The top-ranked Alabama football team is off to a 2-0 start, but there are still burning questions to answer going into Saturday’s home game against Colorado State. Here are four of them:
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Will Alabama turn the ball over?
Alabama hasn’t turned the ball over yet. UA quarterbacks haven’t thrown an interception, and the Crimson Tide recovered its lone fumble. It has to happen sooner or later, but will this be the week that an Alabama opponent finally gets a takeaway?
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Can the Crimson Tide generate a pass rush?
Losing four linebackers to injury in the opening game (two for the season, two indefinitely) surely impacted Alabama’s ability to get to the quarterback. UA has notched four sacks over the course of its first two outings. Colorado State has thrown 126 passes through three games, an average of 42 per game, so there should be plenty of opportunities to pressure the quarterback.
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Will a lead running back emerge?
Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Najee Harris have between 15 and 21 carries apiece, almost evenly splitting the carry load so far. Josh Jacobs should return to the mix soon after missing the first two games with an injury, so his role is still undefined. At some point, one of these guys seems likely to establish himself as the go-to guy.
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How good us UA’s run defense?
Alabama is allowing less than 50 yards per game on the ground, good for fifth nationally, and just 2 yard per carry. The Crimson Tide hasn’t yielded a rushing touchdown. Neither Florida State nor Fresno State made a committed effort to test Alabama on the ground, probably a wise choice. This is another opportunity for UA to send a message that it isn’t going to allow anyone to move the ball via the run.
