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Alabama is once again off to a perfect start. The defending national champions are 5-0 and the top-ranked team in the country.
There aren’t many teams capable of matching the Crimson Tide’s talent and depth, but with the heart of the SEC schedule approaching, Nick Saban’s team is sure to get everyone’s best shot.
Fox Sports’ Aaron Torres believes there are only nine teams Alabama should be wary of. In his piece, Torres lists the programs he thinks can take the Crimson Tide to the edge and four of the schools hail from the SEC.
Here are the nine teams that can beat Alabama, along with a short clip of Torres’ reasoning.
Arkansas Razorbacks: “The Hogs have a ball-control offense which could, in theory, keep Alabama’s explosive offense off the field, and turn Saturday night’s showdown into a low-scoring affair.”
LSU Tigers: “A week ago, there is zero chance LSU makes this list. But after what they showed in Ed Orgeron’s debut Saturday against Missouri, we have to give them a shot.”
Clemson Tigers: “The Tigers would have two things going for them against the Crimson Tide: One, the defense again looks solid, giving up only 16 points per game. They also have Deshaun Watson, who, despite his struggles, still tore up Alabama to the tune of over 400 yards passing in last year’s title game.”
Michigan Wolverines: “On the field, Michigan could have the formula to beat ‘Bama, centered around defense and special teams. The Wolverines rank fifth in the country in total defense, and their defensive backfield with Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis would probably be the best that freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts would face all year.”
Tennessee Volunteers: “Butch Jones appears to have some magic juju working with this team (or he very well may have sold his soul to the devil over the summer), and after those wild rallies against Florida and Georgia, are you counting out the Vols against anyone? Me neither.”
Washington Huskies: “So how would the Huskies do against the Crimson Tide? I actually think pretty well, mainly because they do all the little things needed to win. The Huskies take care of the ball; Washington ranks No. 1 nationally in turnover margin and has forced 15 total turnovers in five games. They also play spectacular defense, allowing just 12.8 points per game and averaging a staggering five sacks per contest.”
Texas A&M Aggies: “Of every team in the SEC, the Aggies seem to be best-suited to take down Alabama. They’re specifically strong on defense, where a few years after Kevin Sumlin modeled his recruiting strategy after Nick Saban, the Aggies now sport one of the most ferocious pass rushes in college football.”
Louisville Cardinals: “You know how Alabama has struggled with dual-threat guys in the past? Well, put that on steroids and that’s what you’ve got with Jackson, who proved — even in a loss to Clemson — he is the best player in college football after throwing for 295 yards and adding another 168 on the ground.”
Ohio State Buckeyes: “There aren’t many teams that match up incredibly well with Alabama, but the Buckeyes are one of them. They’re also the team most likely to beat the Crimson Tide if they play this season.”
Alabama will play all of the SEC schools on this list in the next four weeks, starting with Arkansas on Saturday. If the Crimson Tide roll through that slate, they will be well on their way towards another Playoff berth.
