In 2021, Alabama football won the SEC championship and had a Heisman Trophy winner. Despite that, the Crimson Tide still felt let down. How will that fuel them in 2022?
Going into the 2022 season, Alabama football is carrying the very heavy weight of expectations. Under head coach Nick Saban, however, this is nothing new.
For Alabama football, winning the national championship is really the only thing that matters. They have 18 claimed national titles after all. After coming up just one win short in 2021, Alabama football is currently ranked first in the preseason polls for 2022 and is the early favorite to take home the trophy.
Bryce Young, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, is returning, which helps. It also doesn't hurt to have Will Anderson back on the team. Dallas Turner, another pass rusher, should become pretty well-known by the end of the season, and Anderson, an EDGE defender, may just be the greatest all-around player in the nation.
Alabama has a strong defense and a promising offense. In order to make up for the losses at wide receiver, Georgia transfer Jermaine Burton arrived, while RB Jahmyr Gibbs is a legitimate Heisman contender in his own right. The former Georgia Tech student should help the offense become more balanced.
Although Georgia won't play Alabama football during the regular season, the schedule will be intriguing. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs, however, are expected to meet in the SEC championship game.
It's quite challenging to make predictions for a team that has had so much success in the past decade or so. Alabama football has practically checked all the boxes. Still, here are a few audacious predictions for Alabama football in 2022.
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Alabama Football 2022 Predictions
3. Jahmyr Gibbs will make heads spin
Jahmyr Gibbs, the transfer from Georgia Tech, will have a fantastic season.
One of the more noteworthy picks on the preseason All-SEC team was at running back, where a guy who had never played in a conference game was chosen to the first team.
That guy was Jahmyr Gibbs.
Jahmyr Gibbs is going to put defenders on skates this season đ¤§
(đĽ via @AlabamaFTBL) pic.twitter.com/EhQMR5vPQG
â Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) August 18, 2022
Gibbs joined the transfer portal without having ever attended a bowl game. This was after Georgia Tech went 3-9 in 2021.
Consider that his 1,805 total yards during the previous season were the second-most in Georgia Tech's single-season history. That alone should make Alabama football fans salivate. If that's not enough, though, look at what he did during A-Day â 143 carries for 746 yards and four touchdowns, 36 receptions for 470 yards and two scores, and 23 kick returns for 589 yards and one score.
As with any good RB, however, Gibbs will need good blocking. To that point, the Crimson Tide's blocking appears to be a bit superior compared to what he had in Georgia Tech.
The offensive coaches for the Crimson Tide won't be scared to line Gibbs up in different locations in the system run by Bryce Young since Alabama also has more weapons. That will make it much harder for defenders to focus on Gibbs.
Gibbs going past 1,000 yards will be easy money. Going past 1,500 should be the target, if not approaching 2,000 all-purpose yards.
2. Will Anderson wins Heisman
Simply put, Will Anderson is a different animal. He is a freak of nature â in the best way possible. His 2021 output was just unheard of â 101 tackles, 31.5 TFL, and 17.5 sacks.
Everyone expects him to put up similar numbers or better in 2022. If that happens, how can he not receive a lot of support to win the Heisman, right? Simply put, Anderson is the best player in college football regardless of position.
Having said that, if Anderson will have any competition, it'd be from teammate and 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young. We anticipate that both will be frontrunners in the Heisman race.
Assuming he meets his targets, however, Will Anderson should win. He has also made it his personal mission to win the Heisman Trophy and alter public perception of the award.
âI kind of feel like they love offense over there,â Anderson said. âThey love touchdowns, they love yards.â
Take note that the Heisman Trophy has never been won by a player who just played defense. Charles Woodson, a former defensive back for Michigan, earned the prize in 1997, but he also played a substantial amount of time at receiver and on kickoff returns.
Recall that Anderson came in fifth last year, though he was not one of the four Heisman finalists. He did, however, garner the third-most first-place votes with 31.
Pundits expect Anderson to go as a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He will also lead a defense that many should view as among the best in the nation this season. He should cap off his decorated collegiate career at âBama with the Heisman in his hands.
Will Anderson for Heisman⌠pic.twitter.com/iHKvRXqTZ2
â Roll Tide #18⢠đ (@jerrysandersRTR) August 19, 2022
1. Bryce Young and Bama sweep their way to the National Championship
Experts have pegged Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State as the three true national title contenders in college football for the 2022 season.
There are, however, some caveats. One, Georgia's all-time outstanding defense lost a lot of depth to the NFL. Still, the Bulldogs' defense doesn't lack skill or talent, and they will be OK because of the way they recruited. Kirby Smart is as great as they get on that side of the ball, so it's actually better than fine.
Having said that, Georgia QB Stetson Bennett isn't Bryce Young. That's what will put Alabama football past the defending champions in addition to improved defense and special teams.
Alabama football has all the major ingredients of a national championship recipe. The Crimson Tide should win the SEC crown, go unbeaten, and take home the national championship.
Yes, going 15-0 is challenging, but Alabama will achieve it, even if it means defeating Georgia twice.
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