Alabama Football: Welcome rat poison for Crimson Tide fans

Until recently, the only person among national media sources to tout the 2023 prospects for Alabama Football has been Kirk Herbstreit. In a different way than the term is most used, Herbstreit is a Bama homer. He has been candid about how much he values his friendship with Nick Saban, which goes beyond football.

Otherwise, the often repeated theme for the Crimson Tide in the coming season is too many holes to fill to succeed. A good example is provided by The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, who a couple of days ago predicted three losses for the Crimson Tide.

Predictions like Mandel’s are just noise for Nick Saban, but he knows the value of them to fire up his players. Alabama football fans have a different response. As I wrote a couple of days ago, Crimson Tide fans are,

"fed up with the Crimson Tide gloom and doom fueled by national media."

Thankfully, two ESPN sources have provided a salve for our irritation. One of them, Chris Low (though a Tennessee fan) is much like Herbstreit in having a good relationship with Nick Saban. Low and Alex Scarborough bucked the trend by not only picking the Crimson Tide to win the SEC West but also to beat Georgia in the SEC Championship game.

Chris Lowe Alabama Football Prediction

• “For the 10th straight season, the SEC championship game will feature either Alabama or Georgia, this one being the third time in the last six years they’ve faced each other. Both teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks, but the difference is an Alabama running game that takes over in the fourth quarter. Alabama 28 – Georgia 24”

Alex Scarborough Alabama Football Prediction

• “Despite all the questions facing the Crimson Tide — the quarterback, the offense under a new coordinator and the defense, which has slipped somewhat in recent years — I think Nick Saban will find a way to beat LSU at home and make it back to Atlanta. And if he does, I’m betting Alabama is more battle-tested than Georgia, whose schedule is mediocre at best. Alabama 21 – Georgia 20”

Kirby Smart should send both reporters a thank you card. But this is one time when Alabama football fans can be happy while Kirby is happy.

Alabama Crimson Tide fans will also enjoy that Alex Scarborough ranks the Auburn Tigers as next to last in the SEC.