The Alabama Crimson Tide need to be totally locked in for the first third of their schedule even more so now. This is because their starting running back Jam Miller will be out the next few weeks with a collarbone injury suffered in the Crimson Tide's second scrimmage of fall camp. Alabama may enter the season ranked inside the top 10 of both major polls, but this is a team that could fall back fast.
This is because the Crimson Tide will be totally unproven at quarterback. Ty Simpson is projected to be the starter after having been with the program the longest. He is expected to beat out former Washington transfer Austin Mack, as well as promising true freshman Keelon Russell. Simpson is a former five-star recruit, but has played sparingly over the last several years for the Alabama program.
Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer touched on the injury Miller suffered in practice on Saturday.
“Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday’s scrimmage. And went in for a procedure on Saturday evening. Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined.”
He then went on to say Alabama has capable backups in Rich Young, Daniel Hill and Dre Washington.
“Sure, you’ve got Rich Young, Daniel Hill coming back also. I feel like those guys were healthier than they probably ever were last season, throughout the year. Then Dre Washington. I thought he had a really nice practice today. You can see a new guy that’s come in and now you’re seeing the install a second, third time from spring, summer, to fall."
The Crimson Tide open the year at Florida State on Aug. 30, with a huge Georgia date in a few weeks.
Ty Simpson will have to help navigate Jam Miller injury at least initially
Looking at the Crimson Tide's first few games on the schedule, they really need to take advantage of Florida State coming off its worst season in a lifetime from the jump, as well as flex over ULM out of the Group of Five, and a struggling Wisconsin team in their first three games of the season. Then, something has to give. Alabama has owned Georgia for a while now, but UGA does not lose at home...
I would venture to guess that Miller will be back in time for the huge game Between the Hedges in Athens. What DeBoer is hoping for is Simpson, or whoever he has starting under center, can start the year out 3-0 with wins over Florida State, ULM and Wisconsin before the big game with the Dawgs. I have Alabama winning those first three games before stumbling for the first time this year at Georgia.
Overall, Alabama is a team that is very much a College Football Playoff contender, but one that is far from a lock of making the 12-team field. If the SEC gets four teams into the field, maybe Alabama is one of them? If it is only three again, how sure are we that the Crimson Tide will end up being on the same relative level as presumptive locks like Georgia and Texas are? It all comes down to Simpson...
I may not have Alabama in the playoff field just yet, but I would not be surprised to see them make it.