Alabama football should be favorites to win the SEC.
We are only a weeks away from SEC football, but big roster changes are coming in the SEC. Ja’Marr Chase opted out of the season earlier this week, and Jamie Newman has now done the same. Needless to say, this is good news for Alabama football.
Alabama’s two toughest regular season opponents on paper appear to be the LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs. Without Chase, LSU’s offense is nothing compared to what it was in 2019. Myles Brennan has his work cut out for him.
Will the loss of Newman mean as much for Georgia? That depends on how healthy JT Daniels is this year. He was another quarterback that Kirby Smart recruited this summer. Many believed that he would earn the starting job by the end of the season. However, he has not been officially cleared for all activities as of latest reporting. If he is fully healthy, Georgia is still in the middle of the SEC race. If he is hindered in any way, watch out for the Bulldogs to struggle.
While players are opting out across the SEC, the Alabama football roster remains intact. A player could opt out at any time for the Tide, but Nick Saban says that he has no reason to believe anyone would do so.
With these two teams down key players, the path to an SEC Championship gets clearer for the Crimson Tide. It now appears that their biggest foe will be the Florida Gators, and they won’t see them in the regular season. JT Daniels could still shine as the starter for UGA, but the situation currently leaves more questions than answers.
There is still time for one team to surge into the top tier of competitors in the SEC. Watch out for Auburn to upset Georgia early in the year and go on a run before the Iron Bowl. Either way, Alabama is now the clearcut favorite to win the SEC. No matter how the 2020 season plays out, it will be fun to watch for Alabama football.