Saturday Blitz
Fansided

15 biggest college football storylines to watch in 2017

By Jerran Anderson

Dec 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson poses with the trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the 2016 Heisman Trophy award during a presentation at the Playstation Theater. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson poses with the trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the 2016 Heisman Trophy award during a presentation at the Playstation Theater. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 16
Next
Apr 22, 2017; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris (22) carries the ball for the white team during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris (22) carries the ball for the white team during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Can Alabama win their fourth-straight SEC title?

The Southeastern Conference has been largely dominated by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Under head coach Nick Saban, they have won the past three SEC Championships.

In 2017, it will be interesting to see if any team in the conference can challenge the Crimson Tide for the title. The last team to win the SEC title other than Alabama was the Auburn Tigers in 2013.

The Crimson Tide have gone 22-2 in the past three seasons in conference play. Their only two losses in the past two seasons have both come against the Ole Miss Rebels.

Alabama still has some kinks to work out. They return just 11 starters, six on offense, five on defense, from last year’s squad. Compare that to the Georgia Bulldogs or Kentucky Wildcats, who return 17 total starters apiece, and hopefully fans can see why automatically crowning Alabama champions isn’t so simple in 2017.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts returns to lead the offense but the Crimson Tide will need to rebuild the defensive line. The loss of defensive end Jonathan Allen and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson will certainly change their approach next season.

Home/College Football News