Alabama football countdown: 35 days until kickoff

We are only 35 days away from ALABAMA FOOTBALL!!

The return of college football is quickly approaching, folks. After yet another national championship winning season, Nick Saban and company will be looking for a repeat performance in 2021.

Despite key losses, the Crimson Tide is well positioned to do just that.

The opening week matchup is against the Miami Hurricanes in Atlanta, Ga. set for Sept. 4. And with it now being July 31, we are now only 35 days away from the start of the season!

For the third consecutive season, junior linebacker Shane Lee will rock the No. 35 for Alabama. After becoming an immediate starter as a true freshman in 2019, Lee was moved into a depth role with Dylan Moses returning from an injury in 2020.

With Moses now gone, some might assume Lee will be stepping back into that role, but with the addition of Tennessee transfer Henry To’o To’o and emergence of Jaylen Moody, that is unlikely to be the case.

Either way, the depth at inside linebacker is as good as we’ve seen it, maybe ever. Where Lee fits into that mix is unclear, but he’s certainly a solid situational player. We’ll wait and see what happens with him moving forward.

Other linebackers in the past have worn the No. 35 as well, including former five-star Nico Johnson. And for all those familiar with the Crimson Tide prior to the Saban era, another former linebacker, DeMeco Ryans, is the most notable of the group.

Alabama linebacker Shane Lee (35) takes down Arkansas running back Devwah Whaley (21) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

2021 Alabama football schedule

Sept. 2 vs. Miami Hurricanes (Atlanta, Ga.)
Sept. 11 vs. Mercer Bears (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Sept. 18 at Florida Gators (Gainesville, Fla.)
Sept. 25 vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 2 vs. Ole Miss Rebels (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 9 at Texas A&M Aggies (College Station, Tex.)
Oct. 16 at Mississippi State Bulldogs (Starkville, Miss.)
Oct. 23 vs. Tennessee Volunteers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 6 vs. LSU Tigers (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 13 vs. New Mexico State Aggies (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 20 vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 27 at Auburn Tigers (Auburn, Ala.)

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Alabama football countdown: 35 days until kickoff

We are 35 days from Alabama football kicking off its season on the road against the Missouri Tigers to start a 10-game, SEC only schedule.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding college football over the last couple of weeks, but as of right now, the season still looks like it’s a go for the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

So, what does that mean? It means that we can continue the Countdown to Kickoff en route to the Crimson Tide — and the rest of the SEC — getting things underway on Sept. 26.

With it now being Aug. 22, we are officially 35 days away from the start!

Sophomore linebacker Shane Lee still wears the No. 35 for Alabama after a successful freshman campaign where he finished second on the team in tackles with 86. He’s also the Tide’s returning sack leader with 4.5 after the losses of Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings.

Other former Alabama standout linebackers also wore the number in the past. Players such as DeMeco Ryans and Nico Johnson, both of which were NFL picked in their respective NFL draft classes.

2020 Alabama football schedule

Sept. 26 at Missouri (Columbia, Mizz.)
Oct. 3 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 10 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
Oct. 17 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Oct. 31 vs. Miss State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 14 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
No. 21 vs. Kentucky (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Dec. 5 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)

Stay tuned for more updates from Roll Tide Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports College Wire network!

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