Get to Know the Louisville Football Opponent: Alabama Crimson Tide

Louisville football will kick off their season with the most challenging game in program history, when they take on the defending National Champions Alabama Crimson Tide.

We are less than 50 days away from the kickoff of the highly anticipated Louisville football season, which will be the 100th season in program history. We start a new series taking a very brief look at the 12 teams on the 2018 Louisville football schedule, to get you ready as you can be for what should be a fun year.

The Cards open up the season on September 1st in Orlando, Florida against a very formidable foe in the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ever heard of em? They’ve only made it into the four team college football playoff, four out of the four years that it’s been in existence, winning the National Championship twice, including 2017-18. Though Louisville has played against Clemson and Florida State the last four years, they have yet to face a team as talented as Alabama in the Bobby Petrino 2.0 era. We called upon our friends from Bama Hammer to provide us with some true insight into what the Cards can expect when they take the field against Alabama.

As we’ve touched on all offseason, Louisville has a lot (and I mean ALOTTTT) of questions that need answering before they take the field against the Crimson Tide, on both sides of the ball. The Cards are an extremely talented team, with a lot of youth, and giving Alabama a game isn’t necessarily out of the equation. However, the 29.5+ line that has been out in Vegas is there for a reason.

Let’s take a look at Louisville’s season opener opponent, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

2017 Recap

Alabama was on the verge of missing the college playoff, until they weren’t. Bama, who was ranked as the number one team for the entire season, lost in their final game of the year against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. This led to one of the biggest debates in college football playoff history, as everyone tried to keep Alabama out of the final four. However, as we all saw, the Crimson Tide found their back in after Georgia took down Auburn in the SEC final.

Alabama did what they are known for at the highest, most elite level possible all season long. The team ran the football down the throats of their opponents, put an elite defense on the field that prevented offenses from doing much of anything, and suffocated them until they tapped.

‘Bama had immense talent all over the field, particularly on defense, that helped them get to the national championship, despite being knocked off in the final game of the season. Calvin Ridley emerged as the leading pass catcher, and a top NFL Draft pick. Daron Payne held down the front four, providing consistent domination for the Crimson Tide. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison continued to dominate in the secondary, shutting down the field and making throwing the ball nearly impossible for opposing QB’s. While Damion Harris, Bo Scarbough, and Jalen Hurts combined to rush for 2,446, good enough to be the seventh best in the country.

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However, the one area ‘Bama continued to struggle (if you’d even call it that) was at the QB position. Sophomore, Jalen Hurts, started 13 games for the Crimson Tide, completing 60% of his passes, but only throwing for 2,081 yards, 17 touchdowns and just one interception. He was good for the Tide, but never did anything to take them to the next level. Not that he needed to as the team went into the playoff at 12-1.

But in the National Championship game Nick Saban had seen enough of Hurts. With SEC foe Georgia up by 13, looking like they would be the first SEC non-Alabama National Champions since Auburn in 201, Saban did the unthinkable and pulled long-time starter Jalen Hurts for freshman Tua Tagovailoa. How did he respond? Well on the biggest stage of them all, down by 13, Tua would go on to throw for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns on the way to leading Alabama to a come from behind, OT thriller.

Who did they lose?

Let me first start by saying Alabama could probably lose all 22 starters and still come back the following year and be ranked a top 5 team due to the never-ending well of depth that they have on their roster.

Following the 2017-18 season the Alabama Crimson Tide lost several big time players to graduation and the NFL Draft.

Offense:

RB – Bo Scarborough, WR – Calvin Ridley, Cam Sims, Robert Foster, OL – Bradley Bozeman

Defense:

DL – Da’Ron Bayne, Josh Frazier, Da’Shawn Hand, LB – Rashaan Evans, Shaun Dion Hamilton, DB – Anthony Averett, Tony Brown, Ronnie Harrison, Minkah Fizpatrick

Special Teams:

K – Andy Pappanastos, P – JK Scott

By my count that’s 15 combined startes that the Tide lost this offseason, four of which were first round picks (Fitzpatrick, Payne, Evans, Ridley), while eight more were selected in the remaining six rounds. But as we’ve become accustomed to, the Tide return just as much talent as they lose (we just don’t know their names yet), and bring in another top 10 recruiting class according to 247 Sports.

Bama Hammer: The Tide lost the entire starting secondary, DT Da’Ron Payne and LB Rashaan Evans. The defense returns three starters (players who started six games or more). but unfortunately lost their best edge rusher, Terrell Lewis to season-ending injury. The Tide also said goodbye to big pieces on their offense in WR Calvin Ridley and center Brad Bozeman.

Who do they return?

