5 strengths and weaknesses for Nick Saban's Alabama football team heading into the 2023 season
It has been a while since Alabama was not considered one of the top favorites for the national championship in the Nick Saban era. Yet, the Crimson Tide are nowhere near favorites this time around. Well, by their standards anyway.
Alabama is ranked fourth in the AP's preseason poll. And to extend the shock, the Tide didn't receive a single first-place vote.
What are their strengths and weaknesses with the Tide starting their season on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State?
Five strengths of Alabama football
Alabama will always figure among the biggest threats at the start of any season, and the following are the identifiable strengths they have this season.
#5, The quarterback situation
The quarterback depth at Alabama is impressive with Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner and Dylan Lonergan making up the depth chart.
Saban has praised Lonergan, and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees coached Buchner extensively at Notre Dame. The mix of experience and new talent could work to the team's benefit.
#4, Tommy Rees
Tommy Rees is a highly-respected offensive coordinator from Notre Dame and could be the man to help Saban kick-start another era of dominance for the Crimson Tide.
#3, Playing second fiddle
The pressure is off the Crimson Tide. For the first time in a long time, they aren't considered favorites with the likes of Georgia and Michigan having that honor.
Playing with freedom from expectations for the young team could help them massively.
#2, Offensive line
Bama's offensive line is one of its biggest strengths. During the fall camp, Rodydell Williams emerged as a credible starting running back alongside the talents of senior Jase McClellan.
#1, Nick Saban
Regardless of preseason poll rankings, the Crimson Tide still possess one clear advantage over most teams. They have Nick Saban, who has masterminded 10 Southeastern Conference titles (eight with the Tide) and seven national championship wins (six at Alabama).
No one knows how to construct winning squads better than the wily old veteran, and that's still the biggest strength that Alabama has in its arsenal.
Five weaknesses of Alabama football
The following factors loom as the only noticeable weaknesses of the Alabama roster.
#5, New staff
Alabama welcomed new defensive and offensive coordinators in Kevin Steele and Tommy Rees.
Steele is renowned for being a strong defensive coach, while Tommy Rees has a different style to Bill O'Brien and Steve Sarkisian, who held the job before him.
Bama's success depends on how long the styles of the two coordinators take to gel.
#4, Inexperience
Saban has acknowledged that his roster for the upcoming season is vastly inexperienced after losing several players to the NFL draft.
They will have to navigate the season with a young core as opposed to rivals like the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines, who have several returning players.
#3, The quarterback situation
Even after the last scrimmage on Saturday before the season kicks off, Alabama fans still don't know who their starting quarterback is.
Several times, Saban has urged one of his prospects to step up, but the longer the uncertainty stretches, the closer the first game of the season approaches.
#2, Wide receivers
All through fall camp, Saban complained that his wide receivers dropped too many balls. Although Saban praised their gradual improvement, he was worried about that department.
Amari Niblack and Malik Benson were still dropping too many passes going into the last scrimmage.
#1, Defensive consistency
Saban highlighted the consistency of the defense as one area he was worried about after the fall camp.
"I’m never satisfied with how the defense plays. We gave up some plays today early in the scrimmage," Saban said. "We’ve got to be able to play the run a little bit better."
The challenge for Nick Saban is to return the Crimson Tide to their perch as the top team in college football.