Alabama Football: Health a major question in CFP Final

How healthy is Alabama football right now?

All season, Alabama football has battled injuries. They lost Chris Allen in the season opener, and Drew Sanders missed significant time shortly after. The Tide are down to two healthy running backs, and they lost John Metchie in the SEC Championship.

The injury bug bit again in the Cotton Bowl against Cincinnati. Multiple offensive linemen went down with injuries. Alabama already had a new starter at center, but they had to adjust the right side of the line during the game.

Jameson Williams went down after a hard hit, but he returned and looked fully healthy. With Metchie already gone, the presence of Williams is crucial for Alabama football.

Alabama dominated in the SEC Championship, but they had motivation and momentum. Depending on how the injuries play out, Alabama will have to replace multiple offensive starters as they face the best defensive front in the country for the second time this season.

Thankfully, the left side of Alabama’s offensive line has always been the strong spot. Alabama ran heavily on the left side, and Young’s blindside is usually protected. However, Alabama opened up the passing game against Georgia before thanks to the unit as a whole. If the Tide can’t protect Young, the offense won’t have the same amount of success.

Alabama wasn’t able to run as efficiently against Georgia as they were able to throw. A hobbled Brian Robinson only had 55 rushing yards, and the team relied on Young’s ability to scramble. Robinson is hitting his stride, but he’ll need the line to give him space.

Heading into the final week of the season, there will be questions surrounding Alabama football’s health. Will any players be able to return after injuries earlier in the year? Can the offensive line withstand this many potential injuries?

We’ll cover the answers to these questions as we get them, but they are where our focus is the day after the College Football Playoff Semifinal.