BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
TUSCALOOSA āSurprise, surprise, Alabama is in the hunt for the national championship as the top seed in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
In one semifinal, the Tide will face Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, while in the other semifinal, Florida State and Oregon will square off in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama (12-1) is chasing its fourth national championship under coach Nick Saban. But why is Alabama No. 1 again?
Here are 15 reasons:
1. Team chemistry: The talk started in the preseason and continued throughout year. Tide coach Nick Saban and Alabama players repeatedly said this teamās chemistry and togetherness was much better than last seasonās. That has shown when the team needed to make a play the most and had to rely on each other.
2. Sabanās best: With so many variables heading into the season, this may turn out to be one of Sabanās best coaching jobs at Alabama. Saban has pushed the right buttons and has the Tide peaking at the right time.
3. Kiffinās offense: Where would Alabamaās offense be without first-year coordinator Lane Kiffin? Would Blake Sims be as confident a quarterback and as efficient a passer? Would Amari Cooper have broken so many records? Would the passing game be performing at a record setting pace?
4. Smartās defense: Kiffin garners the headlines nowadays and rightfully so. But that doesnāt mean Kirby Smart isnāt still one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Smart has taken a basically faceless defense and put them all in position to succeed. The other defensive coaches deserve some credit as well.
5. Home cooking: Alabama was much better at home this season than it was away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. Luckily for the Tide, tough games in November against Mississippi State and Auburn were in Tuscaloosa in front of its fans, which helped them to victories.
6. Ole Miss loss: The 23-17 loss at Ole Miss may have been the best possible thing for Alabama at the time. It showed the entire program it wasnāt invincible. The players responded in the following weeks.
7. Arkansas game: Once everything is written about this team, the game at Arkansas will be noted as the turning point. The year could have gone south for Alabama coming off the Ole Miss loss, but the Tide found a way to squeak out a 14-13 victory. Thatās when the emotion came back.
8. Collinsā interception: Speaking of the Arkansas game, Tide safety Landon Collins clinched the victory with an interception. If Collins doesnāt make that play, Arkansas likely scores a touchdown or at worst gets into field goal range. No telling what would have happened then.
9. Death Valley thriller: The Arkansas game brought back the emotion, but the Tideās overtime win at LSU brought the confidence. That game showed Alabamaās players and coaches it could win anywhere at any time.
10. Taking down No. 1: The following week, Alabama beat Mississippi State, which was ranked No. 1 at the time. The Bulldogs were riding high, but the Tide controlled the game throughout. The final score (25-20) was made closer after the Bulldogs added a late score.
11. Cooper and Collins: Amari Cooper is Alabamaās best player with Landon Collins a close second. Those are the two guys Alabama couldnāt afford to lose this season if it had any chance of competing for a national title. Both have played at an amazingly high rate, doing whatever is necessary for the team to win.
12. SEC bias?: The eye test shows why Alabama is the best team in the country, but an argument could be made for others. Florida State is the defending national champion and is also the only undefeated team. Oregon has played well down the stretch of the season. Point is, the SEC still carries a lot of weight. Winning the SEC Championship Game locked Alabama into the top spot.
13. Bend, donāt break: Alabamaās defense hasnāt been the same smothering unit it was in past championship runs under Saban. But this defense clamps down when it needs to. Against Auburn and Missouri, Alabama allowed some yards but were able to hold both opponents to multiple field goals, while the Tideās offense scored touchdowns.
14. Training staff: This has been one of the more injury-plagued seasons during Sabanās tenure at Alabama. But for the most part, head athletic trainer Jeff Allen and others have been able to keep key players healthy enough to perform when necessary.
15. Crunch-time Sims: Last, but certainly not least, Alabama would not be where it is without Blake Sims. While he has had some struggles, Sims is the perfect quarterback for this Alabama team. The Tideās offensive line isnāt at the level it has been in the past, so Simsā ability to avoid the rush has been important. Sims has done his best work when the Tide needed him the most.
The fifth-year senior earned the starting job and has his team just two wins away from a national championship. No one saw that coming.
