Alabama might seem invincible at times. However, no one is impervious when it comes to injury.

There’s no doubt that the Crimson Tide’s recent run of injuries at tailback will have an effect on its program. However, just how much may actually prove to be negligible.

Alabama is down to 3 scholarship running backs after it was announced that Jase McClellan is out for the year with a knee injury. That was certainly not the way Alabama coach Nick Saban wanted to begin his press conference this week. The sophomore suffered a knee injury Saturday against Ole Miss and was scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday. The Tide will have to look elsewhere for running backs.

McClellan isn’t the only Bama running back with health issues. Though not as serious, freshman Camar Wheaton is week-to-week with a meniscus injury in his knee. Wheaton could have surgery but that seems unlikely at this point. Still, he is not medically cleared to play.

That leaves Alabama with 3 healthy scholarship running backs: senior Brian Robinson Jr. and sophomores Trey Sanders and Roydell Williams. I won’t bore you with the details about them all being highly rated coming out of high school. Bama doesn’t recruit duds. They’re all well thought of. Sanders, however, was the highest rated of the bunch. Some recruiting services even had him as the top tailback prospect in the nation. However, it’s not just his running ability that will soon be in question.

Alabama would love to have the long-play, tackle-breaking ability that it had with former Tide tailback Najee Harris, who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Almost assuredly, Bama will have to settle for less. However, that doesn’t mean the situation is insurmountable. Not even close.

The key for whoever picks up available snaps is to focus on one thing before he even touches the football: protect the quarterback. Losing McClellan hurts, literally, but losing quarterback Bryce Young would be a disaster and possibly the only thing that will make Alabama beatable this season.

Alabama doesn’t need a superstar tailback for this offense to continue moving forward. Actually, they’re well equipped to handle a drop-off on the ground. Bama is 9th in the SEC with 163 yards rushing per game. They are 5th in the SEC with 299 yards passing per game. Like it or not, Bama is a passing team. Isn’t that the case for every good team in college football? Those are just the times we live in.

Statistically, Bama is a passing team, but that’s not completely accurate. Saban and his offensive coaching staff use short passes and screens that are actually just extended running plays. They just happen to have a forward pass thrown in. As long as Alabama’s tailbacks can protect Young and hold onto the football, they should be fine even with the injuries.

Don’t forget that Alabama was facing a similar situation on defense last season. Bama lost key linebackers in the preseason and early in the 2020 season, but that didn’t stop them from being the nation’s best team in the country. We all know it’s true, but it’s worth repeating: Alabama will always have depth as long as Saban is running the program.

That depth will be tested somewhat in practice. Like most schools, Alabama’s practices are closed, but it would be interesting to see just how Saban divvies up the carries on the first team.

Saban’s gameday plan may differ a bit in blowout games. Once a game is in hand, it would be wise to pull who he deems as his best playmakers. Having 3 healthy running backs is manageable. There’s no need to see if Bama can manage with 2.

Most thought Robinson Jr. would be the go-to tailback during the offseason. After all, Harris was gone and Robinson Jr. was a senior. Statistically, that has been the case. The Tuscaloosa native has 379 yards and 6 touchdowns on 73 carries. That results in 5.2-yards per carry.

Sanders and Williams haven’t received as many carries, but the carries they have gotten have been meaningful. Sanders has carried the ball 20 times for 83 yards (4.2 ypc). He just needs to be more disciplined with the football when he has it. Williams has the best average yards per rush among all Alabama running backs with 6.4-yards per carry on 24 carries for 154 yards.

Alabama’s schedule doesn’t make anything easier. The Crimson Tide travel to Texas A&M for Saturday’s game and to Mississippi State on Oct. 16. The Aggies will surely be motivated after 2 straight losses this season — and 8 consecutive losses to Bama since Johnny Manziel did his thing in 2012. This was supposed to be a matchup for the SEC West. It’s turned into much, much less.

A&M, which opened the season ranked No. 6, has lost its starting quarterback and fallen out of the Top 25.

Saban has said it’s ideal to have 5 healthy scholarship running backs. Well, he has 3. One has experience and one has incredible talent. So while it may not be ideal, no one in the SEC is going to feel sorry for Alabama. They’re going to be just fine. And fine means they can still win a national title.