January is predicted to be very good for the Alabama Crimson Tide, with Kalen DeBoer's team going into Week 11 at 7-1. In most cases, predictions for January games are short on facts and long on fancy. Maybe, and it is just a maybe, there is a current one that has merit.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans will enjoy predictions from one prognosticator. His predictions include a complete bowl and CFB Playoff lineup of games. After seeing the picks, Alabama fans may want to describe Erick Smith as a soothsayer.
Sooth was an Old English word that Merriam-Webster explains meant truth. A soothsayer can be said to be a truth teller. For those unfamiliar with Erick Smith, he is a USA Today editor with a long career in journalism. As a graduate of Oklahoma and George Mason, he should not be expected to hold pro-Crimson Tide bias.
Alabama Crimson Tide National Championship?
Smith does not project a winner in the National Championship Game, but he has Alabama taking on Ohio State for the title. The Crimson Tide path laid out by Smith is four more regular-season wins, an SEC Championship Game win, a Sugar Bowl Playoff Quarterfinal win over Miami, and a Playoff Semifinal win over Indiana. Alabama, having been the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, would be 14-1 when the Tide would take on the Buckeyes in the title game.
The thought of the Crimson Tide winning 14 straight games is dizzying, almost to the point of implausible. Perhaps the most sensible response to Smith's prediction is to take a couple of deep breaths and watch it unfold.
In the meantime, there are historical parallels to consider. In 1993, the Crimson Tide met the Miami Hurricanes in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama beat the favored Canes 34-13 to win the 1992 National Championship. Could the Tide vs. the Canes again, in the Superdome, be a harbinger?
This season's National Championship Game will be in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. The Crimson Tide and Ohio State have met in the same setting before. In the 2021 National Championship Game, Alabama beat Ohio State 52-24 to win the 2020 National Championship. If the Sugar Bowl harbinger has merit, could the 2021 game foreshadow National Championship No. 19 for the Crimson Tide?
Assuming Erick Smith knows this Alabama history, was some whimsy involved in his boldly crimson prediction? If so, Alabama fans will gladly forgive him.