In one semifinal, the Tide will face Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, while in the other semifinal, Florida State and Oregon will square off in the Rose Bowl.
Alabama (12-1) is chasing its fourth national championship under coach Nick Saban. But why is Alabama No. 1 again?
Here are 15 reasons:
1. Team chemistry: The talk started in the preseason and continued throughout year. Tide coach Nick Saban and Alabama players repeatedly said this teamās chemistry and togetherness was much better than last seasonās. That has shown when the team needed to make a play the most and had to rely on each other.
2. Sabanās best: With so many variables heading into the season, this may turn out to be one of Sabanās best coaching jobs at Alabama. Saban has pushed the right buttons and has the Tide peaking at the right time.
3. Kiffinās offense: Where would Alabamaās offense be without first-year coordinator Lane Kiffin? Would Blake Sims be as confident a quarterback and as efficient a passer? Would Amari Cooper have broken so many records? Would the passing game be performing at a record setting pace?
4. Smartās defense: Kiffin garners the headlines nowadays and rightfully so. But that doesnāt mean Kirby Smart isnāt still one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Smart has taken a basically faceless defense and put them all in position to succeed. The other defensive coaches deserve some credit as well.
5. Home cooking: Alabama was much better at home this season than it was away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. Luckily for the Tide, tough games in November against Mississippi State and Auburn were in Tuscaloosa in front of its fans, which helped them to victories.
6. Ole Miss loss: The 23-17 loss at Ole Miss may have been the best possible thing for Alabama at the time. It showed the entire program it wasnāt invincible. The players responded in the following weeks.
7. Arkansas game: Once everything is written about this team, the game at Arkansas will be noted as the turning point. The year could have gone south for Alabama coming off the Ole Miss loss, but the Tide found a way to squeak out a 14-13 victory. Thatās when the emotion came back.
8. Collinsā interception: Speaking of the Arkansas game, Tide safety Landon Collins clinched the victory with an interception. If Collins doesnāt make that play, Arkansas likely scores a touchdown or at worst gets into field goal range. No telling what would have happened then.
9. Death Valley thriller: The Arkansas game brought back the emotion, but the Tideās overtime win at LSU brought the confidence. That game showed Alabamaās players and coaches it could win anywhere at any time.
10. Taking down No. 1: The following week, Alabama beat Mississippi State, which was ranked No. 1 at the time. The Bulldogs were riding high, but the Tide controlled the game throughout. The final score (25-20) was made closer after the Bulldogs added a late score.
11. Cooper and Collins: Amari Cooper is Alabamaās best player with Landon Collins a close second. Those are the two guys Alabama couldnāt afford to lose this season if it had any chance of competing for a national title. Both have played at an amazingly high rate, doing whatever is necessary for the team to win.
12. SEC bias?: The eye test shows why Alabama is the best team in the country, but an argument could be made for others. Florida State is the defending national champion and is also the only undefeated team. Oregon has played well down the stretch of the season. Point is, the SEC still carries a lot of weight. Winning the SEC Championship Game locked Alabama into the top spot.
13. Bend, donāt break: Alabamaās defense hasnāt been the same smothering unit it was in past championship runs under Saban. But this defense clamps down when it needs to. Against Auburn and Missouri, Alabama allowed some yards but were able to hold both opponents to multiple field goals, while the Tideās offense scored touchdowns.
14. Training staff: This has been one of the more injury-plagued seasons during Sabanās tenure at Alabama. But for the most part, head athletic trainer Jeff Allen and others have been able to keep key players healthy enough to perform when necessary.
15. Crunch-time Sims: Last, but certainly not least, Alabama would not be where it is without Blake Sims. While he has had some struggles, Sims is the perfect quarterback for this Alabama team. The Tideās offensive line isnāt at the level it has been in the past, so Simsā ability to avoid the rush has been important. Sims has done his best work when the Tide needed him the most.
The fifth-year senior earned the starting job and has his team just two wins away from a national championship. No one saw that coming.
