National Championship is Alabama's to Lose

By: Marcus Williams

It isn't a mystery that the Alabama Crimson Tide is arguably the best football team in the NCAA space. This team is incredibly disciplined on both offense and defense with a coaching staff that employs both creativity and precision. Each and every player on the field knows their position and can seamlessly execute play after play and drive after drive.

Prior to the start of the season, one most talked about positions in college football was the Alabama quarterback position. Coach Nick Saban has traditionally steered clear of offering the coveted position to a true freshman in favor of rotating the younger players in throughout the season and working with them closely in practice. However, with options dwindling at the start of the season, Coach Saban had to make a very unconventional move by starting Jalen Hurts. Alabama started the season strong and never wavered, finishing at 11-0 on the season. It has clearly paid off. 

A quarterback must have options and Coach Saban has assembled the best of the best to help the Alabama offense be successful. Wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Ardarius Stewart, Robert Foster, and Cam Sims have been responsible for a combined 137 catches and a total of 1,776 yards so far this season. These powerhouse players surround Hurts making his impact infallible.

Since Alabama is so versatile in their offense, Hurts doesn't need to throw every time.

He has a significant depth of options in the running game as well. In addition to Hurts' 841 rushing yards, running backs Bo Scarborough, Damien Harris, and Ronnie Clark come through the field like a freight train. This line up combined for a total of 387 carries for an impressive total of 2,380 yards. It is clear that there are some things that Alabama does extremely well; controlling field drives and scoring are two of them. 

The Tide is just as intimidating on the defensive side of the ball. Lead by senior defensive end Jonathan Allen and linebacker Reuben Foster, the Alabama defense shuts down teams quickly and effectively. Rounding out the defensive line is defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, who leads the league in interceptions, Da'Shawn Hand, the sleeper star of the Alabama defense, and Dalvin Tomlinson, one of the last few "big guys" who can contain blockers. Each contributing member of the Alabama defensive line has an uncanny ability to cause plays to fall apart quickly, force interceptions, and convert turnovers. 

Upon evaluating the Crimson Tide, it is clear that their skill and coaching leadership will take them to greatness. At this point in the season, with the SEC title game behind them, they look to take on Washington as their next victim. To contend with one of the strongest Alabama teams in the history of the program, Washington will need to come up quick on their feet and respect both the running and air game. Failure to do so will result in a quick dismantle of both offense and defense for Washington at the hands of the country's top NCAA football program.

National Championship is Alabama's to SEC Football

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