2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Crimson Tide's 126th overall season, 87th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 29th within the SEC Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and were led by 14th-year head coach Nick Saban (with second-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian serving as acting coach for Game 8 due to COVID-19 protocols). They finished the season undefeated with a record  of 13–0 (11–0 in the SEC) and as national champions. Looking to build on the successes of the 2019 campaign, Alabama entered the 2020 season as the favorite to win the Western Division and meet the Florida Gators in the 2020 SEC Championship Game. Alabama closed the regular season with a 11–0 record including five wins against Top 25-ranked teams—and met the Gators for the SEC Championship in a rematch of the 2016 contest. Alabama was victorious by a final score of 52–46 to capture their 9th SEC championship title. The following day, final College Football Playoff (CFP ) standings were unveiled. No. 1 ranked Alabama would meet No. 4 ranked Notre Dame for the Rose Bowl game in a rematch of the 2013 contest, defeated the Fighting Irish 31–14 to meet No. 3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in a rematch of their 2015 contest. In the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Crimson Tide defeated the Buckeyes, 52–24, to capture their third CFP National Championship title in seven years. The victory over Ohio State gave Alabama their 18th national championship in football (their 13th wire service title since the AP  Poll began in 1936) and their tenth perfect season since 1925. The season marked the first time a wide receiver at Alabama won the Heisman Trophy, as DeVonta Smith won the award over several finalists including Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In addition to the Heisman, Smith won numerous other awards, including the Maxwell Award and the Biletnikoff Award. Other award winners included quarterback Mac Jones (Davey O’Brien Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award), running back Najee Harris (Doak Walker Award), Alex Leatherwood (Outland Trophy), Landon Dickerson (Rimington Trophy), the offensive line (Joe Moore Award), and offensive coordinator Steve  Sarkisian (Broyles Award). Six players were named to various All-America Teams with Patrick Surtain II, DeVonta Smith, Alex Leatherwood, Landon Dickerson, and Najee Harris as unanimous selections and Mac Jones as a consensus selection. The team finished the 2020 season with a final ranking of No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches' Polls. Previous season. In 2019, the Crimson Tide began the year ranked second in the AP Poll and were favorites to repeat as SEC champions. The Tide won their first eight games of the season, but third-ranked Alabama fell 41–46 in a highly anticipated match -up with the second-ranked LSU Tigers, who went on to win the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship 42–25 against the Clemson Tigers. The Tide went on to win their next two games but ended up falling 45–48 to their rival, the Auburn Tigers, in their final regular season game on a missed field goal that would have sent the game into overtime. This ensured that Alabama would not make the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception in 2014. In the postseason, the Crimson Tide were selected to play against the Michigan Wolverines in the  2020 Citrus Bowl, which they won 35–16. This was the Tide's first bowl game since 2010 that was not a New Year's Six bowl or BCS National Championship. The Tide finished the season ranked #8 in both the AP and the Coaches Poll. Offseason. Offseason departures. Six Alabama players with remaining eligibility declared early for the 2020 NFL Draft. In addition, 14 seniors from the 2019 team graduated. Transfers. Outgoing Incoming Returning starters. Offense Defense Special Teams Preseason. SEC Media Days. In the preseason media poll, Alabama was predicted to win the West Division and the Conference Championship  Game. Preseason All-SEC teams. The Crimson Tide placed 11 players (at 13 positions) on the 2020 Preseason SEC Team as selected by SEC coaches and 13 players (at 15 positions) on the 2020 Preseason SEC Team as selected by SEC media. Offense "1st team" Najee Harris – RB (Coaches, Media) DeVonta Smith – WR (Coaches, Media) Jaylen Waddle – WR (Coaches, Media) Alex Leatherwood – OL (Coaches, Media) Landon Dickerson – OL (Coaches, Media) "2nd team" Deonte Brown - OL (Coaches, Media) "3rd team" Mac Jones - QB (Media) Evan Neal - OL (Coaches, Media) Landon Dickerson - C (Coaches, Media) Defense "1st team" LaBryan Ray - DL (Coaches , Media) Dylan Moses – LB (Coaches, Media) Patrick Surtain II - DB (Coaches, Media) "3rd team" DJ Dale - DL (Media) Josh Jobe - DB (Coaches) Specialists "1st team" Jaylen Waddle – RS (Coaches, Media) Jaylen Waddle - AP (Media) Personnel. Depth chart. "True Freshman" Double Position : Schedule. Spring game. The Crimson Tide were scheduled to hold spring practices in March and April 2020 with the Alabama football spring game, "A-Day" to take place in Tuscaloosa, AL on April 18. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the events were canceled. Regular season. Alabama originally announced its 2020 football schedule on August 7, 2019. The planned  schedule consisted of 7 home games, 4 away games, and 1 neutral site game for the regular season. The COVID-19 pandemic upended this schedule. On July 30, the SEC announced that its non-conference games would be canceled and its teams would play a schedule of ten conference games. This eliminated the Crimson Tide's scheduled non-conference games against Georgia State, Kent State, USC and UT Martin. Per the new schedule, Alabama was set to host five SEC conference opponents: Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State (rivalry), Texas A&M, and arch-rival Auburn for the 85th Iron Bowl to close out  the regular season on the road. Alabama was to travel to five SEC opponents: Arkansas, Ole Miss (rivalry), Missouri, Tennessee (Third Saturday of October) and rival LSU (rivalry) to close out the SEC regular season on the road. Alabama was not scheduled to play SEC East opponents Florida, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt in the 2020 regular season. The Crimson Tide's bye week was scheduled during Week 7 (on November 7). Game summaries. Mississippi State Bulldogs. Statistics No. 22 Auburn Tigers. Steve Sarkisian served as interim head coach for the Iron Bowl after Nick Saban had to be quarantined due  to COVID-19 protocols. Awards and honors. DeVonta Smith Mac Jones Najee Harris Alex Leatherwood Landon Dickerson Thomas Fletcher Patrick Surtain II Offensive Line John Metchie III Coaches. Nick Saban Steve Sarkisian All Americans. Unanimous Selection Consensus Selection Other Selections All-SEC. First Team QB- Mac Jones RB- Najee Harris WR- DeVonta Smith C- Landon Dickerson OL- Alex Leatherwood DT- Christian Barmore CB- Patrick Surtain II Second Team OL- Deonte Brown (AP: 2, Coaches: 1) LB- Dylan Moses (Coaches: 1) LB- Christopher Allen (Coaches: 2) LB- Will Anderson (AP: 2) DB- Malachi Moore KR- Jaylen Waddle (Coaches: 2) 2020 Alabama Crimson