Alabama Football: This game belongs to the juniors

Juniors will lead the way for Alabama football

The keys for Alabama football to beat Ohio State are important, but so is motivation. We’ve already seen bulletin board material for the Crimson Tide for senior DeVonta Smith, but there is some internal motivation.

Alabama has an impressive record since Nick Saban took over. The Crimson Tide have never failed to win a national championship for three straight seasons. That means that every recruit who has come to Alabama out of high school and stayed has won a title.

Obviously, the Crimson Tide haven’t won a ring in the past two seasons. That means that current juniors haven’t been a part of a title team since coming to Tuscaloosa. While some juniors will return next season, there will almost certainly be a couple of stars head to the NFL Draft. This makes the National Championship their last game in crimson and their last chance to win a title.

Specifically, Jaylen Waddle and Patrick Surtain will probably come back. Both players seem to be locks to go in the first round. That means that they will be extra motivated to end their Alabama football careers with a championship performance.

Alabama will need these guys to step up too. We don’t know for sure if Waddle will play, but he would change everything. Surtain will line up against Chris Olave, which will be vital to the Tide’s success.

While the seniors on Alabama’s roster will be vital, this game belongs to the juniors just as much. If Waddle and Surtain both play, they will be ready to shine on college football’s biggest stage.

The 2018 class had plenty of stars. You can’t have the best players leave without a national championship. Waddle’s Alabama football career has already been diminished due to wide-receiver depth and a bad injury, and Surtain is already a snub for the Thorpe Award. They can’t leave without beating Ohio State and winning a title.