In 2022, Alabama missed the College Football Playoffs for the second time since the current four-team format began. The Crimson Tide finished the season ranked No. 5 and won a New Year’s Six bowl game that didn’t serve as a CFP semifinal.
While that may be cause for celebration to fans of just about any other team, it’s a disappointment for Alabama fans.
Two regular-season losses were to blame for the Crimson Tide’s failure to make the playoffs. Both came on the road in hostile environments. Alabama lost two extremely close games against LSU and Tennessee.
With some highly talented, impact players from last year off to the NFL, major questions exist for the Tide that require answers before the start of the 2023 season. Most notably, who will be the starting quarterback?
Questions like that will be answered behind the scenes. Regardless of who opens the season as QB1, the whole team will have the difficult task of trying to return to the College Football Playoffs.
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee believes Alabama will suffer another two-loss regular season. The two teams to get it done? LSU (again) and Texas. What is interesting is that both of those games take place in Tuscaloosa.
“The Crimson Tide have a ton of questions (by Alabama standards) heading into the season, starting at quarterback where they picked up former Notre Dame signal-caller Tyler Buchner to compete with Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe,” writes Sallee. “That’s a big problem considering they’ll host Texas and star Quinn Ewers — who torched the Tide in last season’s matchup before leaving the game with injury — in Week 2. LSU is going to be tough as well considering the stability on the roster after last season’s run to the division title. The saving grace for coach Nick Saban is that the road schedule is a piece of cake save for the always-wild trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the Iron Bowl. If the Tide top Texas or LSU, they’ll go over. I’m going to go under, but would never place a bet against Saban with my actual money.”
There are many unknowns Nick Saban and his staff will have to figure out before the start of the season against Middle Tennessee. Luckily for him and the program, there are a few months until then.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 offseason progresses.
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