Alabama will mark the unofficial start to its 2018 season today during SEC Media Days in Atlanta. Before Nick Saban takes the podium, let's wrap up the final segment in our 18 for 18 series examining 18 important questions as the Crimson Tide looks to repeat as champions and claim an 18th national title this season.
Will Alabama win an 18th national title this season?
Seventeen questions have come down to this, essentially the only one that matters to Alabama. After making the national championship the past two years and bringing home a 17th title last season, Alabama is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as champions. The Las Vegas Superbook’s latest update has the Crimson Tide at 9-5 odds to repeat as champions, ahead of Clemson and Ohio State at 5-1. Although, you don’t really need to be an expert to see how good this Alabama team can be.
On offense, Alabama will either be led by a Heisman candidate in Tua Tagovailoa or a former SEC Offensive Player of the year in Jalen Hurts. Whoever wins that battle will have an embarrassment of riches to work with as Alabama returns a talented young receiving corps and a backfield that rivals any in the nation.
Defensively, the Crimson Tide has a lot to replace, including do-it-all man Minkah Fitzpatrick and the rest of its top six defensive backs. Fortunately for Alabama, years of recruiting dominance should allow the Crimson Tide to restock without any drop-off.
To top things off, Alabama faces what appears to be an easy schedule with its toughest games coming toward the end of the year. The Crimson Tide’s toughest test should come during the final game of the season as Auburn comes to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Iron Bowl. That should give Nick Saban and the rest of Alabama’s staff more than ample time to work through any growing pains it might encounter.
Here are three factors that should determine whether or not Alabama is able to repeat this season.
Open up the offense
Whether Alabama settles on Hurts or Tagovailoa behind center, it will need to open up its offense more than it did last season. Alabama’s sophomore trio of receivers Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith combined for just 33 receptions last season. Ideally, Alabama would like to see that number at least double this season in order to spread defenses out and open up holes for a talented backfield that includes former five-stars Damien Harris and Najee Harris as well as Josh Jacobs and Brian Robinson.
Verdict: Judging off of recent performances, Tagovailoa appears best suited to open up Alabama’s offense. However, if Hurts holds on to his starting job, it will be because the junior quarterback shows improvement in his ball distribution this fall. Either way, Alabama should be much improved this season.
Staying healthy at inside linebacker
Alabama is deep enough to sustain multiple injuries at several positions, but inside linebacker isn’t one of them. While former five-stars Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses make up one of the SEC’s best starting duos, there isn’t much depth on Alabama’s roster after that. Backup Keith Holcombe looks doubtful to return for his senior year, while sophomore VanDarius Cowan was dismissed from the team earlier this offseason. That leaves redshirt junior Joshua McMillon as the most experienced option on Alabama’s bench. The Crimson Tide also has up-and-coming players in redshirt sophomore Ben Davis, redshirt freshman Markail Benton and true freshman Jaylen Moody. Chances are, one or more of those players will have to step up at some point.
Verdict: While it’s a nice thought, it’s unlikely Alabama makes it out of the season unscathed at inside linebacker. Both Moses and Wilson were sidelined with injuries last season, and given the nature of the position it’s probable Alabama will experience some sort of setback again this year. Alabama already suffered a major blow as outside linebacker Terrell Lewis tore his ACL during workouts last week. Despite the loss, the Crimson Tide is still deep on the outside which could lead to some experimenting during fall camp. Players such as Christian Miller and Christopher Allen might be given a look inside as Alabama hopes to build its depth before the season.
Developing depth in the secondary
Perhaps the biggest story on defense is how Alabama will recover from the loss of its top six defensive backs. An encouraging A-Day performance in which the first-team defense limited Hurts to 19 of 37 passing for 195 yards and an interception helped ease some of the nerves. Alabama also brought in a talented class of freshmen, including five-star Patrick Surtain Jr., the No. 1 defensive back in the 2018 class. Still, Trevon Diggs and Deionte Thompson are the only returners with starting experience and have just three combined starts between them.
Verdict: What Alabama lacks in experience it makes up for in talent. Diggs looks to have made significant improvement in his second year at cornerback after making the switch from receiver his sophomore year. Meanwhile, JUCO transfer Saivion Smith has already been tested in the SEC and should lock down the other starting cornerback spot. Thompson and sophomore Xavier McKinney should also make up a physical paring at safety. Alabama’s freshmen arrivals wasted no time turning heads this summer and could help fill out the remainder of the unit. While it could take some time, it should be a matter of when, not if, Alabama is able to figure things out.
