There could certainly be drama for Alabama and East Carolina during a blistering-hot season-opener for both teams. Alabama begins the season with over 50 new players and a bunch of new starters. ECU won nine games last season, but the Pirates are even more rebuilt than the Crimson Tide.
Computer models have Alabama winning easily. An opposite perspective is that the Crimson Tide is far from a finished product. There'll be no reason to panic should the game be a semi-ugly win for the Crimson Tide. A truly ugly win would be dispiriting, but a first-game disappointment can be quickly erased by future wins.
Some have tried to make a thing out of Kalen DeBoer embarking on what he has never done before. As an FBS head coach, 2026 will be DeBoer's first third season at any school. I guess the inference is that DeBoer is flighty. Even if he is, it has zero bearing on the 2026 season.
A biggie for many Alabama fans is whether the Crimson Tide is still soft, as it was described after the loss to Indiana. There's no way, in a new season, after so much media disparagement, that Alabama will play soft against ECU. Still, a true measurement of regained physicality will have to wait for stiffer competition.
For Alabama fans compelled to worry
For Alabama fans who can't go into any game without some trepidation, there is the 'always' risk of serious injury to one or more key players. Alabama's deep talent is a solid reason for high expectations this season. But there are probably close to a dozen guys for whom the saying 'next man up' would provide little solace. Alabama needs to come out of the ECU game with no serious, long-term injuries.
There will be a serious risk on Saturday. It will be the heat. Alabama will be prepared, and a heavy dose of player rotation can help. A greater risk will be in the stands, especially for those partying too hard in the projected 110-degree heat index.
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