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Alabama football 2020 schedule with game-by-game score predictions
Alabama didn’t make the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2019, but the Crimson Tide are looking to bounce back and make another push for a national title in 2020. With Pac-12 op…
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Alabama didn’t make the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2019, but the Crimson Tide are looking to bounce back and make another push for a national title in 2020.
With Pac-12 opponent USC up first on the schedule in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 5, the schedule starts with more intrigue than it has the past two years with Louisville in 2018 and Duke in 2019.
On offense, Alabama returns plenty of experience from last season with the lone losses being Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and Jedrick Wills Jr.
The defense loses every secondary starter exception Patrick Surtain II and Citrus Bowl starter Josh Jobe, and it also loses its top two edge rushers in Terrell Lewis and Anfernee Jennings. Add in the departure of Raekwon Davis, and there’s a little more uncertainty on that side of the football.
Still, the Tide are expected to be right in the mix for another national championship, even with a looming quarterback battle between Mac Jones, who started four games in 2019, and freshman phenom Bryce Young.
With all that said, below are Roll Tide Wire’s game-by-game score predictions for the 2020 Alabama football season.
Sept. 5 vs. USC (Arlington, Texas)
Prediction: Alabama 44, USC 23 – Kedon Slovis is the real deal and should find at least some success against an Alabama defense that needs to replace most of its secondary, as well as its top pass rushers. But it won't be enough for the Trojans to keep up with the Tide's high-powered offense.
Sept. 12 vs. Georgia State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 52, Georgia State 10 – The Panthers were able to swing a shocking win over an SEC in 2019 when they beat Tennessee 38-30, but don't expect them to have similar success against Alabama.
Sept. 19 vs. Georgia (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 28, Georgia 21 – More than likely, this will be Alabama's toughest match up this season. Georgia's defense returns most of its starters and the offense should be much-improved under Todd Monken, but the Tide manage to pull out a home victory.
Sept. 26 vs. Kent State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 49, Kent State 13 – Kent State's Dustin Crum is an underrated, dual threat option at quarterback who produced 3,300-plus total yards and 26 touchdowns with only two interceptions. That could help the Golden Flashes produce a little success offensively, but this will be another lopsided victory for the Tide.
Oct. 3 at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.)
Prediction: Alabama 41, Ole Miss 20 – Lane Kiffin's return to the SEC will be interesting, but it's tough to imagine him completely turning around that program in his first season. Whoever ends up starting at quarterback between J.R. Plumlee and Matt Corral will have a nice complementary option at running back in Jerrion Ealy.
Oct. 10 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Prediction: Alabama 45, Arkansas 7 – Mac Jones was excellent against the Razorbacks last season, completing 8.18 percent of his passes for 235 yards and three scores. Don't be surprised if he goes on the road and has a better stat line this season — as long as he's still the starter.
Oct. 17 vs. Mississippi State (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 44, Mississippi State 27 – The arrival of head coach Mike Leach and Stanford grad transfer quarterback K.J. Costello makes this an intriguing matchup. For the third consecutive week, Alabama faces a new head coach to the SEC and hands them a lopsided loss.
Oct. 24 at Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Prediction: Alabama 34, Tennessee 24 – Georgia is the most talented team Alabama will play during the regular season, but going on the road to take on an improved Vols squad under Jeremy Pruitt could prove to be the tougher test. The Tide score late to put this one away after four tough quarters of football.
Nov. 7 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
Prediction: Alabama 28, LSU 14 – I'm not sold on LSU — at least not yet. The Tigers lost too many impact players, as well as coaches, and they won't be easily replaced. That especially holds true for Myles Brennan taking over for Joe Burrow at quarterback. LSU getting to play at home is the only reason it ends up being this close.
Nov. 14 vs. UT-Martin (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 49, UT-Martin 3 – The Skyhawks finished 7-5 last season, but the went 6-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. When they played Florida, however, the got blanked with a final score of 45-0. Don't be surprised to see a similar result against the Tide.
Nov. 21 vs. Texas A&M (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 34, Texas A&M 26 – The Aggies are expected to be one of the top teams in the SEC with several starters returning on both sides of the football. Kellen Mond, while playing well against the Tide in 2018, isn't the same quarterback on the road as he is at home.
Nov. 28 vs. Auburn (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Prediction: Alabama 42, Auburn 28 – Auburn's offense will put up some points, but a couple of critical mistakes on the road — after losing almost its entire offensive line from 2019 — from the Tigers could turn this into a double-digit victory for the Tide.
