All Things CW: 10 Things to Wonder About Alabama Athletics Heading into 2022-23

From football to softball, the 2021-22 athletic year left Crimson Tide fans with a lot to ponder as they turn their attention to the upcoming seasons.

It's an abbreviated notes column this week, with a quick look at 10 things that are on my mind about Alabama Crimson Tide sports as we move on from the 2021-22 academic year:

1] Anyone else wonder if NIL might have played a part in how some Alabama teams seemed to falter down the stretch last season? 

2] John Metchie III suffered his knee injury in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, and Jameson Williams had a very similar injury in the national title game. Here's an idea: How about we play more of the most important games in college football on grass instead of the fake stuff?

3] When Oklahoma and Texas enter the league the only real reason for anyone to do preseason strength of schedule rankings will be to determine which SEC team tops the list.

4] The SEC West having only four teams in the College World Series only bolsters Alabama's case that it should have been in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Crimson Tide faced five of the remaining teams and went 8-8. 

5] Alabama softball dropped to No. 17 in the final USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 coaches poll as it was considered the best team that failed to advance out of the regionals. Although it was surprising to see the SEC have so many problems in the postseason, nine teams still ended up ranked (with two more receiving votes), plus the league is about to add the two that played for the national title, Oklahoma and Texas. 

6] Team that should improve the most next season: Women's basketball. This is easily the most talented roster Kristy Curry has had yet with the Crimson Tide. 

7] Who's better between Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa is a debate that may be going on for some time. All three are starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and all three are still on the rise. All three could also post significantly better numbers this season. 

8] According to the Bama in the NFL Database there are 71 former Alabama players active on NFL rosters and we still have to find out where Julio Jones, Landon Collins and Dont'a Hightower will end up. Obviously there's no way of knowing yet how many players will make final rosters, but there have been some interesting signings including wide receiver Robert Foster by the Giants. The head coach was one of his offensive coordinators with the Crimson Tide, Brian Daboll. Also, how much better might J.K. Scott punt with the Chargers now that he doesn't have to deal with the cold in Green Bay? 

9] New head coach Ashley Johnston was on the last Crimson Tide gymnastics team to win a national championship in 2012. Overall, Alabama has made 33 appearances in the Super Six, but hasn't made the final four since the national championship format change in 2019. Her success will primarily come down to one thing, returning the Crimson Tide back to that top tier. That's a tough challenge.

10] After playing Texas A&M on Oct. 8, which is being touted as possibly being the game of the year in college football, Alabama will play only one home game over the next five weeks, Mississippi State on Oct. 22. Throw in that it will visit Arkansas the week before hosting the Aggies and that's a brutal stretch. Having Texas on the schedule this season will give Crimson Tide fans a great feel for what a nine-game league schedule would be like, and how much more difficult it is to play. 

2022 Men's NCAA Tournament: Odds to Win

USA Today

Odds provided by BetOnline (www.BetOnline.ag). Alabama has gone from 33/1 in early April to 45/1 to now 40/1:

Gonzaga 8/1
Houston 10/1
Kentucky 12/1
North Carolina 12/1
Duke 14/1
Kansas 14/1
UCLA 14/1
Arkansas 16/1
Baylor 16/1
Creighton 20/1
Arizona 22/1
Indiana 33/1
Michigan 33/1
Texas Tech 35/1
Alabama 40/1
Tennessee 40/1
Texas 40/1
Villanova 40/1

Louisiana Governor Edwards signed into law a bill that allows schools, their affiliates and donors to compensate student-athletes for use of their NIL. The revision also allows coaches and school personnel in Louisiana to also facilitate deals for their student-athletes. Prior to the law, On3’s Crabtree reports, Louisiana schools couldn’t have any contact with their students regarding NIL deals. Additionally, there were limitations on the roles of donors in current NIL contracts with players. State Representative Stefanski (R-42) says the bill came “really at the encouragement of LSU. If we want LSU or any other of our universities to be able to compete (in recruiting) with Texas A&M and with Alabama and see Nick Saban upset on a regular basis on the sideline, we have to be competitive.” The bill prohibits pay-for-play but allows for contracts between companies and student-athletes to remain confidential.

College Football bucket list

Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The Army-Navy matchup locations are set through 2027:

2023: Foxborough, MA (Gillette Stadium); 2024 in Landover, MD (FedEx Field); 2025 in Baltimore, MD (M&T Bank Stadium); 2026 in East Rutherford, NJ (MetLife Stadium); and 2027 in Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)

Did You Notice?

• EA Sports Aims to Release College Football Game in July ’23, per Letter

• Sources: NCAA Enforcement Begins Attempted NIL Crackdown With Miami Inquiry

• First Look at the 2022 Elite 11 Finals Roster

• Arch Manning Had ‘Really Good’ Visit at Alabama, Coach Says

• How Title IX Influenced My Journey—And Changed the Landscape of Sports

Christopher Walsh's notes column "All Things CW" appears every week on BamaCentral.