For Alabama sports fans, college football is king. Alabama residents are split between two SEC powerhouses—the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Both of these programs have had their share of successes, however it’s the University of Alabama that has proven to be the more dominant of the two in recent years. Under Head Coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide have won 4 championships, establishing them as one of the most successful college programs to date. As a token of appreciation for this dominance, oddsmakers have put Bama as the favorite to win the 2018 National Championship.
Ever since Saban took the helm in 2007, the program has been quite successful. Bama has produced several players who have gone on in the NFL in Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, for example. They were just in another NCAA Championship game—a rematch against the Clemson Tigers—but they lost in dramatic fashion in the closing minutes of the game. In the previous year, Alabama beat Clemson to claim their 4th Championship under Saban. Aside from appearing in the last two NCAA Championship games, the Crimson Tide appeared in 2009, 2011 and 2012, winning all three years.
Despite last season’s disappointing ending, college football fans know not to count Bama out when it comes to next season. If anything, the team has a chip on their shoulder and something to prove after losing to the Tigers. QB Minkah Fitzpatrick will try to cement himself as a top athlete in what will likely be his last season given his senior status. Junior QB Ronnie Harrison will also be vying for opportunities to showcase his worth and abilities. Though it’s Freshman QB Jalen Hurts who will want to continue his successful run as QB. IL Shaun Dion Hamilton and LB Rashaan Evans are two senior defensive aces that will likely take on leadership roles on the defensive front. Alabama also had a strong recruiting class this year, as per usual, solidifying their future as far as depth goes.
Another interesting aspect of the Crimson Tide is their new Offensive Coordinator, Brian Daboll. Daboll’s last position was the Tight End Coach at the New England Patriots. Alabama has gone through a bit of an OC shuffle, with Daboll being their third option in a three-month span. Daboll has a history of being an OC in the NFL, albeit an unsuccessful one. His tendency to rely on the run-game could be of interest to the Crimson Tide, as QB Hurts demonstrated a solid running game last season. While some are criticizing Coach Saban’s hiring, perhaps one of the key things to consider is that Daboll shouldn’t bring the same drama as OCs from the past (Lane Kiffin…).
It’s no surprise that Alabama are favored to win the championship for the 2017-2018 season. Bettors can place future bets on them to win the title right now if they so please. For Alabama residents (specifically Bama fans), it’s certainly an easy assumption to make. If you’re interested in placing a bet, you should consider learning a thing or two about Alabama sports gambling. If the Crimson Tide’s underclassmen can step up to fill the voids left by graduated seniors and the new OC can get sorted quickly, the Crimson Tide will surely be rolling on towards another championship.