How long has it been since expectations about an Alabama football season were so imprecise? Visions of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s future are fuzzy. Some things can be known, but the ‘don’t knows’ are more numerous.
Alabama football fans are largely a stalwart group. Championships are always seen as possible and most often probable. But the soon-to-be 2023 season feels different. Beyond the Crimson Nation, predictions about Alabama are more varied than in the last 10-plus seasons.
Recently 57, ESPN college football experts projected the best and worst case scenarios for preseason, top 25 teams. For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the best case was a National Championship and the worst case was three regular-season losses. Nick Saban once said to Steve Spurrier that if he ever has three losses again, he would probably be fired. Spurrier was not sure Saban was joking.
Before any Alabama fan dashes away in disgust, ESPN’s other worst cases were also bleak. Ohio State was projected to possibly have a four-loss season. Michigan was projected as possibly having three losses. Georgia, even with its cushy schedule, was projected to possibly have two, regular-season losses.
Alabama football fans will enjoy the worst case for LSU being four losses in the regular season and the same for the Tennessee Vols.
Providing a counter-opinion on the Crimson Tide is Bill Bender of The Sporting News. Bender discussed his buy, sell and hold recommendations for seven ranked teams. His buy teams are Alabama, Texas and Wisconsin. The sell teams are Penn State, Utah and TCU, with FSU recommended as a hold.
The tweet below from Ryan Fowler is both funny and on point.
After 20 minutes of text messages from my scrimmages sources, I am expecting Alabama to either go undefeated and cruise to their 19th National Championship or lose 5-6 games and go to Shreveport for Christmas break
— Ryan C. Fowler (@RyanCFowler) August 19, 2023
Who should I believe? pic.twitter.com/bA40VCmO3C
Alabama Football and What We Know
- The Crimson Tide has the unquestioned GOAT head coach in Nick Saban.
- By one credible measurement, (the Blue Chip Ratio), the Crimson Tide has the overall most talented roster in college football.
- The three most challenging regular season games are probably at home. The only possible exception being Texas A&M in College Station.
- Other things could be listed, but at least to some Alabama fans, any of them could only be defined as what ‘we think we know’.
- The ‘what we don’t know’ list is too long to include and too well understood to require elaboration.
Much will be learned about the Crimson Tide on Sept. 9, preceded by not near enough learned before then. By mid-October, the Crimson Tide’s strengths and weaknesses will be well known. Alabama fans, not known for tolerance and patience will need both many weeks into the season.
For the record, with an eventual outcome very much in doubt, my take is the Alabama Crimson Tide will have a CFB Playoff postseason.