"We Want Bama."
That's long been the rallying cry of prospective contenders. Alabama spent a long time atop the college football mountain and was used as the measuring stick for all other programs to compare themselves to.
Alabama isn't at that level anymore, but the Crimson Tide is certainly still among the college football elite even in a post-Nick Saban world. If you think you want Bama, former Alabama RB turned CBS analyst Damien Harris thinks you should reevaluate that.
"It's the fact that everyone wants to say we're not afraid of Bama anymore," Harris said via Touchdown Alabama Mag. "We want Bama. Do you, though? Because they're the best team in the country. Look at what Ty Simpson is doing. Look at the addition of Jam Miller. The defense is playing lights out. Most importantly, black hoodie Kalen DeBoer. I'm scared of him."
Damien Harris says Alabama is the best team in the country
Most Alabama fans would probably stop short of calling the Crimson Tide the best team in the county right now, but Harris is ready to make that leap.
The team certainly has things it needs to improve upon. The run game, even with the addition of Jam Miller, has been nowhere close to good enough. The offensive line has struggled against the more dominant defensive lines on its schedule, which could spell bad news in hypothetical matchups down the line against the likes of Texas A&M or Ohio State.
Alabama's defense, while certainly improving, has been a bit too leaky in run defense.
That's not to say that this team can't be the best team in the country; I believe they certainly have the potential to get there. Nobody out there has been challenged like Alabama has.
Coming out of the second bye week of the season, Kalen DeBoer's team is battle-tested and well prepared for any challenger. The Crimson Tide is on a seven-game winning streak since the disheartening loss to Florida State in the opener. That streak included four consecutive wins over ranked SEC opponents Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee.
There are landmines left on the schedule, starting this weekend against a motivated and talented LSU team looking to score a major victory in the post-Brian Kelly era. Oklahoma comes to town the following week, and the Sooners are on a bye this week after an impressive road win in Knoxville over the weekend.
A road Iron Bowl is always perilous, even with an interim coach leading the way on the Plains.
Alabama has positioned itself well for the College Football Playoff. But there's plenty of work to do, and teams still very much want a crack at the Tide.