After coming off a miraculous 13-0 season, the Alabama football team is gearing up to defend its national title win from the 2020 season. With the number one recruiting class entering the university, Nick Saban will have top-shelf prospects to work with like every season.
But not everyone is a believer just yet in this new version of the Crismon Tide. ESPN SEC football analyst Paul Finebaum discussed his thoughts on this year’s version of Alabama and why they might not be poised to repeat its success.
“I’ll tell you why you’re vulnerable — because even though I think the defense is going to be fantastic, I am not sure the offense is going to look anything like it did last year and I don’t know why you think it will,” Finebaum said during his show on Wednesday as reported by The Spun. “I think Bill O’Brien’s fantastic, but it’s his first year and Saban gone from Jalen Hurts to (Tua) Tagovailoa to Mac Jones — who nobody really saw coming — and I don’t know what Bryce Young’s credentials are. He’s never done it when it really matters.
“And do I think he can do it? Yeah. Do I think he can do it and win 12 games? I’m not so sure about that.”
Alabama lost a total of eight key contributors on its offense from 2020 which included Jones, running back Najee Harris, tight end Miller Forristall, wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle and offensive linemen Alex Leatherwood, Deonte Brown and Landon Dickerson.
Like Finebaum mentioned, the key to Alabama’s offense will be Young who joined the team last season as the nation’s top quarterback recruit. Young played sparingly during the 2020 season only attempting 22 passes.
Despite his lack of playing time Young primarily worked with the first-team offense during the team’s spring season where he earned much praise from Saban and the staff.
In all fairness, it is still unclear as to whether Young will be able to continue his success across an entire college football season which is the main point analyst’s push when evaluating the 2021 Crimson Tide.
“I’m just trying to be realistic,” Finebaum said. “I think Alabama — if you gave me the Vegas odds, do I think Alabama is going to be undefeated or will lose a game? I would probably take ‘lose a game.’ I think the dangerous games are (Texas) A&M — Miami might be a little scary, until they get going in the second half, but A&M is to me a dangerous game. I think A&M and Georgia are the two games I’d be most concerned about.”
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
