Three bold predictions for Alabama vs Western Kentucky
With a spread of 30+ points on the season opening game between Alabama Football and Western Kentucky, it can be difficult to come up with “bold” predictions. I expect Alabama to play a lot of players in what should be a lopsided win, which should open up a lot of opportunities for Bama players all over the depth chart.
Kalen DeBoer’s first game as the Alabama head coach should be a good one for Tide fans, who should get to see a good portion of a roster that experienced a lot of offseason turnover. Additionally, we will see for the first time how Coach DeBoer and a largely revamped staff handle various in-game situations.
With that being said, here are my week one bold predictions for Alabama.
No turnovers for the Crimson Tide offense
Alabama didn’t turn the ball over an excessive amount last season, but there is certainly a turnover-prone narrative that has followed Jalen Milroe since his first start against Texas A&M in 2022. While Milroe showed tremendous strides in protecting the football as the full-time starter last season, untimely turnovers against Texas and Michigan contributed to Alabama’s only two losses of the season.
In 2024, I expect Milroe to be much more comfortable and natural in orchestrating the Alabama offense. He should be able to keep the ball out of harm’s way without bogging down the offense with overly conservative play. That all starts with an error-free performance against WKU in week one.
Alabama eclipses its 2023 season-high point total against FBS opponents
The Tide posted 66 points against FCS UT-Chattanooga last season, but its highest point total against an FBS opponent was 56 in its opening game against Middle Tennessee State.
Though it’s a bit of a reach, I think Alabama has the offensive potential to eclipse that mark against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers were good at forcing turnovers last season, but otherwise were a poor defensive unit. Alabama should field a dominant run game and has enough explosiveness with Jalen Milroe at the helm to put up video game numbers against an inferior opponent.
One of Alabama’s secondary newcomers forces a turnover
Mainstay Malachi Moore is the undisputed leader of the Alabama secondary, but I think the Tide gets a big play from one of its many newcomers. While transfers Domani Jackson and DaShawn Jones should get a lot of time at cornerback, I’m looking for a turnover from one of the youngsters in the Tide’s defensive backfield.
True freshman cornerbacks Zabien Brown and Jaylen Mbakwe could get on the field early and make a name for themselves. Sophomore safety King Mack and true freshman nickel Red Morgan are also playmakers waiting for an opportunity. One of these aforementioned players will generate a turnover in their Crimson Tide debuts.