Alabama defense needs to return to form to win the SEC

If Alabama football leans on its defense, the Crimson Tide can win the SEC.

Alabama football has won many championships with defense, and 2020 should be no different.

In a 10-game, conference-only slate, the Alabama Crimson Tide know they will be up against it this season. There is a reason the SEC only wants to play eight conference games annually. Every SEC game is so taxing, so why would the best conference in the Power 5 need another data point to prove it so when we already know this to be true? However, the SEC has no choice this year.

All 14 member institutions will play 10 games apiece in-conference to help crown an SEC champion. Assuming the winner has one or fewer loses, this Power 5 champion will have earned its rightful spot in the College Football Playoff. After missing out on it a season ago for the first time since the tournament’s inception, Alabama is as hungry as ever to get back into the mix.

Alabama football must win with defense if the Crimson Tide want to win big.

For as exciting as the Crimson Tide’s offense has been throughout much of the College Football Playoff era, 2020 is not the year for head coach Nick Saban to lean on Steve Sarkisian‘s offense. Under normal circumstances, Sarkisian could draw up plenty of great offensive concepts and go the Lane Kiffin route on his way towards his next college football head coaching opportunity.

However, Alabama starting quarterback Mac Jones isn’t Tua Tagovailoa, nor is he Jalen Hurts. At his best, maybe he can be A.J. McCarron light? Alabama can win a ton of games with him at quarterback, but when it comes down to facing Trevor Lawrence of the Clemson Tigers or Justin Fields of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama will come up painfully short in those big games.

As for in SEC play, the Crimson Tide maybe have the fourth-best starting quarterback in the conference. The Florida Gators have Kyle Trask with Emory Jones backing him up. The Texas A&M Aggies have a proven commodity in Kellen Mond. Over in Athens, the Georgia Bulldogs have two high-end starters in JT Daniels and Jamie Newman. Those are just three Alabama has to deal with.

If you look at other SEC schools, how sure are we Jones is better than the Auburn Tigers’ Bo Nix, the LSU Tigers’ Myles Brennan or even the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ K.J. Costello? Should Jones flounder, Alabama could be bottom half at quarterback in the SEC if he doesn’t progress from his few starts from last year. Though Bryce Young is around, it’s about winning with defense in 2020.

Now is defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s time to shine. Being Alabama’s defensive coordinator  under Saban has been a very good thing for one’s coaching trajectory. Kirby Smart leads his alma mater over in Georgia. Jeremy Pruitt is the main man in Rocky Top leading the Tennessee Volunteers. Golding may be in his 30s, but this is his best chance to make his mark at Alabama.

If he can get his defense playing along the lines of what Mel Tucker and Dan Lanning did under Smart at Georgia the last few years, Alabama has a chance to beat anybody, anytime, anywhere. Having a Doak Walker candidate in running back Najee Harris to hand the ball off to is a huge help in the Crimson Tide’s wishes to play ball-control football. It’s not sexy at all, but it will be effective.

In a 10-game SEC schedule, Alabama will drop a game, as will everyone in the SEC. It’s rare for a team to go 8-0 in SEC play during the regular season. Adding two data points against teams you don’t play very often will only complicate things. If Alabama draws Florida on the schedule, that’s another tough game the Crimson Tide will have to survive in a 10-game SEC gauntlet.

Though Alabama has plenty of talent to win in multiple ways on the football field, if the Crimson Tide want to get back to the College Football Playoff as SEC Champions, they’re going to have to win with defense and get a Heisman-level season out of Harris. Jones isn’t going to be that for them and Young is too green to carry this offense on his back right away after this offseason.

2020 will be a reflection of Alabama’s football culture. If tenacity on the defensive side of the ball remains, even after long-time strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran departed for Georgia to be the Dawgs’ special teams coordinator, this could be a special year for Saban and his staff. Saban won’t be coaching forever, as this may be his best last chance to win another national title.

By dictating terms defensively, Alabama will have the formula to beat just about anyone it plays.

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