Alabama Football: Appreciating 2020 while looking ahead

Nick Saban and Alabama football have reclaimed their place at the top of the college football world. Let’s appreciate the season that was.

The longest national championship drought in the Nick Saban era has officially come to an end.

Alright, maybe that’s a bit more dramatic than it needs to be, but the two-year run with no title is no more.

After failing to make the College Football Playoff in 2019, Alabama humiliated Ohio State 52-24 in one of the most dominant championship performances the Tide have ever had.

After running an 11-game SEC gauntlet (including the SEC title game) that includes the likes of  Texas A&M, Georgia and Florida, Alabama dominated Notre Dame in the semifinal and then defeated the Buckeyes to win it all.

The 2020 team may be the best team Nick Saban has ever coached. Who would have thought six months ago that Alabama would actually be better without Tua Tagovailoa? That’s not a slight on Tua at all — that’s a compliment on just how good Mac Jones was this season.

Jones broke the single season record for completion percentage at 77.4 percent as well as QBR, with an eye-popping 203.1. He threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. The craziest part of it all? Not only did those stats not get Jones a Heisman, he was the second best player on the team.

This Alabama team was loaded. Three of the top five Heisman voters, including the winner Devonta Smith, just goes to show the insane amount of talent this team possessed. Smith was having a great season prior to the injury to teammate Jaylen Waddle, who was lost for the remainder of the regular season in a game against Tennessee.

Smith somehow found another gear. In eight games without Waddle, Smith had four games with 150-plus receiving yards including a monstrous 231-yard, three-touchdown game against Mississippi State. In total, Smith had 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns.

The defense had its moments where things got rough, but only by Alabama standards. There are 100 other teams, if not more, that wish they could have had the “problems” the Tide had. Given the lack of tackling practices between time missed in spring and fall camps, Alabama isn’t the only team that had tackling woes in 2020.

After all this praise about how good the 2020 Crimson Tide was, what’s next? Likely more of the same.

Saban’s 2021 recruiting class is, according to composite rankings, the greatest recruiting class on record.

Recruiting isn’t all about five-star guys, but they certainly don’t hurt. According to 247Sports, Alabama will be bringing in six five-star recruits including three of the top ten in the nation. Of those recruits, Alabama has  the nation’s best offensive tackle, center and defensive end.

Alabama hasn’t lacked in recruiting in the Saban era, with their “worst” class since 2008 ranked No. 5 in 2018. Still, Saban will undoubtedly need some of these top prospects to contribute given the talent Alabama could lose.

With the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, it’s possible some players stay, although unlikely. Heisman winner Devonta Smith, Mac Jones, Jaylen Waddle, Najee Harris, offensive linemen Alex Leatherwood and Landon Dickerson are just the offensive impact players that could end up in the NFL. Dylan Moses and Patrick Surtain highlight the possible defensive losses.

They’ll have some SEC challengers, no doubt. Georgia is going to be really good next year. Don’t think that LSU will be down for long. While Ole Miss likely won’t win the conference, Lane Kiffin will be a thorn in everyone’s side. And Auburn’s hire of Bryan Harsin makes them a wildcard as usual.

If a step back occurs in 2021 — meaning 11 wins and no playoff — don’t expect it to last long. If things go according to plan, 2022, and especially 2023, could be the best Alabama teams ever.

To quote the Paul Finebaum Show: Alabama’s dynasty has just begun.