Alabama Football: 5 Reasons Alabama May Not Win the 2018 Championship

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

5. Special Teams Woes

Tied against Georgia with a few seconds remaining, Tua led the team in position for a field goal. All hopes were squarely on senior kicker Andy Pappanastanos. He shanked the game-winning field goal forcing the game into overtime. It was his second miss of the game.

Every year, whenever an Alabama kicker lines up to kick a field goal, fans are clutching their rosary beads hoping for a successful attempt.

Luckily, redshirt freshman kicker Joseph Bulovas was the spring game’s MVP after connecting on 5 of 7 field goals. His longest of the day was 49 yards.

Graduate transfer Austin Jones joins the Tide this summer to help with kicking. The former Temple kicker completed 4 of 5 field goals before his ACL injury his junior season.

There is going to come a time where the defense and offense cannot win the game and Saban will have to rely on a successful field goal kick.

Alabama football fans expect a trusted kicker that can kick 30 yarders consistently plus have the leg strength to bury it from 50 plus yards. Tide fans yearn for more – a kicker who can be solid from 45 yards in, no matter how much pressure there is in a given game.

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