Alabama Football 2018 Schedule: Playoffs or Bust?

Alabama football released the official 2018 schedule yesterday. Everyone is reacting differently, but most agree the CFB Playoff is once again in sight.

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The Crimson Tide Athletics Office released the official Alabama football 2018 schedule yesterday. While SEC play remains relatively unsurprising, there are several new teams in the mix as non-conference games.  Bama has played the Louisville Cardinals three times in history; the last meeting 27 years ago in 1991. Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette float in and out of the Tide’s schedule from time to time, but next season will be the first ever matchup between the Alabama football program and the Citadel Bulldogs.

Fans have many different reactions to the schedule’s release. Some are thrilled with the SEC and Non-Con games, while others feel there is no “oomph”; no truly desirable game in the list.

In the words of one of the biggest ‘Bammers’ around: “Bama will make the playoffs. But, I think if the conference schedule is that s!@#%y, they should schedule better out-of-conference opponents.”

However, a tried and true Alabama football hater said, “Those are actually some powerhouse non-conference games there. Citadel recruits especially well.”

“So the schedule is relatively strong, in your opinion?”

Hater: “Hahahaha. Sure. I mean, it’s tough for Alabama football in that regard. It’s not like Penn State and USC and Ohio State are lining up to play them. They all say they do, but no one *actually* wants Bama.”

So what’s the real deal?

Louisville is most certainly the strongest opponent in the list, even including SEC schools. With the recent decline of programs like Tennessee, TAMU and LSU, stock in conference play has dramatically dropped. Mississippi State is the biggest SEC threat on the schedule… and that’s not something anyone has said in a long time, if ever.

If Lamar Jackson goes to the NFL (and he almost certainly will), it’s likely that Bama will win out and secure another spot in the CFB Playoff.

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The perceived weakness of the Alabama football schedule is from the decline in play of the SEC competition. This is especially true of the decline of the Tennessee program, which is currently locked into Bama’s schedule by tradition.

Regardless of the true strengths of the Tide’s opponents, outsiders will always complain about Bama. Because Alabama is the premier program at this time, the ‘nation’ as it is will continue to scrutinize its schedule. In the past, Bama really needed the SEC to be strong to add credibility to their accomplishments. At this particular moment in time, the Crimson Tide stock is so trustworthy that people will invest in it based on past performance – but only if they continue to win.

This does lower their margin of error when it comes to games they can lose. They will be all the more expected to ‘run the table,’ both this season and in years to come.

Many questions abound: Will the Tide continue to roll this season? How will the team adjust entering SEC play this week against a Vanderbilt team that gave a surprisingly strong performance last week? Can Alabama ‘run the table’ next year and catapult the Tide to the CFB playoff once again?

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The answers remain to be seen. One thing is certain: as long as Nick Saban is at the helm of the Alabama football program, we as fans can continue to trust the process and have faith that our beloved team will prevail – this year and in the many, many seasons ahead. Roll Tide.