The Coronavirus pandemic halted all winter and spring collegiate sports in the first half of 2020, but as the number of cases rise across the country, as does the fear surrounding a possible cancellation of fall sports, including football.
The Ivy League announced they will be pausing all fall sports, with a possible beginning to the season in the spring semester. The BIG 10 and PAC 12 decided to allow fall sports to commence, but by cancelling all non-conference games. The football programs will be plying 10 games, opposed to their usual 12-game schedule.
Alabama football’s schedule has already been affected by the changes made to protect the student-athletes and members of the staff. Due to the PAC 12’s decision to cancel non-conference games, the season opening matchup between Alabama and USC in Dallas, Texas has been removed from both schedules.
The rest of Alabama’s schedule, however, has not yet been impacted. The SEC has yet to make any announcements regarding potential changes to the conference’s scheduled games with out-of-conference programs.
The SEC commissioner, Greg Sankey, will be meeting with athletics directors from all across the conference. The decision to whether or not all 14 teams will be forced to play an all-SEC schedule is expected to be announced.
Alabama is already scheduled to play Georgia in Week 3 of the season, and they will be playing Tennessee in late-October; so would an all-SEC schedule, where the Crimson Tide will play two additional teams from the SEC East, help or hurt the team?
The SEC is considered college football’s premier conference, with some debate.
At the end of the 2019 season, nine of 14 teams finished with winning records and eight teams won their respective bowl games, the most of any conference. The eventual national champions, LSU, also claim the SEC as their home.
Therefore, it would be safe to assume Alabama’s 2020 schedule would be more difficult, thus diminishing their chances to finish the season with a perfect 10-0 record. Right?
Well, not exactly.
While there’s a chance Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide will have to face off against the SEC East’s top programs, such as Florida and Kentucky – with exception to Georgia-, history is on the side of Alabama.
The last loss Alabama had to an SEC East team was in 2010 to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Since then, Alabama has won 24 consecutive games against the conference opponents in the East.
Another argument that could be made to support the idea that an all-SEC schedule helps Alabama, would be the strength-of-schedule factor.
Before the 2019 season, six SEC teams were ranked in the AP top-25 poll. By the end of the season five teams were still ranked in the top-25.
This is where playing an undoubtedly stronger schedule can be a double-edged sword.
If Alabama is able to sweep their SEC West divisional schedule, as they’ve done numerous times in recent years, then they have won only half the battle. They will also need to play four SEC East teams.
Wins against more in-conference programs will lead to the Crimson Tide rise up the rankings, or hold on to their respective spot.
Though, if Alabama is not able to get the wins, it could lead to in a drop in rankings. This is what led to the Crimson Tide missing the College Football playoff since it’s creation, finishing the season ranked No. 8.
Upsets are always exciting, and always a possibility, but for the most part they are seen as “tune-up” games that fans generally consider a guaranteed win.
While playing teams like Florida or Kentucky from the East would likely make for an exciting game, but there is also a possibility that Alabama will play teams like Vanderbilt or Missouri, both of which finished 2019 with losing seasons.
Overall, an all-SEC schedule for Alabama could result in one of the program’s most difficult schedules and can lead to a very memorable winning season during a year that will definitely not be forgotten for years to come.