Alabama football: 4 future opponents the Tide should schedule
By Bryan Peraza
1. Oregon
Perfection, this would be the way to describe a potential home-and-home series between the Tide and the Ducks.
These two opponents have never met on the gridiron despite multiple occasions where it could have had the Tide not been chosen for the playoff this season, this matchup could have happened in either the Cotton Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl.
Greg Byrne is an Oregon native despite the fact most of his athletic director career was spent in Arizona, and, surprisingly, the two programs have never attempted to schedule each other in football despite multiple requests and the strong ties between both (like Dan Lanning having worked for Nick Saban in 2015).
Alabama’s never-before-played list is pretty much highlighted by previously mentioned Iowa and Oregon (Alabama is currently scheduled to play Arizona, whom they haven’t played yet either), albeit if we are ranking the programs most likely to play Alabama football for the first time in a home and home series, Oregon would be the undisputed Number 1.
As it stands right now, these are the opponents Alabama has never played:
- Oregon
- Kansas
- Arizona (will play Alabama in the future)
- Indiana
- Northwestern
- Arizona State
- Oregon State
- Pittsburgh
- Virginia
- Iowa
- Purdue
Going back to Oregon, a matchup between the two programs would not only be close and exciting, but also would bring contrasts between both teams’ fanbases since Eugene and Tuscaloosa are two very different cities, the contrasts between both teams in the gridiron are also notable due to Oregon’s different uniform and playing style when compared to Alabama’s jerseys and play-calling, and the fact multiple people outright requested it during the end of the BCS era would make a potential Alabama vs. Oregon home and home series one of the best non-conference matchups ever.
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Greg Byrne and Rob Mullens, may you PLEASE get it to happen!