Alabama Football: Who has best chance of upsetting the Tide in 2021?

Alabama football is ridiculed for the underwhelming strength of schedule on what has become an annual basis. However, 2021 has certainly granted some schools with weaker slates than what Alabama will be working with this time around.

Such a claim mainly is a reference to their games away from the esteemed Bryant-Denny Stadium, which has consistently been one of America’s toughest places for any visiting team to play.

This fall, Alabama is scheduled to face Miami, Florida, Texas A&M, and Auburn all away from home. The Miami game will unfold in Atlanta, but the rest will be 100 percent enemy territory for the Tide.

Those four meetings will most likely be about as tough as the regular-season stretch will get for Alabama. As a result, one of them must be the toughest that awaits the SEC powerhouse. But which one, and why?

For starters, the Hurricanes can be ruled out. This is because they are visually inferior to the Crimson Tide despite playing in a much weaker conference. And, as previously established, the battle with Miami is the only one of the four that is not a complete road game for Alabama (not to mention that Atlanta is known for treating the latter quite well).

Next, we can scratch off Auburn, as their mysterious nature helps little in their favor when compared to a squad like that of their in-state rival. Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin is surely capable of keeping his new team afloat, but his first year will fail to be any sort of a cakewalk nonetheless.

Alabama football’s biggest threats

That leaves just Florida and A&M as contenders for Bama’s most worthy adversary for 2021, but even when dwindled down to just two options, the answer is still rather clear: Texas A&M will be the hardest to overcome and for a multitude of reasons.

Florida lost much of their offensive firepower after last season, and that was their strong suit. Also, the Gators are placed between a pair of weaklings (the Mercer Bears and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, respectively).

The same cannot be said for the Aggies, who are wedged between two up-and-coming conference foes, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

Both Florida and Texas A&M were formidable forces last year and are planned to be again, but A&M was just a bit better in regards to win-loss records and a victorious battle with UF themselves.

The Aggies may not even make the Crimson Tide flinch when the powers encounter one another this Fall, but they definitely have a better chance of doing so than anyone else on the menu so far, and that will just have to suffice.