Alabama Football: What would’ve happened against USC Trojans

Alabama football should be playing the USC Trojans today.

Today was supposed to be the official start of normal college football. The top teams in the country were all set to play this Saturday, including Alabama football. The Crimson Tide were scheduled to play the USC Trojans in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. However, due to COVID-19, all teams have have either updated their schedules or postponed their seasons altogether.

Even though this game won’t be played, we can still imagine what would’ve happened if the Trojans had battled the Tide. Would the Tide have won easily, or would USC put up a fight? Who would shine, and who would struggle?

What would’ve happened if Alabama football played USC.

Offense

Mac Jones has essentially won the starting job, so he would lead the Crimson Tide offense on the field. With Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith out wide, Jones would be part of a strong passing attack. Against USC, I believe that Jones would have thrown for at least 200 yards and 2 TD’s.

In the running game, Najee Harris would have dominated early. USC’s defense is strong, but they are nothing compared to Alabama football’s offensive line. All in all, Najee would have a 100-yard game by the final whistle.

A key piece of Alabama’s offense in 2020 is Trey Sanders. I think he would have gotten plenty of reps on third downs and late in the game. Najee would still receive the lion’s share of carries, but Sanders would have made an impact against USC.

Defense

Having Dylan Moses back is great, but the new Tide secondary would still struggle early against Kedon Slovis. The defensive line would be the strength for Alabama as they keep USC’s senior running backs in check. I wouldn’t expect consistent success from the Trojans, but they would get a few deep plays in and find a way to keep things close early. However, the Tide would eventually wear them down in the second half.

Would we see Bryce Young?

If we see Bryce Young in this game, it would only be to hand the ball off and kill time late. He has lost the starting competition, so he would not be sharing reps like Alabama did the last time they played USC. He might get a few passes on third downs, but nothing to show his true potential. Alabama would like to save that for their cupcake games later in the season.

Prediction: Alabama 38, USC 13

All in all, Alabama takes care of business against USC. The Trojans are a strong team this year, but they have inferior coaching and depth. The Tide get their 2020 campaign off to a great start as they look ahead to bigger games in the regular season.