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18 for 18: Is there a trap game on Alabama's schedule?

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Photo | Getty Images
Photo | Getty Images
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Alabama is set to take part in SEC Media Days on Wednesday, marking the unofficial start to the Crimson Tide’s 2018 season. Before head coach Nick Saban or any of the Alabama players take the podium at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, BamaInsider.com will pass the time counting down 18 important questions as the Crimson Tide looks to repeat as champions and claim an 18th national title this season.

Is there a trap game on Alabama's schedule? 

The usual suspects remain. Running down Alabama’s 2018 schedule, the same obvious opponents stand in the way of a trip Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. On paper, the Crimson Tide’s first real test won’t come until a Nov. 3 trip to LSU, while the biggest potential roadblock comes as Alabama hosts Auburn for the Iron Bowl.

Those two games have been circled at the beginning of the season for more than a decade. However, they aren’t always the matchups that cause Alabama the most trouble.

Alabama’s is seldom expected to lose, but looking back at Saban’s 20 defeats over the past 11 seasons, most are understandable. Six came during his first season in 2007, including three to ranked teams. Four came against Auburn, three were against LSU and there was the loss to eventual national champion Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship Game. Alabama has also lost three bowl games and a national championship against Clemson in 2017.

Then there are the head-scratchers. The 2007 loss to Louisiana-Monroe is still an anomaly, but other surprise defeats have typically come during “trap games.”

Alabama’s 2010 loss to South Carolina came on the final week of a challenging three-week stretch, while the 2012 defeat to Texas A&M directly followed a tight battle against LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

There are also times where Alabama might have entered a game overconfident. When the Crimson Tide fell to Ole Miss in 2014, it was coming off a bye week following a 42-21 dismantling of Florida. The following year, most expected Alabama to revenge inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium, but a careless five-turnover performance gave the Rebels their second win in as many years.

Here’s a look at three potential trap games on Alabama’s schedule this season.

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