Alabama football fans are going to have to accept the new reality of college football. Not just because Nick Saban is no longer the coach, but because the game has fundamentally changed. With NIL, revenue-sharing, and the expansion of the College Football Playoff, what constitutes a "good" season is going to vary drastically from what it was 10 years ago.
11-1 is the 12-0. 10-2 is the new 11-1 and so on and so forth. 10-2 is a really good season, especially in the SEC, and would guarantee the Crimson Tide got into the College Football Playoff. That should be the goal every season - get into the playoff, and then let the chips fall where they may.
Obviously, fans want their team to win every game. It's just a lot less realistic than it used to be. And it was never easy; remember that during Saban's 17 years and six National Championships, only two of his teams ever completed a full season without a loss. And that was during the most dominant era a single program has ever produced.
That's why when I saw Saturday Down South's Connor O'Gara predicted Alabama to go 10-2, I didn't bat an eye. It's a sensible and safe bet. Most oddsmakers have the over/under for the Crimson Tide this year at 9.5 wins. Going over would be an accomplishment, especially against a difficult schedule.
O'Gara predicts an Alabama loss in Athens to end September, which is another safe pick. Despite Alabama being 6-1 against Georgia since Kirby Smart took over for the Bulldogs, the Tide will undoubtedly be an underdog when they travel between the hedges.
I think Alabama has a better team than Georgia this year, but I'm admittedly looking at things through crimson-colored glasses. Even still, I can accept that a neutral observer would favor Georgia in a matchup, especially with home-field advantage.
But it's the second loss on O'Gara's projections that caused my eyebrows to raise.
Alabama predicted to lose to LSU at home
The LSU hype has gotten completely out of control heading into the 2025 season. Brian Kelly has a talented roster, no doubt, but the belief that Garrett Nussmeier, who is a good QB, is the second-coming of Joe Burrow has expectations spiraling out of control in Baton Rouge.
The prediction also ignores how much Alabama has dominated LSU. In the last 14 meetings, the Tide is 12-2 against the Tigers. Kelly nipped Alabama in overtime in his first season as the LSU head coach, but Alabama has won the last two meetings by an average of 21.5 points per game.
Last season, in Death Valley, Alabama blew out LSU 42-13 with Jalen Milroe running roughshod over the LSU defense. Milroe was a boogeyman for the Tigers, but he's now off to the NFL. That doesn't mean things are going to necessarily change. Remember that as dominant as Milroe was in Baton Rouge last season, Kane Wommack's defense completely flustered Nussmeir and the LSU offense, keeping them out of the endzone for 59 minutes.
It's okay to believe that LSU is a better football team than they were a year ago. But guess what? So is Alabama, and I don't think the Tigers have done enough to make up a four-touchdown difference, especially with the game flipping to Bryant-Denny Stadium.