Alabama Football: Ranking 2020 opponents by toughness

LSU has a ton to replace all over the roster. Joe Burrow is gone, along both coordinators in Joe Brady and Dave Aranda, and plenty of other spots on the roster have to be replaced as well. Even with that turnover, a trip to Death Valley in November will be anything but easy.

Per 247Sports, 63 percent of LSU’s roster were four or five-star recruits, the fifth-best percentage in the nation. Even with all the transition the Tigers must undergo, they’re still one of the country’s most talented teams.

The leader of this team will be safety Derek Stingley Jr. Former Oklahoma star wideout CeeDee Lamb called Stingley the best corner he’s ever faced, and the Tiger defensive back is definitely an early favorite for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2020.

1. Georgia Bulldogs, Tuscaloosa, AL, Sep. 19

There’s never been a question about talent during Kirby Smart’s tenure in Athens. The thing that’s held the Bulldogs back has been an offense that stalls frequently and the lack of a quarterback who has the ability to make things happen on his own when these stalls occur. Jake Fromm was a fine player, but he wasn’t that guy.

That’s why the arrival of Jamie Newman in Athens is so exciting. His passing numbers were, similarly to Fromm, solid in 2019. It is the added element of the run that completely opens up this offense. Newman ran for 574 yards a year ago, which is 534 more than Fromm had in his entire Georgia career.

He’ll also have great weapons around him. The 6’3″ George Pickens is likely to be a favorite target for Newman, and at tailback, Zamir White and James Cook are the next in a long line of great Bulldog tailbacks.

This will be the game of September in the SEC, but this probably won’t be the only time we see this matchup. A date in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game is a strong possibility.