Storyline: Alabama football wins have become like death and taxes–unavoidable. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.
Stop the angry tweets. Stop the armchair analysts. It’s finally here.
Courtesy: Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The college football playoff has been finalized. Guess what? It means absolutely nothing for the first time since its inception. Why? The Alabama Crimson Tide.
Nobody in this year’s Final Four can hang with the level of dominance this team shows. Nick Saban has this team dominating in every phase of the game. In the SEC championship the Florida Gators looked like a peewee team against ‘Bama. They were pushed around, physically destroyed. ‘Bama wears down your soul.
This Playoff is over before it begins.
First of all, it’s the competition. Clemson, Ohio State, and Washington can’t physically match Alabama. Clemson nearly lost to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. (Because of that I would have picked Michigan instead for the CFP.) The week before Ohio State beat Michigan, the Bucks barely won against 3-9 Michigan State. If the Buckeyes couldn’t run against the Spartans they can’t possibly run against the Tide. And Washington–with an inflated record because of a lackluster schedule–is fodder for ‘Bama. The New Year’s Eve game looks to be a blowout.
Courtesy: The Sporting News
Alabama will romp because of the quality of its players in all phases of the game. QB Jalen Hurts is a solid quarterback, despite attempting to be the first true freshman to lead his team to a national title since Jamelle Holieway did it for the Sooners in 1986.
I have no doubt Hurts will eventually be a first round draft choice. He’s what many like to call, “Quarterbackial,” that is, he acts the way you’d want the leader of a football team to act. Guys like Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck are cut from that cloth. These guys have football as their lives. They don’t know what a nightclub is and don’t have off-field scandals.
Hurts handles himself so well. Despite not starting in the season opener against USC he led the Tide to an undefeated, 13-0, season. He reads the field like a pro and has unbelievable feet, both in the pocket and on the run.
But there’s more to ‘Bama than Jalen Hurts. Last year, defense won the National Title for the Tide. Even Deshaun Watson couldn’t beat the lightning-fast way Nick Saban’s team got after the ball. And this year’s team is littered with defensive stars.
Minkah Fitzpatrick has awesome speed and cover skills. Jonathan Allen has scouts drooling. And what really jumps off the screen while watching ‘Bama is the team’s ability to stop the run. The Tide it relentless. Just ask the Gators, who were stymied on all but one drive. On a 30 carries, the Gators finished with 0–that’s zero–yards rushing!
Best ‘Bama linebacker ever? Reuben Foster may fill that bill (photo, chatsports)
One reason Alabama is so good at stopping the run is middle linebacker, Reuben Foster. But he does more, much more. What sets him apart from most good college linebackers is his coverage ability. Foster is the best in the country at covering backs and receivers who dare cross into his area of the field. He has the hands to make turnovers, too.
And as one of the best tacklers in the college game, Foster may be the best linebacker Alabama has ever produced.
The scary thing is that Foster is not alone. According to PFF, three defensive lineman graded higher than 80 out of 100 according in the SEC Championship Game. That finding just reinforces the flat-out truth that no other team in college football has the skills to match Alabama
Alabama’s first matchup comes in the form of the Washington Huskies and QB Jake Browning. While interesting in theory, the pass-heavy offense of the Huskies plays into the hands of Nick Saban and the Tide. Browning won’t be able to throw his way out of that pressure-intense Alabama defense. It will be a repeat of the USC game, when the Huskies couldn’t handle the Trojans’ relentless pressure.
After the Huskies, ‘Bama will play either OSU or Clemson. Both of those teams lost this year when they were heavily favored–OSU against Penn State and Clemson against Pitt. Neither team will be able to stay with ‘Bama in the Final–even if it’s Clemson with Deshaun Watson, who will be looking for revenge from last year’s loss in the National Title game.
Alabama football wins have become like death and taxes–unavoidable. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.
