With Another National Championship in Tow, What's Next for the Alabama Crimson Tide?
The national champions traveled home Tuesday, carrying with it everything that goes with the title including another trophy. Even the equipment truck made it back where it belongs having made another successful drive back from Miami.
It'll be a little while before the truck gets used again.
The side celebrating Alabama's national championships will need to be updated, which of course is the best problem to have in college football. So will the stationary, the flags at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and someone will have to order a bunch of No. 18 helmets.
But that was yesterday. Today the Crimson Tide is already back to work.
"The to-do list started after the game," Nick Saban said before getting on the plane home Tuesday.
"It's an ongoing process, building a team. I don't think you can fall asleep at the switch for a minute if you want to try to do it the right way for your players and your program."
Here's what's next:
Who's Staying and Who's Going?
First and foremost, Saban has to know who's planning on returning, and who's not. That's among the players, coaches and support staff.
For the players it's a little different this time because the NCAA ruled that the 2020-21 season won't count against a year of eligibility. So technically, every single one of them could come back for 2021-22.
Obviously, that won't happen. The roster turnover will likely be similar to a usual year.
For those thinking about the NFL, the deadline to declare early for the 2021 draft is Monday. Fans can expect a virtual press conference which may include not only third-year players who would normally be making an announcement (Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, etc.) but some seniors.
Another reason for a quick decision is Alabama's spring semester started Wednesday.
Look for a couple of players to transfer to other schools in hope of landing more playing time and/or starting jobs, which is also pretty normal for the Crimson Tide.
Meanwhile, the annual shuffle is already under way with the coaching staff. Alabama was fortunate last year as only one assistant coach was replaced, but offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has already started his new job at Texas, and offensive line coach Kyle Flood is expected to go with him.
Chances are, they won't be the only departures.
All indications are that unless something unexpected happens, former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien will be the Crimson Tide's new offensive coordinator.
Next week
While Alabama wrangles with what to do about a possible national championship celebration during the ongoing pandemic, Saban will start looking to the future.
The coach meets with every returning player, as does the position coach, and they go over everything from individual progress and status on the team, to offseason goals and expectations.
Saban will always say that there's no depth chart until the season starts, but that doesn't mean there isn't a plan in place. For example, should All-American Alex Leatherwood depart as expected, Evan Neal ( 6-7, 360 pounds) can start thinking about moving over from the right side.
Of course, that means Alabama would have an opening at right tackle. The backups at the end of the 2020-21 season were Kendall Randolph and Javion Cohen, but Tommy Brown and Amari Kight (who are both listed as 6-7), could also be in the mix.
A lot will depend on how many starting linemen need to be replaced, with center Landon Dickerson and left guard Deonte Brown likely to move on.
"We'll talk to every player on the team about strength, weaknesses, things they need to do to work on in the off-season to get better, whether it's from a personal standpoint, whether it's an academic standpoint, a behavioral standpoint, or a football standpoint. The process of trying to get our players to improve," Saban said.
"Then managing the team that we have. I think in this day and age the way your roster can move, you don't know for sure exactly how that's going to be right now."
While fans focus on the potential starters, one part of the process that many will overlook is that this is when the team leadership starts to form.
Above all else, though, the players will get a well-deserved break after an exhausting 2020-21 season.
Gearing up for Next Season
Most of those heading to the NFL will be leaving Tuscaloosa soon.
The Senior Bowl in Mobile is scheduled for Jan. 30, but with Dickerson out following knee surgery Brown and long-snapper Thomas Fletcher are the only Alabama players expected to play.
A decision on whether to hold the annual NFL combine is expected soon. The NFL draft is scheduled for April 29-May 1, in Cleveland.
Alabama's offseason conditioning program usually begins in February. The expectation is that the Crimson Tide will have spring practice after it was cancelled last year. It'll be especially crucial for the offense, with the new coordinator working with the players for the first time, and the Crimson Tide likely having a Bryce Young at quarterback.
Meanwhile, there will be a lot of discussion about the future of college football, including whether the College Football Playoff should be expanded.
"I have mixed emotions about expansion," Saban said. "I always said way back when when we started this whole playoff thing, even when we started just having a two-team national championship game, that this would reflect poorly on players' interest in playing in bowl games. I think that's come to fruition with the number of guys that opt out and don't play."
Regardless, oddsmakers have Alabama listed as the favorite to win the 2022 national championship, even though there are so many unknowns about Crimson Tide moving forward.
For example. Alabama knows its opponents for next season, but doesn't have its schedule in place yet. There were too many balls in the air while just trying to get through this season for the Southeastern Conference to start thinking about next fall.
Alabama does know it will open the season Sept. 4 against Miami at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. With the Crimson Tide having signed numerous home-and-home series deals beginning in 2022, it's expected to be the last neutral-site season opener for a while.
