All Things CW: Ranking the Alabama Teams for the 2020-21 Academic Year

Despite all the craziness, the Crimson Tide only had two programs that didn't compete in an NCAA tournament

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Jun 17, 2021 3:30 PM EDT

It was maybe the strangest sports year ever.

The pandemic. The protocols. The games in empty or nearly-empty buildings.

Yet somehow University of Alabama teams not only persevered, but thrived.

The Crimson Tide won a national championship, along with numerous individual titles, to go with four Southeastern Conference championships.

1] Football

Alabama won its 18th national title and Nick Saban's record-setting seventh, six with the Crimson Tide. Led by DeVonta Smith winning the Heisman Trophy, the team cleaned up the postseason awards.

2] Basketball

The first conference title in 30 years led to an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Although it didn't make it as far as other Crimson Tide teams, it won its regular-season and tournament SEC title.

3] Softball

So close. After winning the SEC tournament on its home field, the Crimson Tide was one win away from the final of the Women's College World Series.

4] Gymnastics

Won the SEC meet in Huntsville, but still had a tough draw in the NCAA tournament, when the Crimson Tide just missed advancing to the finals. Lexi Graber and Luisa Blanco both captured individual titles.

5] Women's track/cross country

Alabama placed fourth the NCAA outdoor championships and Mercy Chelangat won the women's cross country individual title.

6] Women's swimming and diving

The Crimson Tide won the program's first relay national title while placing fifth at the national meet, tying for the best finish in school history. Additionally, Rhyan White was the first Alabama woman to be voted the SEC Swimmer of the Year.

7] Men's track/cross country

Robert Dunning won a national title in the 110-meter hurdles (outdoors) and set the school record. The men placed 13th.

8] Rowing

Competed at the NCAA championships for the first time and finished 13th.

9] Men's swimming and diving

Alabama placed 15th at the 2021 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

10] Women's basketball

Lost in the second around of the NCAA Tournament after defeating North Carolina, 80-71. Finished 17-10 overall. Jasmine Walker was subsequently selected seventh overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft.

As for the other programs, baseball (32-26) returned to the SEC Tournament in Hoover, and made an impressive run. It also played in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999.

Women's golf tied for 24th at the NCAA Championships. The men's team was eliminated in a regional.

Both tennis teams lost their openers in the SEC tournament, and subsequent first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament. The men were bounced by Oregon, and the women lost to Duke.

Playing maybe the most unusual schedule of any team, soccer went 7-8-2 during a split season that included the SEC Tournament in the fall and eight more games in the spring.

Volleyball went 7-15 overall while playing an SEC-only schedule.

That's two teams out of 18 that didn't make the NCAA tournament in their respective sports. That's remarkable and a credit to both athletic director Greg Byrne and Nick Saban.

The Other New Patriot

While quarterback Mac Jones is off to a good start with the New England Patriots, so is Christian Barmore. The team isn't sure where he'll fit into the defensive line rotation yet, but they do like when they see from the former Alabama standout.

“When he walks through the door, you’re going to know who he is. Just the way how big he is, how long he is, how tall he is,” defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington said. “Now, for us, as we get him into our program, it’s all about teaching him the way we do our fundamentals and technique, and the way how we do things around here.

"You still get a young kid that doesn’t have much experience playing football, and, so, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s going to do well for us.”

Barmore's ability to be an interior pass rusher, and make a push on the quarterback figures to make him an immediate asset, but his size and strength could make him an option anywhere along the defensive line.

He's already giving veteran offensive linemen problems during practices and workouts.

"I just want to keep working and learning," Barmore told reporters on a Zoom teleconference, adding that it's up to the coaches where he plays. "Put some extra time on film, extra time learning and have your mentality right on the playbook."

Tua Talk Overblown

In what may be the biggest overreaction you'll (hopefully) see this season, critics jumped all over former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's performance during the first day of minicamp on Tuesday.

The Dolphins were practicing in a torrential downpour, a pretty common thing there especially during this time of the year. Not only did head coach Brian Flores decided against heading inside in order to see how his players handled it, but simultaneously called for more aggressiveness in the passing game.

Tagovailoa had five passes picked off.

Even though it wasn't even a regular practice, the alarmists went crazy on social media.

"I don't think Tua's going to go into a shell," Flores said. "I tell him [after a practice like that] to continue being aggressive. The conversations are a lot of what we've already talked about here — use this time to practice pushing the ball downfield. Then we'll make the adjustments and the corrections."

That's exactly what happened. On Wednesday, he had six touchdown passes and no interceptions. The first score was on a 50-yard catch and run to rookie first-round receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Those same critics? Crickets.

Cutting Through COVID Concerns

The NFL and NFLPA cut through the rhetoric about COVID-19 vaccinations with its latest protocols, which could result in a $50,000 fine for the first offense.

Obviously, colleges can't impose financial penalties, but are expected to adopt similar policies across the board. If for no reason that a practicability standpoint, it'll likely result in nearly everyone being vaccinated.

Among the changes, only vaccinated members of the organization will be allowed to fly on the team charter. Vaccinated players can eat in the cafeteria with other vaccinated players, and don't have to be tested every day. Players and staff members can interact with friends and family when not with the team.

As for those who are not vaccinated, the protocols are similar to what was in place last year.

Consider the division that could result with something simple like having a position group meeting. Successful teams promote unite and togetherness, you can't do that if say the starting center isn't in the room and trying to communicate with everyone through Zoom.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer wrote in MMQB: "I’m told, as of Monday afternoon, 16 of the NFL’s 32 teams have 51 or more players either fully vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated. And I can say that the league wishes those numbers were higher."

By midweek he tweeted: "Two teams have crossed the much-talked about 85% threshold for player vaccinations (fully vaccinated or in the process). Those two are the Dolphins and Saints."

It'll be shocking if nearly every team isn't over the threshold by the time training camps open next month. The same goes for college football teams a couple of weeks later.