re: So who is the best football player on the 2018 Tide football team?

The 2011 Defense was otherworldy, but the 2012 defense was still the best in the country.

I think the offense was a bit more dynamic in 2012. An experienced AJ McCarron with a better WR corps (Amari). You also had Lacy running behind what was probably the GOAT Offensive Line. However, you also had Nussmeir calling the plays so that cancels a few things out. Not to mention we had a solid kicker in Shelley.

So IMO, I think 2012 was the most "complete" team. Doesn't mean they would beat every other Saban team though.

I looked it up and you may be right. The S+P has the 2011 Bama team as #1 Defense and #20 offense (versus 31st toughest schedule). It has the 2012 team as the #3 defense and the #7 offense (versus the 37th toughest schedule).

I gotta say, though, that ND team had no business raising our strength of schedule that year. The 2011 LSU team or the 2012 GA team would have beaten that ND team by 40. How good was the SEC for a couple a years there? Bama single-handedly stole a Natty from both GA and LSU, conference foes, in consecutive years.

And that 2011 defense was just a thing to behold.