The Alabama Crimson Tide is coming out of what was a relaxing and much-needed bye this week, following an absolutely brutal run of scheduling that saw them play a tough game virtually every single week.
Despite the difficulty, Kalen DeBoer’s squad came out of it unscathed and hit the final stretch of the season at 7-1 after having won seven consecutive games since the disaster against Florida State in week one.
With just four games left to prove their worth and make their final cases for the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide is in charge of their own destiny completely.
This team has a real chance to win an SEC title.
It will not be handed to them however — and this week presents the first major test of the final stretch of the year.
Though a home game against an LSU team that has already fired their coach does not seem like the biggest challenge on paper, it ends up being the games that don’t seem like the biggest challenges on paper that Kalen DeBoer’s teams have struggled with the most.
Fortunately, this particular test will be at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a place where Alabama has yet to lose under DeBoer and has played some of their best football. A matchup with the Tigers that will be under the lights and a chance to take another step towards Atlanta should be all the motivation this team needs.
Should the Tide get through this one, it’s another home game against an Oklahoma team who has already proven to be very strong, and cannot take another loss in their postseason pursuit either.
Looming beyond all that of course is the biggest game of the year and a road test against the Auburn Tigers in an Iron Bowl matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
As Alabama tries to take its final steps into becoming the best version of themselves this year and begins a very long November, the focus must be on one game at a time. Each of their remaining challenges is capable of handling the Tide should it get caught looking ahead.
With everything still in front of this team, the final stretch begins, and things are about to get very real. How will they respond to the task?
