I'm not going to lie. I'm a bit worried about 2020”
I think that schedule stacks up to be pretty brutal as well. I'm a very optimistic fan, but if we finish the season with under 2 losses it will be the greatest coaching job of Saban's career.
1. We'll likely be in another transitional period on both sides of the ball. There's a 98% chance Tua leaves early, plus potentially dealing with the losses of Harris, Jeudy, Smith, and Ruggs, all who will be draft eligible. Defensively we'll also have our usual draft exodus, so we could be returning as few as 8-10 combined starters.
2. USC could go either way this year, but a lot of people project JT Daniels as the breakout QB of the year. He's only a soph and next year he'll potentially be in the running as a 1st rd pick. I don't think they will beat us, but that still is likely a huge game against a high-powered offense that requires a ton of focus. Meanwhile UGA opens against UVA and E Tennessee St, which is a significant drop-off in quality. Wouldn't shock me if UGA has a singular focus on us all off-season. (Especially if we beat them again this year) That week 3 game just smells like a loss to me.
3. Then the last 7 weeks of the season will be one of the toughest stretches in memory. Miss St, @UT, @LSU, FCS, A&M, Auburn, SECCG... That's a lot of trap games, and a gauntlet almost no one could survive unscathed. Wouldn't shock me to take an L somewhere in there as well.
You can never count a Saban coached team out, and we've seen several times that the committee will consider putting a 2 loss team with the right resume in the playoffs. Plus a lot can change with development, draft stock, the transfer portal, and so many other fluid factors. However, at face value as of right now, this looks like the closest thing to a rebuilding year we've had in years.
