SEC Preview: Can Alabama repeat this season?

Alabama’s National Championship last season was a beauty. They buried defenses on offense, and after the Ole Miss near-debacle, they buried defenses too.

But the NFL scourged a team like we’ve never team. The Crimson Tide had SIX first round picks (WRs Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, CB Patrick Surtain, QB Mac Jones, OT Alex Leatherwood, RB Najee Harris), plus second rounder C Lance Dickerson and DT Christian Barmore and OG Deonte Brown (6th round) and LS Thomas Fletcher (6th round). LB Dylan Moses, TE Miller Forristall, TE Carl Tucker and LB Josh McMillon.

To put in in ‘Bama terms, that’s a Heisman winner (Smith), a Heisman finalist (Jones), a possible Heisman-finalist-if-he-hadn’t-gotten-injured (Waddle), one of the best CBs in the country (Surtain), one of the best RBs in the country (Harris), two tremendous OTs (Dickerson and Brown) and the team’s top ‘sacker’ (Barmore).

It’s easy to any writer would that Alabama would be a simple ‘plug-and-play’, simply because it’s Saban, and it’s Alabama.

OFFENSE

Despite his atrocious work as a head coach at Houston, there’s no doubt Bill O’Brien is a brilliant offensive mind. In his time at Penn State he helped Matt McGloin throw for over 3,000 yards and 24 TDs in his final year – and play in the NFL. Oh, and under him QB DeShaun Watson and some dude called Tom Brady flourished in the NFL, as well WR Allen Robinson and TE Jesse James – both of him are in the middle of playing multiple years in the NFL.

His offense at Penn State moved at some clip – averaging 417 yards a game, and it was balanced been passing and rushing.

In other words, Alabama fans aren’t going to have to worry if O’Brien will do a good job, but it matters whether he’ll have the horses to make it as brilliant as they expect.

QB Bryce Young is going to be a lot of fun to watch – he can run as well as pass – but who is going to be his major target? Will it be John Metchie III, who admirably took up the reins when Jaylen Waddle got hurt, and ended up with 55 receptions, 916 yards and 6 TDs? Or Slade Bolden (270 yards, 1 TD), or TE Jaheel Billingsley (287 yards, 3 TDs), knowing that one of O’Brien’s skills is using mobile tight ends? There is also Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams, a former four-star and 13th-ranked WR in the nation, who didn’t get the receiving yards in Columbus, and probably wouldn’t have done in 2021 bearing in mind the talent ahead of him in Chris Alave and Garrett Wilson. And there’s JoJo Earle, Davon Baker, and frosh Agyie Hall, a four-star speedster out of Florida who turned Alabama’s A-Game into his own highlight reel.

On the floor, a lot will be given to Brian Robinson, but expect Jase McLellan and Trey Sanders to get touches, too.

Young and Co will be given some great protection – even though three starters from Saban’s immense line has gone pro. Evan Neal, the future NFL first round pick left tackle will anchor a solid and deep group.

DEFENSE

Having written a whole lot about Alabama’s offense, the strength this year might well be the Crimson Tide’s ‘D’.

Tennessee transfer Henry To’o To’o will be huge in Alabama’s linebacking corps alongside Christian Harris. Both will hear their names shouted out on a Thursday on NFL Draft night. Both players led their respective teams in tackles last year. Add in Will Anderson, who had 7 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss last year, and Chris Allen, who led the Tide with 13 tackles for a loss and 6 sacks, and you’ve got THE best linebacking corps in the country. By a mile.

And while for years Alabama has been criticized for its secondary play (sometimes unfairly), it seems that Saban saw what was needed, because now he’s got one of the best secondaries in the nation- even though Patrick Surtain’s gone pro.

Josh Jobe led the SEC in pass break-ups and was third in same category, and also piled in with 55 tackles and two sacks. Alongside him will be a choice of freshman Kool-Aid McKinstry, who impressed on A-Day or Jaylen Armour-Davis.

At safety Jordan Battle (66 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 4 passes defended) will lead the line alongside one of Malachi Moore, DeMarcco Hellems and Brian Branch. To name but a few.

In other words, it’s going to be ‘pick your poison’ for opposition quarterbacks.

SCHEDULE

Miami (in Atlanta)

Mercer

at Florida

Southern Miss

Ole Miss

at Texas A&M

at Mississippi State

Tennessee

LSU

New Mexico State

Arkansas

at Auburn

In Alabama’s first six weeks, the Tide could face FOUR ranked teams. The two toughest – Texas A&M and Florida – are both on the road. There’s Ole Miss at home, who don’t know what the heck they are doing at the best of times, let alone anyone else. Then there’s LSU and on the road at a fun but incredibly unpredictable Auburn. Oh, and if they through that, there’s a SEC Championship Game, probably against Georgia – who many believe will win the National Championship this year.

So here’s what we think will happen: Alabama starts slowly against Miami, but blows the Hurricanes away in the second half. They toil against Florida but get away with the win, as well as gutsy battle against Texas A&M, where they continue their winning streak in a hugely loud Kyle Field. The Ole Miss game will loom large on anyone’s schedule, but we think it’s going to be more comfortable than people imagine. LSU and Auburn won’t cause the Crimson Tide any trouble. And the reason why we haven’t mentioned Tennessee, Arkansas or Mississippi State, let alone the other 3 on Alabama’s non-conference schedule? Because they are all straight-up ‘Ws’. 

However, in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, the Crimson Tide will lose to Georgia in an absolute war of a game. Something like 28-25. It’ll be the best game of the season. The Crimson Tide will go to the play-offs despite the loss as a fourth seed, accompanying Georgia, Clemson and THE Ohio State. 

FINAL PREDICTION: 12-1.