re: What teams can actually beat Alabama

Honestly a good team that can throw the ball well has a decent chance. Bama is a bit shaky in the secondary this year, as good as they are, so they are vulnerable to a top notch passing team with a good defense.

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First game of the year that Bama has had against similar athletes and a healthy team.

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Perhaps, but USC and Ole Miss put plenty of athletes on the field at the skill spots. What they couldn't do was hold their own in the trenches. Personally, I don't think A&M has the OL or the front 7 to physically match up (outside of being elite at rushing the passer). But, I've said that before. Ole Miss didn't either, and they gave us all we wanted.

Should be fun.

A&M
LSU
AU
Whoever we may play in the SECCG
Michigan
Ohio State
Clemson
Louisville
Washington

I like our chances at getting to 13-0 but it's certainly not going to be a cakewalk. Any potential playoff matchups would be fairly evenly matched besides maybe Washington.

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Any potential playoff matchups would be fairly evenly matched besides maybe Washington.

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I want to watch Washington a few more times, especially against USC, but I think they look pretty dang good. Good QB with touch and wits, good running game, athletes everywhere, very good pass rush, good back end guys.

I watched the OSU/Wisky game Saturday evening.

From what I saw. Nobody beats Bama if it does not go slap crazy turning over the ball.

I would give OSU and 7 today.

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No one looks nearly as good as they do

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Bama looked incredible Saturday. But let's not get carried away.

Tennessee is not a very good football team. Now that Georgia has been exposed as not very good, its pathetic that the Vols needed a hail mary to win our game. They needed OT to beat Appy State. They struggled against Ohio. And now that Virginia Tech lost to Syracuse, that win is looking less impressive.

Alabama has looked very good this year. And its nearly impossible to pick a game in which they'll likely slip up. However, Bama has lost at least one regular season game the last six seasons, and in all likelihood it will happen again.

Also worth noting, is that for some reason the S&P offense and defense rankings are not quite as high on Alabama as one would think. They are still #1 in the overall rankings, but when you look at both sides of the ball, it shows they may be beatable by someone.

Alabama S&P Defensive ranking by year:

2016- #5
2015- #1 (National Champs)
2014- #3
2013- #5
2012- #1 (National Champs)
2011- #1 (National Champs)
2010- #5

Going all the way back to 2010, when the Alabama defense is ranked #1 by S&P, they win the National Title. When they are not ranked #1 by S&P, they do not win a National Title.

Here is how their S&P Offense looks:

2016- #14
2015- #25
2014- #5
2013- #10
2012- #4
2011- #3
2010- #4

According to S&P, only last year's offense ranked worse of all the Bama offenses of the past nine seasons actually.

There can always be exceptions to the rule, but these stats would point to someone beating Bama. Right now, I just can't find anyone on their schedule that looks like they are up to that task. But I probably would have said the same thing at this point in 2011, 2012, and 2013... and Bama lost in November all three of those years.

I also thought in '14 Ohio State didn't have a prayer... yet the results of that game proved me wrong. Bama is the #1 team in the country right now, do doubt. But there is still a ton of football left to be played.

Nobody imo

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Only if this happens!!

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Dude, Chuck would beat us by 1000 even if he's by himself on the field, and that would only be because the clock ran out.

Unless Saban suits up, then it'll end 0-0.

I'm sure your joking. But I think it's laughable when some fans are serious about this... any NFL team would absolutely slaughter Bamas team. It would just be really really bad