Alabama football schedule 2020: Can Crimson Tide run the table?

The talent is there, the coaching is there and the Alabama football schedule sets the Crimson Tide up for another SEC title and College Football Playoff berth.

As always, Alabama football is being looked at as one of the top teams in the nation as Nick Saban looks to add another national championship to his resume.

After dropping a pair of games last year, the Alabama Crimson Tide missed the College Football Playoff for the first time since the four-team tournament’s inception. Alabama didn’t even get to a New Year’s Six bowl a season ago. However, a ton of talent decided to return to Tuscaloosa for their senior years. Does Alabama have what it takes to run a 10-game SEC gauntlet to perfection?

With the exception of a rebuilding LSU team, the Tide get their toughest opponents at Bryant-Denny Stadium as the Alabama football schedule sets the team up for a successful 2020 season

• Alabama football home games: Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Texas A&M
• Alabama football road games: Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee

Alabama benefited initially from the two games it picked up out of the SEC East to round out its 10-game, conference-only schedule. The Crimson Tide faces the cross-divisional rival Tennessee Volunteers annually. While they get a tough draw in the Georgia Bulldogs out of the regular SEC East rotation, picking up the Kentucky Wildcats at home and the Missouri Tigers feel like two wins.

Realistically, if any team in the SEC can survive a 10-game, conference-only gauntlet this year, it would have to be the Crimson Tide. They are the presumptive favorites to win the SEC West, get to Atlanta, win the SEC and reach the College Football Playoff. However, the Crimson Tide still have to play 10 conference games and there are too many good teams that could knock them off.

Obviously, the ceiling for this team is to go undefeated and win the national title, presumably over the Clemson Tigers out of the ACC, since the Big Ten isn’t playing this fall. As for a floor, as in everything hits the fan for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, 7-3 would be considered rock bottom for this team. Keep in mind this is a worst-case scenario and it probably won’t happen.

If Alabama loses one game this year, it’s on the road at the LSU Tigers. These two SEC West teams are bitter rivals. Even if fans aren’t present at Tiger Stadium this year, Death Valley is an incredibly tough place to play anyway. Keep in mind Alabama lost at home to the Bayou Bengals a season ago. This feels like the one game Alabama will probably end up losing if we’re being totally honest.

Should Alabama drop a second game, look for that to potentially be at home to Georgia, the Auburn Tigers or even the Texas A&M Aggies. If you’re looking for a possible road slip-up outside of the LSU date, the Ole Miss Rebels game and the road date with Tennessee could be interesting. Simply put, Alabama is too good to be any worse than 8-2 this season. Look for them to go 9-1.

Alabama could go 10-0 this season, but 9-1 with a road loss to LSU is the more likely outcome.

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