The 2020 college football season is underway and it will be unlike any season in the sport’s history. Alabama and the rest of the SEC will play a ten game, conference-only schedule due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Questions loom over how the season will pan out, how the change in schedule will affect teams and who will reign supreme by the end of it all.
CBS Sports’ SEC experts weighed in on these questions, and more, when looking ahead to the 2020 season, which is set to kick off on Sept. 26.
The experts named their most overrated and underrated teams within the conference for 2020. Alabama’s name was nowhere in sight on both lists.
The Crimson Tide were mentioned in the ‘Bold Predictions’ by Ben Kercheval. He mentions the quarterback situation in Tuscaloosa could be similar to that of when Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa competed for the starting role.
“Similar to Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young will eventually be thrust into the spotlight at Alabama even though Mac Jones starts the season as QB1,” writes Kercheval.
However, when it came to predicting who will win the SEC West, Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide was the clear favorite without contest
Experts Barrett Sallee, Dennis Dodd, Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Ben Kercheval, Jerry Palm and David Cobb unanimously picked Alabama to win the SEC West and face either Georgia or Florida in the 2020 SEC Championship game.
Only one expert, Fornelli, did not predict Alabama to win the conference title, he foresees a Georgia win.
Though, the others all backed the Crimson Tide.
“Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones might not have the same upside as other SEC signal callers, but his supporting cast is better,” writes Sallee. “The Tide have an established offensive line, studs at wide receiver in DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle along with one of the best all-around running backs in the nation in Najee Harris. Plus, the best defensive player in college football — linebacker Dylan Moses — returns after a year off and joins a defense that has experience up front and an established star at corner in Patrick Surtain II. Experience matters more so this year than in regular seasons, and Alabama has it in spades. The rest of the SEC teams with top-end talent have glaring holes in the experience department in one or more spots. Not Alabama. This won’t be a competitive SEC season. The gap between Alabama and the field is the size of the Grand Canyon.”
There are two weeks left until Alabama kicks off the 2020 season against Missouri. Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on all things Alabama football as the season quickly approaches.