Five stumbling blocks Alabama could face on road to CFB Playoff
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a safe bet to assume Alabama will return to the College Football Playoff for a fifth straight year this season — at least the oddsmakers in Las Vegas seem to think so.
Alabama is the early favorite to repeat as national champions, according to Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino which gives the Crimson Tide 7/4 odds of claiming an 18th national title. Clemson is next on the list at 5-1, followed by Georgia (7-1) and Ohio State (8-1).
Returning what could be on of the best offenses in program history coupled with a dangerous pass rush on defense, Alabama certainly has the talent to make another title run. However, what if things don’t go to plan?
Today we begin a two-part series examining five things Alabama must overcome as well as five reasons Alabama will make the College Football Playoff for a fifth straight year.
Here are five potential stumbling blocks the Crimson Tide might run into this year.
An inexperienced secondary
The cavalry is on the way, but will it be enough? Alabama’s secondary will receive a big boost this summer as freshmen Patrick Surtain Jr., Josh Jobe, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Eddie Smith provide much-needed depth to the unit.
Alabama’s lack of depth was evident during the spring as Nick Saban pointed out he didn’t even have enough scholarship players to go two-deep during the A-Day game. The head coach said he thought everyone on the secondary improved and listed Trevon Diggs, Xavier McKinney, Deionte Thompson, Saivion Smith, Shyheim Carter and Jared Mayden as trusted players in the unit.
“Past that we need to make a significant improvement in the players that we have and the guys that we’re bringing in,” Saban said.
The good news for Alabama is each of the four freshmen its bringing in is capable of playing right away. Surtain, a five-star, is the most promising of the bunch, entering the program as the No. 1 cornerback and No. 8 player overall in the 2018 class. However, four-stars Armour Davis and Jobe, as well as three-star Smith, all fit the tall, athletic mold Alabama likes at the position.
There are also a couple other players on Alabama’s current roster who could rise to the occasion. Sophomore safety Daniel Wright led all defensive backs with eight tackles during A-Day, while redshirt freshman Kyriq McDonald could provide depth at the Star position.
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