Alabama’s two losses in the 2022 regular season with one game left to go have Crimson Tide fans frustrated and in a desperate search for answers. For just about any other program in the nation, the possibility of ending the year with a 10-2 record would be something straight out of a dream.
Though it’s not likely, Alabama still has a chance to make the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship.
If the Crimson Tide misses out on the playoff, for only the second time since 2014, then the team will play in a featured bowl game.
Because the bowl game wouldn’t have championship implications, some players may elect to sit out to ensure their health to put themselves in the best possible position for the 2023 NFL draft.
Fans and media members may complain about players opting out of bowl games, but can we blame these players?
Let’s go back in time to earlier in 2022 when Jameson Williams tore his ACL in the national championship game against Georgia. The former Crimson Tide star receiver has still yet to play in an NFL game and only recently was allowed to return to practice.
Injuries can happen to anybody at any time regardless of the situation or context of the game. If there isn’t a championship on the line, should these players risk millions of dollars on an injury?
A recent article from 247Sports named key players from top programs across the country who could reasonably opt out of their team’s bowl game.
“The primary players to watch are Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr., but there are certainly others for the Crimson Tide — including Jordan Battle, Brian Branch, Malachi Moore and Jahmyr Gibbs — who may choose to sit for this team’s New Year’s Six appearance in favor of getting an early start on the 2023 NFL Draft. For elite projected first-rounders like Young and Anderson, the decision is becoming easier for players during the postseason who are not competing for a national championship.”
These players have been vital to Alabama’s success in recent seasons and key to flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball in 2022. If the team misses the CFP, the Iron Bowl could be the last time any of these players take the field as a member of the Crimson Tide.
[mm-video type=video id=01gfryjanzw75451km3d playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gfryjanzw75451km3d/01gfryjanzw75451km3d-3e430ab583ecf5cb4529c3055785acea.jpg]
[listicle id=59595]
[listicle id=59600]
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!