Alabama Football: Ten questions for the 2018 college football season
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football is not the only program with unanswered questions heading into the 2018 season. Check out 10 questions for SEC and other CFB teams.
Many questions about Alabama football and other programs cannot be answered until next fall. The unknowns build anticipation among fans for the upcoming season. We have 10 questions, not directly about Alabama football, but all related in some way to the Crimson Tide.
The questions are more pertinent than any too-early answers but some guesses about outcomes are included in the list.
Who gets processed?
Going back to the 2008 season, Alabama football, opposing head coaches have had careers derailed or destroyed by games against Nick Saban. The list is long: Tommy Bowden, Phil Fulmer, Urban Meyer, Brady Hoke, Gene Chizik, Les Miles, Bret Bielema and others.
Among the 2018 coaching opponents, new and recent hires leave almost no coach on the hot seat. Few expect Louisville to compete with the Crimson Tide, so a loss will not harm Bobby Petrino. Gus Malzahn has a new gazillion dollar contract and a win in last season’s Iron Bowl.
The only hot seat guy for 2018 is Ed Orgeron. Another LSU loss to the Tide will run the current Alabama football win streak to eight games. If that happens and Saban again beats Coach O for top Louisiana recruits next December and February, the ax could fall in Baton Rouge.
Is Kirby worthy of being called an elite coach?
We keep seeing lists of the top coaches in college football with Kirby Smart included. Count us as unconvinced. So far, the smartest thing Kirby Smart has done as a head coach is zealously following the Saban plan.
That will take him a long way in talent-rich Georgia. Kirby can recruit even if it is largely driven by a ‘old Nick, near retirement’ pitch. Getting the Bulldogs to the national championship game was no small achievement. However, so far no opposing SEC program has gained an upper hand over Nick Saban by trying to be ‘Alabama football.’ If that is all Kirby knows, it may not be enough.