While the product on the field for Alabama has passed the eye test thus far this season, the various metrics also back up the supposition that the Tide is once again the team to beat for the 2017 National Championship. The Tide’s strength is its efficiency on both sides of the ball, which has it featured as a top-10 unit in both the offensive and defensive statistical categories. While Ohio State gets the nod as the nation’s most powerful team in the F/+ metric, an argument could be made that Alabama is without a doubt the strongest team, top to bottom, in the nation…and they have room to grow and improve, as Nick Saban so often reminds them.
The Tide hasn’t yet met its full potential despite the thrashing of multiple opponents this season. However, if the statistical juggernaut continues on both sides of the ball, the results of the 2017 could see the Tide capture yet another coveted National Championship, cementing Saban’s place in college coaching history and adding to the dynasty he has built in Tuscaloosa over the last decade.
