ATLANTA — Tim Tebow is tired of giving the same answer when asked who he thinks will win the national championship at the beginning of every season.
“It gets old saying Alabama,” he said.
Then again, what else can he say? Sure, the former Florida quarterback turned ESPN analyst could stir the pot if he chose to. It certainly wouldn’t hurt ratings if he went with a contender like Clemson or picked an exciting offense like Oklahoma’s. However, recent history says rolling with the Tide is by far his safest bet.
“As an analyst, you want to be right more than anything else,” Tebow said last week. “When you look at it from top to bottom, you see those athletes, you see those coaches — how do you not predict Alabama?”
Since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007, the Crimson Tide has not only taken over college football but also dominated it at a rate never before seen in the modern era. Alabama has piled up five national titles in the past nine years and is the favorite to repeat this season.
For three quarters during its 35-28 victory over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, Alabama looked mortal. With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa down on the turf with a sprained ankle and the Crimson Tide trailing 28-21 with 11:15 remaining, the rest of the ‘Bama-fatigued nation waited anxiously ready to celebrate a change in order.
However, as it has all season, Alabama disappointed the masses. Spurred on by backup quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Crimson Tide rallied for 14 unanswered points to beat the Bulldogs. The fourth-quarter escape marked the first time Alabama has been truly challenged this season. After all, the Crimson Tide (13-0) became just the second team in history to beat all of its first 12 opponents by at least 20 points, a feat only previously achieved by Yale in 1888.
Now battle-tested, Alabama enters the College Football Playoff for a record fifth straight year. The Crimson Tide is currently a 14-point favorite in its Orange Bowl matchup against No. 4 Oklahoma, according to VegasInsider.com. If Alabama gets past that game, it will likely be favored against either No. 2 Clemson or No. 3 Notre Dame. A win in the national championship game would make the Crimson Tide the first team to finish a season 15-0, seemingly widening the gap between them and the rest of the nation.
“No, it’s not good for the game,” Tebow said of Alabama’s recent dominance. “I don’t knock it though because I think it’s incredible. I love seeing greatness. But is it good for the competitiveness of NCAA football? I don’t think so.”
Alabama’s dominance may be tiresome to most, but it can also be argued that the Crimson Tide’s annual role as the heel of college football is good for the sport. Last year’s championship game drew 28.443 million viewers as the nation tuned in to see an Alabama team on the verge of an upset.
“If you don’t like it, beat them,” ESPN analyst Reece Davis said. “I think it’s good to have somebody to shoot at. I think it’s good when the Yankees are good, when Notre Dame is good, when the Cowboys or Patriots are good.
“…Think back since Saban’s second year (at Alabama). I guarantee you, you can name and give details of every loss Alabama’s had. You remember every one of them. That is good for the sport, it generates interest. When they lose, it’s like a national celebration. The haters come out and say, ‘See I told you they weren’t as good as everybody says,’ and everybody remembers. It’s their defining moment. I think it’s good to have a giant to shoo for because it’s interesting when they’re toppled.”
Those hoping for the eventual fall might have to wait a while. The majority of Alabama’s offensive playmakers are underclassmen, and the Crimson Tide looks to be well on its way to restocking its talent as it holds the No. 1 rated recruiting class in 2019. However, with seven SEC teams in the top 15 of next year’s recruiting rankings, there will be plenty of contenders gunning for the Crimson Tide’s thrown.
“I think honestly the SEC is in a good place with a lot of teams heading that way,” Tebow said. “I think LSU’s going to continue to get better. I think Florida’s going to get better. I think you’ll see Auburn get better… I would love for it to be more competitive, and I think it will be soon because there are teams that are continuing to get better. But Alabama is still the cream of the crop.”
