2all of u accusing me of committing a recruiting violation on twitter last night.the “recruit” I was referring 2is Logan Thomas, our QB. WOW

— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) January 16, 2013

BONUS LOGAN THOMAS CONTENT: Don’t let this story’s now-defined endpoint stop you from reading Martin Rickman’s sci-fi Logan Thomas fan fiction short story, which is exactly what it sounds like: “Logan 3 was making his decision today – to join the ranks of the juggernauts or to flee once more into the uncharted territory that was the Coastal Region.”

Florida incoming transfer Darious Cummings is going by “Bear” Cummings. What do you guys want to be called?

— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) January 15, 2013

• How would he feel about “Bearious” for more formal occasions? If we’re all supposed to be taking after forest creatures for a fresh new look for spring 2013, we would like to be referred to from here on as “Killer Otter.” Thank you for your attention to this matter.

• And speaking of spring. Army’s spring game, which graced our neck of the woods at Fort Benning last year, continues its freshly-established traveling tradition with a March 8 scrimmage set to take place at Fort Hood, Texas.

• The Coliseum just needs a place to crash for a few days, until it gets things figured out. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission is behind in its rent, per the L.A. Times, but once it gets its free-range vegan water bottle business up and running things are really going to turn around. It’s not a pyramid scheme. It’s not!

• That’s a helluva windbreak. Texas Tech approves plans for a “freestanding high-definition video board,” theoretically to be installed and operational in time for the 2013 season.

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Five-star defensive end recruit Dee Liner has made a beeline away from Auburn. (Icon SMI)

• IMPORTANT DEE LINER, D-LINER NEWS. We did promise you at the end of the season that we wouldn’t get mired too deep in recruiting antics, not being super interested in prospects until they actually take the field in August, but exceptions will always be made for defensive ends named Dee Liner. Liner, a five-star prospect from Muscle Shoals who’s ranked by Rivals as the second-best overall recruit at his position, has decommitted from Auburn, citing the loss of his relationships with Gene Chizik and Trooper Taylor. This has been a public service announcement to remind you all that there is a defensive prospect out there named Dee Liner. Thank you.

• Coach-hirin’ follies! Coordinators snapped up by new schools since we last typed in this here box: Bill Cubit (OC) at Illinois, Josh Conklin (DC) at FIU, David Gibbs (DC) at Houston and — reportedly — Scot Loeffler at Virginia Tech.

• Roster blotter. Roster moves and non-moves since we last typed in this here box: Notre Dame’s Cierre Wood intends to turn pro; Oklahoma’s Aaron Colvin will return; Houston’s Charles Sims is staying a Cougar for one more year; and Nebraska’s Sean Fisher is forgoing a possible sixth season of eligibility in favor of medical school, the little scamp.

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There is no such thing as a compelling photo of NCAA COI deliberations, so here is Sebastian in a vaguely menacing posture. (AP)

Assorted items of varying degrees of interest which you may have missed while grudgingly watching playoff football and sending surly tweets to the Golden Globes:

• The NCAA is Lucy, and Miami football is the football, and we are Charlie Brown running toward it, or something? This metaphor holds up only to demonstrate how very much we wish for this all to be over, but here we go: The Miami Herald is calling the release of NCAA allegations against the Hurricanes football program “imminent,” just short of the investigation’s two-year anniversary. Bylaw Blogger John Infante lays out all the ways this process could still be stalled, and how the Miami case might affect Oregon’s.

• Mike Stoops also a fan of Hi Haters Friday! Friday night, 6:06 p.m., Tulsa World‘s John E. Hoover posts a transcript excerpt of a Mike Stoops radio interview, specifically a question regarding Johnny Football: “They’re gonna be tough to deal with. If they can keep him out of jail or keep him eligible, he’s gonna be pretty good.” Friday night, 10:37 p.m., Tulsa World post headline: “Mike Stoops regrets controversial comments on Manziel.” Had Stoops’ defense possessed that kind of on-the-fly adaptability in the Cotton Bowl, perhaps Manziel would not have scored four touchdowns against it, PAAAOWL.

• Roster blotter. In better news for Miami: Seantrel Henderson, Brandon Linder and Curtis Porter announced Monday morning they all intend to return to the ‘Canes in 2013 … in even better news for Profiteroles fans, Dri Archer will stay on for his senior season at Kent State … Iowa State quarterback Jared “That Kid Who Beat Oklahoma State” Barnett and linebacker C.J. Morgan intend to transfer … Texas defensive tackle Brandon Moore will enter the draft … also declaring is USC corner Nickell Robey, whom we will dearly miss watching because of his too-perfect defensive name … Oregon linebacker Anthony Wallace will transfer … Case McCoy and Jordan Hicks have been reinstated at Texas … and Casey Pachall returns to the Horned Frogs.

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The story of one college football postseason contest, as told through social media.

We’ll be kicking off right around the time the sun starts to set in Orlando, so getcha Instagrams ready, kiddies.

— RussellAthleticBowl (@RussellAthBowl) December 28, 2012

When I walked into the Citrus Bowl today, the first person I saw was Joe Tessitore. So I’m confident I’ll have something to write about.

— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) December 28, 2012

Joe Tessitore is calling this game, and that means we can [RAIN OF EXPLODING ROBOT DINOSAURS]

— edsbs (@edsbs) December 28, 2012

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Will Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova have a super time bowling in Orlando? (AP)

The 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl is just hours away. We’re sure you have so many questions. We’re here to help. (For an X’s and O’s breakdown, click through to Andy Staples’ game preview.)

• What’s all this, then? This is where we tend to lose it every bowl season, every year without fail, so just try and stay with us here: This is the Russell Athletic Bowl, which last year was the Champs Sports Bowl, which is played in the Citrus Bowl but is not the Citrus Bowl because the Capital One Bowl is the Citrus Bowl, and before that the Tangerine Bowl, although the Russell Athletic Bowl was also the Tangerine Bowl, three times. I need to lie down. Us too.

• If this game is in the Citrus Bowl, where are they playing the Citrus Bowl? The Capital One Bowl is also held in the Citrus Bowl. I would like a hot towel for my face, please. Us too.

• When is it on television? Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with streaming available on WatchESPN. Internet favorite Joe Tessitore will man the booth, with Matt Millen serving as designated albatross and Maria Taylor down on the sidelines.

• Whom does it feature? ACC versus Big East.

• What about this year? 6-6 Virginia Tech scrapes into the postseason to stare down 9-3 Rutgers.

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Highlight video of the ballyhooed 1992 RU/VT game. And there is NO QUESTION it was made in 1992. youtu.be/UIlIsa2zphg

— RussellAthleticBowl (@RussellAthBowl) December 3, 2012

We would like to politely request at this time that all footage of the 2012 Rutgers Athletic Bowl adhere to these same retro production values. For continuity, you see.

• Assorted trophy happenings. Your 2012 Heisman finalists, who are somehow still not called “Heis-men,” which will apparently never be satisfactorily explained: Johnny Manziel, Manti Te’o and Collin Klein. Klein has also been bestowed with the Johnny Unitas Award, and Te’o with the Nagurski Trophy. In non-Heis-men news, Notre Dame’s Bob Diaco is the 2012 Broyles Award winner, and Matt McGloin takes home the Burlsworth Award.

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