College Football 2020: 5 bold predictions for Week 9 action

5. Alabama will show it’s just fine without Jaylen Waddle

Alabama (5-0) has one of the most productive offenses in the nation. In fact, the Tide rank third in the nation (first in the SEC) in points per game (48.4) and also third (first in the SEC) in passing yards per game (386.8).

The passing offense is so effective due to the great reads, accuracy and power from quarterback Mac Jones. He also has a wide variety of dangerous weapons in wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.

This past Saturday against Tennessee, Waddle suffered a broken ankle on the first kickoff return. With him being out for the season, there are many questions regarding the productivity of the Tide’s passing offense. He was the most dynamic receiver for the Tide as he caught 25 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns.

Waddle was the receiver who lined up in the slot and ran diverse, complicated routes.

As a result of his absence, multiple football experts have claimed that Alabama will not make it past the first round of the College Football Playoff. Some have claimed that Alabama will not even make the playoff without Waddle.

Jones still has his best outside receivers in Smith and sophomore John Metchie. Smith has 45 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns while Metchie has 21 receptions for 499 yards and three scores. The Tide expect sophomore Slade Bolden to be an efficient starter in the slot, replacing Waddle. In his first start against Tennessee, Bolden caught six passes for 94 yards.

Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will look for other highly-recruited targets to ramp up production. This is where we will also see Mac Jones progress as a passer as he has 1,905 yards, 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions with an unbelievably accurate completion rate of about 79 percent.