Alabama is fresh off its fifth national championship under Nick Saban. That means the dynasty isn’t even close to slowing down.

Teams such as Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State aren’t going to surrender without a fight, though. This is the SEC, after all, and we’ve seen crazy things happen over the past decade.

With that said, here are some of the best and worst case scenarios for the Crimson Tide in 2018.

Dream scenarios

1. Hurts doesn’t transfer: The rumors have swirled about Hurts’ status since Tua Tagovailoa started the second half of the national championship. Hurts’ father, Averion, has weighed in on the competition.

At the end of the day, Alabama needs Hurts, even if he doesn’t win the starting job. He’s a strong presence in the locker room and valuable depth due to his extensive experience.

In this dream scenario, the third-year quarterback decides to hold off leaving The Capstone until December.

2. Someone alleviates the Payne: Da’Ron Payne was a valuable member of the defensive line. Whether it was in the base or nickel package, the 6-3, 311-pound nose tackle became a terror for opposing offenses.

How do the Crimson Tide replace that level of impact? There are a few options.

Quinnen Williams added weight in the offseason to make the move further inside. Johnny Dwight has experience after posting 9 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack last season. Then, there’s also 3-star JUCO transfer, Vita Musika, who’s a hulking presence at 6-1, 338 pounds.

None of them can match Payne’s skill set, but a combination of the three would be enough in this dream scenario.

3. Offensive line comes together: Alabama only lost one starter (center Bradley Bozeman). It’s possible that the line could look completely different in 2018, though.

Here’s one potential lineup come Sept. 1:

  • LT Jonah Williams: Started all 15 games at LT
  • LG Lester Cotton: Started 13 games at RG
  • C Ross Pierschbacher: Started 13 games at C
  • RG Jedrick Wills: Played in 10 games with 1 start at RT
  • RT Alex Leatherwood: Played in 7 games at LT and RT

It’s still possible for last year’s starting right tackle Matt Womack to earn his starting job back. It’s also possible for Joshua Casher to work his way into the starting lineup somewhere.

Either way, this unit needs to come together.

4. A kicker emerges: Alabama fans understand how nerve-racking it can be to have a game decided by a kicker. A dream scenario would be to eliminate that stress altogether.

That’s where Joseph Bulovas or Austin Jones come in.

Alabama needs one of those two to step up and take a strong hold on the kicker position. Bulovas showed potential after converting five field goals during the A-Day game in April. The problem? He also missed a late field goal that could have been a game-winner.

5. Moses and Mack stay healthy: VanDarius Cowan is gone. Apparently, so is Keith Holcombe. That means the Tide is thin at inside linebacker heading into fall camp.

Sure, there are still talents such as Markail Benton, Joshua McMillon and Ben Davis. None has come to close to Mack Wilson and Dylan Moses.

Alabama needs both of those guys to stay healthy after each missed time with injuries in 2017.

Disaster scenarios

1. Hurts transfers, Tagovailoa gets hurt: If Hurts transfers, it’s going to affect Alabama’s quarterback depth chart. Some fans are OK with that, but having just three scholarship quarterbacks is a dangerous game to play.

It would be beyond a disaster if Hurts transferred and then Tagovailoa got injured. That would leave Mac Jones — a redshirt freshman who showed promise in the A-Day game — as the starter.

His backup? A 3-star, true freshman named Layne Hatcher. Considering Hatcher wasn’t extended an offer until after Signing Day, that would not be an ideal scenario.

2. Run defense suffers the Payne: Alabama has finished with the top-ranked run defense in each of the past three seasons. What do those three seasons have in common? Payne was a major contributor.

The defense should be fine in the nickel package, which they’re in a majority of the time. It’s that base package that could present problems.

Alabama will still field one of the top run defenses in the country. Will it be to the level we’re used to seeing, though? If not, some teams could find success on the ground against the Tide.

3. The new coaches can’t settle in: It isn’t just the new additions to the coaching staff. It’s also guys like Tosh Lupoi and Mike Locksley, who are in new roles as the defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively.

Alabama needs them to be game-ready. That’s especially true for defensive coaches such as Craig Kuligowski and Pete Golding. Between departures and injuries, there’s already enough uncertainty surrounding that side of the football.

4. DeLong becomes an option at kicker: When your punter enters the mix to become your starting kicker, something is wrong — very wrong. Granted, that’s exactly what happened with fan-favorite JK Scott last season.

Andy Pappanastos ended up being the guy, but Scott still attempted three field goals (making one) and eight extra points.

Alabama can’t afford to have a punter in the kicking competition for the second year in a row. With Skyler DeLong being a true freshman, focusing on punting duties will be enough responsibility.

5. Not enough hay to feed the horses: Alabama’s stable of running backs is impressive. There are four players — Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs and Brian Robinson — on the roster who deserve significant carries.

Will there be enough carries to go around?

The good news is there’s experience with this sort of logjam. In fact, Alabama needed to create opportunities for the four guys listed above and Bo Scarbrough in 2017. As if that weren’t enough, Hurts also demanded carries (154 of them) due to his ability as a runner.

If Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback, that should open roughly 100 carries to be distributed among the running backs. Scarbrough leaves 124 carries behind.

Bama fans are hoping that’s enough.