Nick Saban isn’t worried about next year — not in the least.
Alabama announced its 2020 schedule Wednesday with changes to the back end of the SEC slate that will see the Crimson Tide wrap up its regular season with games against Texas A&M and Auburn in back-to-back weeks. However, the potential challenge was the furthest thing from the head coach's mind when asked about it following Alabama's fifth practice of fall camp.
“I haven’t even looked at the 2020 schedule,” Saban said. “You know, we play Duke in three weeks or whatever. I don’t have any reaction to the schedule. We work hard to have the best schedule we can have. It’s our goal to try to get two Power 5 teams to play. You guys act like we pick who we play. We don’t pick who we play. We have to get somebody to play. That’s what we try to do. I can’t even tell you who we play.”
The last time Alabama played an SEC team the week before the Iron Bowl was in 2006 when the Crimson Tide lost 28-14 to LSU before falling 22-15 to Auburn. Since Saban arrived in 2007, the week before Auburn has generally been reserved for so-called “cupcake opponents.”
The last time Alabama went up against a Division I foe the week leading up to Auburn came in Saban's first season when Louisiana-Monroe upset the Crimson Tide 21-14 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Since then, Alabama has gone 10-0 against FCS teams during that week.
Next year’s games against Texas A&M and Auburn will both be held inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The back-to-back meetings are part of a brutal month of November that also includes a trip to LSU. As usual, if the Crimson Tide was to win the SEC West, it would also participate in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta on Dec. 5.
Alabama’s 2020 season will open against Southern California as the Crimson Tide takes on the Trojans inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Crimson Tide will also host Georgia State, Kent State and the University of Tennessee-Martin in out-of-conference play. Alabama’s SEC schedule includes home meetings against Georgia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Auburn as well as trips to Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU.
2020 Alabama football schedule
Sept. 5 — vs. Southern Cal (at Arlington, Texas)
Sept. 12 —GEORGIA STATE
Sept. 19 — GEORGIA*
Sept. 26 — KENT STATE
Oct. 3 — at Ole Miss
Oct. 10 — at Arkansas
Oct. 17 — MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 24 — at Tennessee*
Oct. 31 — Open
Nov. 7 — at LSU*
Nov. 14 — UT-MARTIN
Nov. 21 — TEXAS A&M
Nov. 28 — AUBURN
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