It’s not easy to list the things that could defeat Nick Saban. These days, they’re few and far between.

But last year, we saw in the national championship that Alabama wasn’t the perfect team that we thought they were. The Tide had weaknesses, and contrary to popular belief, they could be beat.

This year, everyone will be searching for the blueprint to take down Saban. That, of course, is easier said than done.

These are the 10 biggest threats to Alabama winning it all in 2017:

10. Alabama’s inevitable front seven regression

I get that it’s Alabama, but when five guys from your front seven get drafted in the first three rounds, it’s noteworthy. Everyone knows that the Tide’s 2016 front seven was as dominant was we’ve seen during the Nick Saban era. Can this group possibly produce like last year’s? If it can’t, will the loaded secondary force the key turnover? Alabama’s front seven is by no means a weakness, but replacing that much production is never a given.

9. Sam Darnold

Remember when Alabama trucked USC in the opener last year? The Tide were lucky that the Trojans didn’t realize how good Darnold was yet. Otherwise that could be a different ballgame. In terms of running into a dangerous College Football Playoff opponent, Darnold has to be at the top of the list.

8. Early Calvin Ridley injury

There’s one receiver back on Alabama’s roster who finished with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown last year. That’s Ridley. Yes, the Tide still has talent galore, but getting open in the SEC ain’t easy. That takes reps.

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A guy who can stretch the field like Ridley is so valuable for what Alabama wants to do offensively. Losing him, especially before those young wideouts can get reps, could prove costly in SEC play.

7. Kirby Smart

Think about the possibility of Georgia rolling through the East and earning a spot in the SEC Championship. In a one-game scenario, the thought of facing a guy who knows Saban like Smart would be unnerving for Alabama fans. The Bulldogs might not have the talent, and that’s not to say Smart would out-coach Saban, but he’d have a better shot than most to know what to expect.

6. Florida State loss

Stop right there. I’m not saying that a Florida State loss would end Alabama’s season. This isn’t the BCS era. What it would do is force Alabama to run the table the rest of the way. After all, last year reminded us that two-loss teams don’t make the CFP. That’s a whole lot of pressure for a team do deal with for essentially an entire season. Considering Alabama never lost an opener under Saban, it would certainly create a new dynamic in that locker room.

5. Dabo

Always and forever. Yes, Deshaun Watson is gone. Dabo Swinney, however, is still ridin’ down slides and grinning ear to ear. He conquered the rare feat of beating Saban, and he did so against a team that many believed was one of the best of all time. The Tigers are still loaded on defense, and they’ll reload on offense like Alabama does. Until the clock ticks zero on Clemson’s season, he’s an annual threat to Alabama’s place atop the podium.

4. Jarrett Stidham

Stidham’s place on this list is not my way of saying he’s a better quarterback than Darnold. He’s not. But Stidham is believed to be the last piece of the puzzle for Auburn. If he is, that Iron Bowl could be an all-or-nothing showdown. I mean, even more all-or-nothing than usual. And as we’ve seen, you don’t beat Alabama unless you play with pace, balance and the ability to stretch the field. Stidham could be the guy to do all of those things, and ultimately present the toughest SEC challenge to the Tide.

3. Kevin Wilson

If you were assuming Ohio State’s 2017 offense would look like the disaster that was shut out by Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl, think again. Urban Meyer basically gutted his offensive staff and brought in the former Indiana coach has his new coordinator.

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If what he did offensively at Indiana didn’t impress you — it should’ve — go back to his days leading Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma offense. There’s a lot more talent for Wilson to work with in Columbus than there was in Bloomington or Norman. In other words, don’t be surprised if 2017 Ohio State looks a whole lot more like 2014 Ohio State. Alabama remembers what that’s like all too well.

2. Jalen Hurts injury

For some, a Hurts injury probably wouldn’t even make this list. After all, Alabama still has 5-star true freshman Tua Tagovailoa, as well as fellow 2017 enrollee Mac Jones. But talented or not, the thought of thrusting either into a full-time role for a team with national title aspirations is scary. True freshmen aren’t supposed to handle that kind of responsibility like Hurts did last year. Without Cooper Bateman and Blake Barnett around anymore, Alabama’s backup quarterback situation isn’t nearly what it once was. Saban would prefer not to even think about the offense without Hurts in it.

1. A weak SEC

Wait. Wouldn’t a weak SEC help pave the road for Alabama get to the national championship? Yes, but is the goal just to get to the national championship, or is it to win it all? Alabama didn’t face a team as talented as Clemson during SEC play. Considering Alabama won six of its SEC games by at least three scores, it’s safe to say the Tide wasn’t used to playing a full 60 minutes, either. This year was the first time since 2003 that only one SEC team cracked the preseason top 10 of the Associated Press poll, Alabama being the lone representative. If that’s how it plays out, it could come back to haunt the Tide like it did last year.