Alabama's 2017 season opener may as well be for national title, too
TAMPA — Alabama just played in a 1 vs. 2 matchup for the ages. The Crimson Tide’s next game has a chance to be a 1 vs. 2 tilt, as well.
The Crimson Tide, who finished No. 2 in the AP Poll after losing to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship, open the 2017 campaign against Florida State, which came in at No. 8 after beating Michigan in the Orange Bowl.
‘Bama isn’t going anywhere, of course, not with the way coach Nick Saban mops up on the recruiting trail. Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher — a Saban disciple, remember — has stockpiled almost as much four- and five-star talent, though. Both teams will feature an embarrassment of riches up and down the depth chart next year.
The Tigers are now without Deshaun Watson, the irresistible force who moved the Tide’s previously immovable object (i.e., their defense).
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Alabama faces FSU in Week 1 this coming season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, right across the street from the Georgia Dome. Since preseason games for the Falcons don’t count, it’ll be the first real contest at the brand-new facility.
College football has recently taken ownership of Labor Day weekend, casting aside its usual barrage of cupcake specials — East Nowhere State at home, for example — in favor of high-profile affairs at neutral sites. With the Crimson Tide scheduled to take on the ‘Noles, a genuine national-title contender will start out 0-1.
Despite the fact that ‘Bama just fell for the first time in 27 games, back-to-back losses is a definite possibility right now.
Needless to say, Florida State highlights Alabama’s four non-conference opponents for the upcoming season. After the Seminoles, the Crimson Tide will do battle with Fresno State, Colorado State and Mercer, all in Tuscaloosa.
Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
FSU is on a five-game winning streak — its last defeat was also to Clemson, as a matter of fact — and just topped a Wolverines squad that many thought deserved to be in the Final Four. No question about it, Fisher loses his premier offensive and defensive player. Dalvin Cook and Demarcus Walker, respectively, are all-time greats in Tallahassee.
However, the rest of his roster remains relatively intact. Precious few seniors will be moving on to the next level.
Most important for a QB guru like Fisher (above), Deondre Francois is only a redshirt freshman. While he was just a 58-percent passer in his first year as a starter, he put together a sparkling touchdown-to-interception ratio of 23-to-8.
Fisher turned three consecutive starting signal callers — Christian Ponder, EJ Manual and Jameis Winston — into first-round draft picks, so he knows how to develop prospects at the game’s most important position. That’s why passing game-starved LSU has tried to bring him back to Baton Rouge each of the last two seasons.
Bruised and battered behind an offensive line that failed to protect him, Francois proved to be one of the toughest quarterbacks in America.
Cook, the program’s all-time leading rusher, is irreplaceable. That being said, next season Fisher will have the services of Cam Akers, a five-star signee from Clinton (Miss.) High School. Watch his tape, and you’ll see a Cook clone.
On the other side of the football, the ‘Noles were second nationally to ‘Bama in 2016 with 51 sacks — they played in two fewer games, too. Walker’s 16.0 sacks will surely be missed, but fellow pass rushers Josh Sweat and Brian Burns combined for 16.5. Both return. Joshua Kaindoh, another five-star stud, will be added to the rotation soon.
Like Clemson, Florida State has essentially been running an SEC-level factory for years. The Tide won’t have an edge in terms of pure talent.
Still, they won’t be at a disadvantage, either. Just because Alabama gave up a late lead Monday to the Tigers, that doesn’t mean Saban (below) and Co. gave up their stranglehold on one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of the sport.
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Practically a rite of winter at this point, the Crimson Tide are on pace to sign the top recruiting class in the country — four five-star kids have already pledged their commitment — this February for the seventh straight year. No matter how loaded they get, there’s always some room for a few fabulous freshmen to contribute.
Speaking of freshmen, quarterback Jalen Hurts is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year and still has tons of upside.
True, he struggled for large stretches of the Clemson game and regressed as a passer throughout the postseason, but he’s far from a lost cause. A completion percentage of 62.8 and a TD-to-INT ratio of 23-to-9 don’t happen by accident.
Defensively, some big names are out of eligibility — pass rusher Jonathan Allen, linebacker Reuben Foster and safety Eddie Jackson among them. But A’Shawn Robinson was a huge loss up front a season ago. So was Reggie Ragland in the linebacking corps. Perhaps no unit in the nation reloads annually like Saban’s D.
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If offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian proves to be a quality replacement for Lane Kiffin, then the coaching staff also remains elite.
Alongside USC, which just became the first three-loss club to finish as high as No. 3 in the final poll, Alabama and Florida State will be overwhelming favorites to make it to next year’s College Football Playoff.
Naturally, since the two of them play each other right out of the shoot, one will have to regroup from a season-opening loss in order to make any sort of championship run. But the relative strength of the SEC and ACC — both have had a CFP entrant all three years — means it isn’t a do-or-die elimination game.
Still, that won’t take away from the spectacle. This year may have just ended, but next year can’t get here soon enough.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
