5 reasons Alabama will win the 2018 National Championship

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a nice run, but came up just short against Clemson this season. Next year will be a different story.

Gripe all you want about an illegal pick on the last play of the 2017 National Championship Game, but Clemson stormed back and deserved to win. The Alabama Crimson Tide lost in the title game and head back to Tuscaloosa in a weird position — as national runner-ups.

What went wrong for the Tide against Clemson? Well, the offense remained stagnant for too long in the second half and didn’t capitalize on the chances the defense kept providing. Jalen Hurts and the offense couldn’t move the ball effectively, or consistently, against Clemson’s elite defense, allowing the Tigers to stick around.

There’s no arguing this was one of the best championship games of all time and college football might have yet another great rivalry between Alabama and Clemson brewing.

If you think Alabama is just going to roll over and become a mid-level program after losing in the national title game, you’re dead wrong. Take a look at the five reasons the Crimson Tide will be back and better than ever in 2017.

5. Defense will reload, as always

Tim Williams, Reuben Foster, Jonathan Allen, Marlon Humphrey and Ryan Anderson are all headed off to the NFL after playing on college football’s best defense in 2016. They have all been All-American candidates and each could realistically be selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Replacing those guys might seem like an insurmountable task for normal programs, but for Alabama, it’s just another year. In the past decade under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide have lost a ton of talented players, but seem to run out an even more impressive unit the following season.

Young, athletic studs will be taking over at each empty position and they, too, will likely be molded into top draft picks before their careers in Tuscaloosa are over with.

Alabama doesn’t rebuild on this side of the ball. It reloads.