College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games
By Brad Weiss
Alabama Crimson Tide
2016: 14-1, SEC- West Division
I am not going to take the bait and rank anybody higher than Alabama, even though these rankings are very early. The Crimson Tide are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship Game, so expect head coach Nick Saban to coach with a chip on his shoulder in 2017. That could spell trouble for the SEC, which has done little to stop his program in recent years.
Alabama comes into the 2017 season with a returning quarterback for the first time since A.J. McCarron was under center in 2013. The Crimson Tide also have the best recruiting class in the nation, which means the team just continues to reload. There are plenty of big names to replace on this roster, but that is nothing new for Alabama, who churns out first round draft picks each and every year.
The offense for Alabama should be tough next season, as Jalen Hurts returns after a stellar freshman campaign at quarterback. Also returning are running back duo Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris, so expect the Crimson Tide to once again grind it out on the ground in 2017. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has a ton of weapons at his disposal in his first year as the team’s offensive coordinator, as he replaced the departed Steve Sarkisian.
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The defense is where the team will feel the most from the departed, as Tim Williams, Reuben Foster, Jonathan Allen and Marlon Humphrey are all first round talents. However, senior Rashaan Evans should step in and lead the linebackers, while uber-prospect Dylan Moses will be one of the more watched Freshman in the country this season. It will be next-man-up for the Crimson Tide in 2017, and they just may find themselves holding the Crystal Ball once again at the end of it all.