SEC Football: 3 teams with the most to prove during 2020 season

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Few programs would be upset with an 11-2 finish capped off with a Citrus Bowl victory, but at the University of Alabama, championships are the standard. What unravels this fall, though, could change the landscape of college football for years to come. If Clemson’s able to reach the promised land again, will Dabo Swinney and the Tigers eclipse Saban and the Tide’s position at the top of the mountain?

Saban’s in need of a quarterback after Tua Tagovailoa entered the 2020 NFL Draft, and for the first time in years he’ll need to find a quarterback on his roster that doesn’t have national championship game experience. Mac Jones appears to be the starter-in-waiting, but Tua’s younger brother, Taulia, is also a candidate for the job.

It’s not just the signal-caller Saban’s forced to replace, though, the skill positions on offense will look entirely different.

While Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle return to Tuscaloosa, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III are off to the NFL. Smith and Waddle combined for 1,816 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, while Jeudy and Ruggs III totaled 1,909 and 17 touchdowns. Eerily similar production, but Jeudy’s the only one of the group with multiple 1,000-plus yard seasons. With defenses focused on Smith and Waddle in 2020, they’ll need to continue to their upward trajectory to push the Tide toward the top in 2020.

In addition to Jeudy, Ruggs III, and Tagovailoa, seven other Crimson Tide players participated in the NFL Combine: offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, outside linebackers Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings, and defensive backs Trevon Diggs, Xavier McKinney and Shyheim Carter. For most programs, replacing that much talent is a daunting task, but Alabama typically just reloads. But, that’s a ton of talent to replace in what appears like it’ll be a shortened offseason due to coronavirus.

Regardless, the Alabama Crimson Tide will have a ton to prove in 2020. Not simply just the players accepting feature roles and inexperienced players becoming starters, but their head coach could once again prove why he’s one of the game’s absolute best. he’s cemented his spot on college football’s Mount Rushmore, but another championship season from Saban would put great distance between him and those chasing.