The Alabama Crimson Tide will be good in 2017. However, with a defensive rebuild in the works, here’s a look at five teams who can dethrone them next season.
The Alabama Crimson Tide went undefeated in the regular season before falling to the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship on the final play of the game 35-31. Now, as next season looms, their schedule is a bit tougher. They open the season against the Florida State Seminoles on September 2.
The Crimson Tide tie for last in returning starters (11) in the Southeastern Conference. Along with the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels, the Crimson Tide are a team with some holes to fill in 2017.
The offensive line will need to be rebuilt and quarterback Jalen Hurts will need to find some new receiving targets. With that being said, per usual, teams will be looking to dethrone the Crimson Tide next season.
It’s hard to not call Alabama the best team in the FBS, especially on offense. They’re stacked once again at the skill positions. Alabama sent a lot of talent to the 2017 NFL Draft and fans took notice. They set a school record with 10 players taken in this year’s draft. They’ll look to return to the National Championship next season, but here’s a breakdown of a few teams who could take them off the throne.
5. Florida State Seminoles – September 2
The Alabama Crimson Tide haven’t opened the season against an ACC opponent since the 2013 season. Back then, they faced the Virginia Tech Hokies, making easy work of them 35-10 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
On September 3, they’ll face a stronger foe in the Florida State Seminoles. The two teams haven’t met since 2007, when Alabama lost 21-14.
Quarterback Deondre Francois has some experience defeating an SEC team in a season opener as well. Francois led the Noles to a 45-34 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels in his first collegiate start.
The Crimson Tide are a tougher team than the Rebels, but Francois will be up for the challenge. Although he loses running back Dalvin Cook, true freshman Cam Akers is already turning heads on special teams and out of the backfield.
Florida State was arguably the best three-loss team in the FBS last season, which explains why they finished in the top 10 in the AP Poll. As a possible contender for the ACC title, the Seminoles are the first team that stands in the way of dethroning the Alabama Crimson Tide. They’ll have to play a solid game as the return of safety Derwin James will play a large role in any success Florida State may have.
4. Ole Miss Rebels – October 30
The Ole Miss Rebels have some rebuilding to do on offense, replacing quarterback Chad Kelly. They have won two of their last three meetings against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Rebels are the last team to defeat the Crimson Tide in the regular season. Their most recent victory came when they defeated them 43-37 in 2015. In fact, the Rebels defeated the Crimson Tide in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015.
As the last team to defeat Alabama, Ole Miss is another team prime to dethrone them in 2017. They just need a new starting quarterback first. The likely starter at quarterback, Shea Patterson, threw for 880 passing yards and six touchdowns in three games in 2016 as a freshman. The pressure will be on him this fall as he looks to earn the starting job.
The defense returns six starters, including highly-rated defensive end Marquis Haynes. Haynes led the team last season with 11.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. He also recorded the first interception of his career in 2016.
The schedule favors the Ole Miss Rebels as they face the South Alabama Jaguars, UT Martin Skyhawks and California Golden Bears in their first three games before Alabama. The early season schedule will help prepare whoever the starting quarterback is next season.
3. @ Texas A&M Aggies – October 7
The Texas A&M Aggies were 4-0 in the SEC last season before facing the Alabama Crimson Tide. With graduate transfer Trevor Knight at quarterback, they fell 33-14 on the road.
The Aggies will need to find a starting quarterback again and only return five starters on offense. However, with seven starters returning on defense, including safety Armani Watts, they’re sure to be a challenge for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In nine meetings against the Aggies, the Alabama Crimson Tide are 7-2 with their last loss coming in 2012 back when Johnny Manziel was quarterback. Texas A&M is 1-4 against the Tide since joining the SEC.
The battle for the starting quarterback job could go well into the fall but having dual-threat freshman quarterback Kellen Mond on the roster could prove to be useful. Mond turned heads in the Under Armour All-American game with 90 passing yards and 84 rushing yards.
Dual-threat quarterbacks have generally worked well under Sumlin and Mond serves as another potential successor to quarterback Trevor Knight. Knight led the Aggies to an 8-5 record in 2016, throwing for 2,432 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also rushed for 614 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Aggies also return Trayveon Williams, who ran for 1,057 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman. With a lot of experience returning on the defensive side of the ball, the Aggies hope it will carry them to an upset victory in 2017.
2. LSU Tigers – November 4
The LSU Tigers start a new era under head coach Ed Orgeron. With that being said, their 10-0 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide is something the Tigers can build upon. The Tigers are currently on a six-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide but that’s not necessarily indicative of ineptitude. They lost 20-13 in 2014 in overtime and 21-17 in 2012.
Close losses are still losses but LSU looks to finally find a solid quarterback since seeing a shuffle at the position the last few seasons.
The offense was a work in progress in 2016 under quarterback Danny Etling. The team even saw quarterback Brandon Harris transferred out and is now a member of the UNC Tar Heels. Etling threw for 2,123 passing yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but he also threw five interceptions.
The offense ranked 68th in the FBS in points per game (28.3). However, with running back Derrius Guice in the backfield now full time, things could change. Guice had 183 carries for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2016, rushing for 7.6 yards per carry (first in the SEC). If Guice can both pick up where he left off last season and do better in 2017, the Tigers could snap their losing streak to Alabama next season.
1. @ Auburn Tigers – November 25
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn have a rivalry that has stood the test of time. The Iron Bowl serves as the season finale for both squads and a lot could be on the line when the game arrives.
The Tigers return eight starters on offense and seven on defense in 2017, not including transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham, formerly of the Baylor Bears. Stidham saw success at Baylor in 2015. He threw for 1,265 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games before transferring due to off-the-field turmoil regarding former head coach Art Briles.
Auburn is another team that’s seen its fair share of quarterbacks. In 2016, John Franklin III and Sean White split time at quarterback. This upcoming season, head coach Gus Malzahn could do the same with Stidham and White or give Stidham the job outright.
The Tigers led the SEC in rushing yards per game (271.3 ypg) in 2016 behind the running back tandem of Kamryn Pettway (1,224 rushing yards, seven touchdowns) and Kerryon Johnson (895 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns).
Next: 5 reasons why Alabama will win the SEC again in 2017
On the other side of the ball, the defense returns a majority of a unit that allowed just 17.1 points per game (seventh in the FBS). If the defense can manage the game and keep them in it, Auburn could be the team to dethrone Alabama and dash their National Champions hopes in the process.