Leading OFF
Alabama will continue doing it better than everyone else
“More and more people are trying to do what we do. More and more people have people from our organization in their organizations. I think it’s not what we do. I think it’s how we do what we do, and we’ve got to do it better.” — Alabama coach Nick Saban, Aug. 2, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s quarterback competition will eventually work itself out.
Either Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagovailoa will become the starter.
There’ll be an adjustment period after Nick Saban makes that call, but the Crimson Tide should be 8-0 going into November.
That’s when the defending national champions will need great quarterback play.
Without it, Alabama will lose to either LSU, Mississippi State or Auburn and might miss out on the playoffs for the first time.
Then again, Alabama’s offensive line and secondary should be solidified to further enhance its talented skilled players on offense and front six or seven on defense.
The new coordinators will have established themselves in game action. And Alabama has proved it can win national titles with inconsistency in the kicking game.
So let’s just chalk up another national championship for No. 1 Alabama, huh?
Saban breaks Paul “Bear” Bryant’s record with a seventh natty and the dynasty continues in the face of those who are sick of seeing the Tide hoist trophies in January.
LSU should be. So should Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia, but anyone who thinks Alabama is going to suddenly crumble is delusional.
The Tide have the best players. The recruiting classes prove it. The titles validate it. The NFL draft confirms it.
Alabama doesn’t literally s—t players as Saban so unapologetically put it during camp, but it had enough quality depth last year to overcome several injuries to win it all — again.
The Tide have the nation’s best coach despite what an anonymous one said.
Then when considering Alabama made — and won — the playoffs without a conference title, the selection committee would face less scrutiny for choosing the Tide again if history repeats itself.
Still, Alabama has set itself apart by establishing a different type of motivation no one else has right now.
Leaving Tuscaloosa without a natty has become a sin.
A player can come in a four- or fivestar recruit, win individual honors, set school records, but he’ll ultimately be defined by the number of championships won.
When Dont’a Hightower, AJ McCarron, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Allen and Minkah Fitzpatrick are all old, gray and sitting around reminiscing about those dynasty days, they’ll share some everlasting memories.
Probably rag on Saban, but not too much, though. Hell, he might be deep into his 90s sitting there with a hearing aid turned all the way up.
However, they’ll mostly talk about winning a championship — and the ones with more than one ring will talk even louder.
That’s what motivates Tide players beyond the norm.
They don’t want to leave without at least one national title and answer the following question. What happened?
Having won two in the past three years, it’s now reached a point where one isn’t enough.
So anyone who thinks Alabama won’t be highly motivated after capturing a top college team crown last season can think again.
Remember, the Tide didn’t win the Southeastern Conference last season. Some people said they shouldn’t have made the College Football Playoff.
They’re going into a third consecutive season No. 1 — with question marks — but Alabama has been built on everyone doing their job.
The Tide do that at the highest level, they’ll again be in Playoff contention.
A quarterback competition, revamped offensive line and new secondary won’t stop them in September.
They’ll figure all that out by November.
Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma, Miami (Fla.), Washington and several more teams should be sick of seeing Alabama on top.
So Saban will likely continue to see more and more doing what the Tide do, but they’ll again be the last team standing every January if they do what they do better.