It wasn’t an easy season for the Crimson Tide. Yes, they walked away as the top team in college football for the fifth time in nine seasons, but there were obstacles … a lot of them.

The team’s faith in its ability to bring Tuscaloosa yet another national championship never wavered, however. They looked adversity in the face, and they conquered.

Here are 10 obstacles that Alabama overcame en route to winning the 2017 national title.

1. Losing three key players early to the NFL

One thing Alabama constantly deals with is players leaving early for the NFL. It was already going to be a hard task having to replace guys like Jonathan Allen, O.J. Howard and Reuben Foster heading into this season.

The task got even harder when three juniors — CB Marlon Humphrey, OT Cam Robinson and WR ArDarius Stewart — chose to enter a year early. They were all instrumental in the Tide’s success in 2016.

2. Replacing two offensive coordinators in two months

Lane Kiffin’s departure wasn’t all that surprising. It had looked like the plan was for offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian to slide into the offensive coordinator role for Alabama, and he did … for a game.

Following the national championship, Sarkisian and Saban agreed to mutually part ways as the former USC head coach left for the same position with the Atlanta Falcons.

It left Saban in dire need of a new play caller right after signing day. A pretty big problem considering Sarkisian was already Plan B.

3. Fromm’s decommitment from Alabama

Talk about destiny. When Alabama lost the commitment of 4-star prospect Jake Fromm to Georgia, the future at the position looked like it might be Mac Jones once Jalen Hurts was finished with his career.

That happened in March of 2016, but it didn’t take the Tide long to overcome that major obstacle.

Less than two months later, a guy by the name of Tua Tagovailoa chose to continue his career at the University of Alabama — you know, the guy who just won the MVP of the national championship despite only playing one half.

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4. Hand’s DUI arrest

A month before the season started, rising senior Da’Shawn Hand was arrested for a DUI. The defensive lineman had gone to sleep in his car with it cranked despite being intoxicated.

That sort of thing can be a major distraction for a team. It looked like it would be an even bigger one when Nick Saban announced that Hand wouldn’t be suspended.

As it turned out, Saban’s unwillingness to throw his player to the wolves ended up being the correct call. No other player had any legal issues this season.

5. Losing two top edge rushers in the first game

Christian Miller was expected to be Alabama’s top sack artist. Terrell Lewis was projected the be one of the top sleeper candidates to emerge as an elite prospect.

Neither was able to establish himself as such — at least not early in the season — due to what was thought to be season-ending injuries against Florida State in Week 1.

Both returned by the last week of the regular season, but it was a long season without them. Lewis had 7 tackles in the national title game, including the huge sack in overtime that forced Georgia to settle for a field goal. Miller also added a sack.

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6. Hamilton’s season-ending knee injury

Senior LB Shaun Dion Hamilton has been one of Alabama’s most underrated players for two years. It wasn’t until he went down with a season-ending knee injury for the second time in as many years that people fully realized his impact.

What added to the problem was Mack Wilson’s foot injury in the same game against LSU. Wilson was suppose to be Hamilton’s backup, but the Tide were forced to go with Keith Holcombe in Starkville.

Let’s just say the transition was less than stellar. True freshman Dylan Moses was lined up with the starters the following week against Mercer.

7. Late-game deficit in Starkville

Mississippi State was more than a formidable opponent in Week 11. The Bulldogs led 24-17 lead late in the game.

Alabama QB Jalen Hurts did an excellent job rising to the occasion, however. He helped the Tide score 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 31-24 victory. DeVonta Smith caught that game-winner too, turning a quick slant from Hurts into a 26-yard TD with 25 seconds left.

8. Crushing loss to rival Auburn

It’s tough losing any game, but to do it against your biggest rival with the SEC West title on the line is crushing. It could have been worse. It could have ended the Tide’s Playoff hopes altogether.

Alabama didn’t let the 26-14 defeat linger, however.

The Tide were selected to the Playoff for the fourth consecutive season, and they took out a year’s worth of frustration on Clemson for beating them in the national championship in 2016.

9. Losing four more players following the Iron Bowl

If there was one obstacle that Alabama constantly overcame this season, it was injuries.

The team had just gotten Terrell Lewis, Mack Wilson and Christian Miller back, but then ended up having four more players suffer injuries that would cause them to miss time in the Playoff.

The biggest loss was probably Anfernee Jennings, who had become Alabama’s most productive edge rusher. That didn’t make the losses of Hootie Jones, Dylan Moses or Lester Cotton any less significant, however. Minkah Fitzpatrick wasn’t close to 100 percent in the title game, either.

10. QB change on the biggest stage

In what ended up being the defining moment for Alabama’s season, Saban elected to make one of the gutsiest calls of his career.

With Hurts struggling to get the offense going against Georgia in the national championship, Saban turned to true freshman back up Tua Tagovailoa in the second half.

It was the correct choice. Tagovailoa threw 3 TD passes, including the dramatic, 41-yard game-winner to DeVonta Smith in overtime to seal their fifth national championship since 2009.