Alabama Football: Five D-Coordinators with best chance to slow the Crimson Tide
By Ronald Evans
Five D-Coordinators with best chance of stopping the Alabama football offense
Last season the biggest Alabama football story was could the Tide defense stop high-powered offenses. The Alabama Crimson Tide is expected to have an improved defense in 2020. A bigger story for the coming season is how less explosive will be the Tua-less Alabama football offense. Most Crimson Tide fans believe possibly less explosive, doesn’t mean less potent.
The 2020 Crimson Tide offense will present significant problems for opposing defenses. A veteran offensive line, abundant running back talent and two of the best wide receivers in college football portend lots of points. A very good, even if not great, Mac Jones means the quarterback position remains one of strength.
What opposing defense has the best chance of slowing the 2020 Crimson Tide? Based on a combination of player talent and Defensive Coordinator resumes, the five DCs below will likely have the best chances. They are ranked No. 5 to No. 1 with the lowest number being best.
No. 5 – LSU DC, Bo Pelini
A few weeks ago, Pelini was described as a retread. We stand by that statement. College football has drastically changed since Pelini was last in Baton Rouge. Has he changed enough with it? The new Bengal Tigers 4-3 may not be great, but the defensive roster is too talented to not be good.
The secondary and defensive tackle will be LSU’s strength. Linebackers and defensive ends will need to develop. By the time the Crimson Tide rolls to Baton Rouge, whatever early-season weaknesses exist in those position groups, should be improved. Pelini’s greatest problem is beyond his control. LSU must be better on defense because the offense cannot be as good as the record-setting 2019 group.