Alabama Football: Crimson Tide answers not questions

There are questions about Alabama Football in the 2021 season. Crimson Tide fans have them and media sources are quick to discuss, expand and elaborate. A respite from so many questions might be provided through some ‘in-advance’ answers – more commonly known as predictions.

Anyone can make predictions. Make enough of them and at least some will be proven accurate. Moving beyond just predicting, the answers listed below are what I see as the closest to locks for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2021.

Alabama Football Answer No. 1

Cubelic knows football and this post does not debate his five-best SEC running backs. His list may or may not be correct. Alabama fans need not be concerned zero Crimson Tide running backs made Cole’s top five. The reason is Answer No. 1 – The Crimson Tide 5-backed monster will generate more total rushing and receiving yards than any other group in the SEC. It is hard to rotate five, but even if the rotation is four in most games, healthy and fresh Tide running backs are going to tear up SEC defenses.

Alabama Football Answer No. 2

One reason to be so confident in the Alabama running backs is the guys in front of them. There are some great tackles in the SEC. Darian Kinnard at Kentucky and Charles Cross at Mississippi State are two of them. Answer No. 2 – Evan Neal will be the best of the SEC at tackle. He has the best combination of size, power, balance and quickness. Neal could well be the first tackle taken in next year’s NFL Draft.

Though Cubelic rates the Tide offensive line, No. 3 in the SEC, Neal will have plenty of help. Chris Owens will be more than capable of handling the center duties. At guards, Javion Cohen and Emil Ekiyor Jr. should be outstanding. Any weakness at right tackle will be resolved no later than the early weeks of the season.

Alabama Football Answer No. 3

Bill O’Brien’s use of the tight end position will go beyond all past Crimson Tide teams. Answer No. 3 – Jahleel Billingsley and Cameron Latu will produce strong numbers in every game with either too small or too slow defenders trying to cover them.

Alabama Football Answer No. 4

Answer No. 4 is a no-brainer. Forget the A-Day blip, Will Reichard will be the most consistent placekicker in the SEC and probably the nation.

Alabama Football Answer No. 5

Even with the game’s offensive explosion, college football can still have superlative defenses. Maybe not as beastly, size-wise, the new elite defenses combine strength, toughness, smarts and speed to counter opposing offenses. The 2021 Crimson Tide might not be one of the program’s all-time best statistically, but, Answer No. 5 – It will be one of the Tide’s best ever relative to today’s offense-centric game.

Are there Crimson Tide questions left unanswered? Certainly, and some of the answers might be months away. The good news is some key, championship components already have answers.