CRIMSON PRIDE
With 4 of last 7 national titles under its belt, Alabama knows what it’s doing
Look, everybody is bound to be wrong once.
And by everybody, we mean everybody. As in all 61 voters who in 2015 made Ohio State the Associated Press’ first unanimous preseason No. 1 team.
It’s not like they were far off. The Buckeyes, who won it all in 2014, finished 12- 1 last season and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff. But what, in retrospect, strains the imagination is that zero of the 61 voters rolled with the Tide.
Alabama is the defending national champion, which shouldn’t rate as a surprise to anyone on God’s green earth. The Crimson Tide have won four of the last seven titles. Coach Nick Saban has foisted a dynasty upon the masses who would prefer to believe any year might be their year.
‘‘ A year ago,’’ Saban said at the start of training camp, ‘‘ I didn’t know that we were going to have that kind of team chemistry. I didn’t know we would have that kind of commitment.’’
Raise your hands if you believe that statement. No one? Didn’t think so. Alabama is, with 33 of 61 first- place votes, your 2016 preseason No. 1. Really, anything less would’ve been folly. The Tide simply don’t dabble in shoddy chemistry, and they’re always fully committed to reaching the top of the mountain.
But let’s slow our roll and at least acknowledge the following trend: In the last 11 seasons, AP voters have nailed their collective preseason No. 1 pick precisely zero times. It’s a remarkably dry run, especially considering Alabama’s four titles and 12- victory average in the last nine seasons.
Does it, nevertheless, cast doubt on the Alabama pick this year?
Sure, it does. No. 2 Clemson, the 2015 runner- up, returns the best quarterback in the land in Deshaun Watson. No. 3 Oklahoma, which also made the 2015 playoff, has star quarterback Baker Mayfield back in the fold and is the Big 12’ s clearest favorite in a long time. No. 4 Florida State is one of the precious few programs that has stood nearly toe- to- toe with the Tide on the recruiting front.
Yet we should consider another trend: Six of the last seven national champs have been led by first- year starters at quarterback. Just a coincidence? Perhaps. Or maybe voters foolishly overlooked Alabama in just these situations time and again — Greg McElroy in 2009, AJ McCarron in 2011, Jake Coker in 2015.
Saban let his quarterback competition among Cooper Bateman, Blake Barnett and Jalen Hurts play out throughout training camp, which means one of those guys will have to turn up in a big way for the season opener against USC in Arlington, Texas.
It won’t be easy for whoever takes that first snap, but the Tide have a history of rolling with one guy from start to finish. Whomever it is, he likely will be more than cut out for the job.
This is, after all, Alabama we’re talking about.