A lot. The Alabama Crimson Tide return more talent than just about any other team in the country, including both Jalen Hurts, and Tua Tagovailoa, who will compete for the starting job through fall camp. We could tell you that Nick Saban gets back X amount of starters, but honestly their backups who played in 1/2 the snaps their starters did last season, are probably just as good if not better.

Big names that the Tide get back for 2018-19 include, rising star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, future first round pick, offensive tackle Jonah Williams, star linebackers Terrell Lewis, Christian Miller, and Mack Wilson, along with leading rusher Damien Harris, and monster defensive end RaeKwon Davis.

Alabama is, and should be the favorite for just about every game through the 2018-19 season.

Bama Hammer: Alabama will return almost all the offensive firepower and more with the emergence of QB Tua Tagovailoa. On defense they get back Raekwon Davis DT, Isaiah Buggs DT/DE, Mack Wilson LB, Dylan Moses LB, Christian Miller LB, Anfernee Jennings LB, all of which are future NFL players.

Why should Louisville be worried?

Louisville has an unlimited number of reasons to be worried seeing as how they are going up against the best team in the country, who once beat the #2 team in the country in a season opener 52-6.

However, Louisville would be smart to ignore every detail I just mentioned. They actually should have zero reasons to worry, because they have absoultely nothing to lose. You can spend all offseason worrying about how to beat Bama, or you can prepare just like you do for any other game, go in mentally prepared and maybe make history.

“We’ve got to approach it like it’s no different than those games.” Head Coach Bobby Petrino said this offseason, “The No. 1 thing that we’ve got to be able to do is work hard enough and believe in each other so that we take the field truly believing that we’re going to win the game.”

Get beatdown by Alabama, and you move on, no harm no foul.

Play Alabama close and people take notice.

Beat Alabama and you are the most talked about program in the entire country for weeks and weeks and weeks to come.

The line is at 29.5 currently, but who cares? Go out on the field, give it your best, and get better.

Bama Hammer: At some point in 2018, Alabama will be better than last season. Tua is special, the team’s wideouts are very good. and all four RB’s would start for most SEC teams. Even if the defense needs time to gel, scoring points will not be an issue for the offense.

Why should Alabama be worried?

Have you seen Louisville’s wide receivers? I could be playing quarterback and those cats could go out and get 100+ yards easy on any given night. Alabama has struggled with good receivers corps over the last few years, including, but not limited to Texas A&M (’14), Ole Miss (’15) Clemson (’16) and Georgia (’18). In my opinion, the Cards receivers, as a whole, are better than all of those units.

“The No. 1 thing that we’ve got to be able to do is work hard enough and believe in each other so that we take the field truly believing that we’re going to win the game.”

Louisville also has a quarterback that literally no one has seen play, meaning Bama’s coaches are going to have a hard time scouting him. Yeah, you can toss on the film of his against Kent State, Murray State, or Syracuse from last season, or maybe you can even go back to his high school days and pull that film, but you have no idea what you’re getting with Puma Pass under center for Bobby Petrino as the guy.

Though Nick Saban is a football genius, scouting a player who has limited film along with a group playing with a pocket passer for the first time in three years, presents a bunch of really odd dynamics that could help Louisville keep things close.

Other than that, Alabama doesn’t have much to worry about.

Bama Hammer: The Tide have no reason to worry. The greatest risk for Alabama in most games, including the season opener versus Louisville, will be self-inflicted mistakes. With a young secondary, and the potential for the young offense to turn the ball over, the game could become a challenge.

Key Player for Alabama

For me the guy to watch the most is whoever wins the QB battle for Alabama, which I fully expect to be Tua Tagovailoa. His performance in the 2018 National Championship was nothing short of legendary, and it’ll be interesting to see what he can do against an unproven and inexperienced Louisville defense with a lot of talent.

With the Tide losing their top wide receiver and a few other skill position players, Tua could struggle if Louisville is able to get any type of pressure on him. If the Cards get an interception and three and out early, or even hold Bama to just a field goal, things could get interesting. On the otherhand, the Louisville defense line could struggle to get pressure against an inexperienced and superior offensive line and Tua could have all day to throw, which could result in several big plays and quick blow out of the Cards.

Either way you slice it, all eyes will be on Tua.

Louisville will certainly have their hands full on September 1st when they take the field at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The Cardinals will come in as huge underdogs, who have no shot to knock off the modern day “Goliath,” even with the Tide replacing numerous starters on both sides of the ball.

In regards to a conclusion here’s what Bama Hammer had to say:

“Saban shows no more in early games than he has to. Our best guess is that Jalen Hurts and Tua will rotate at the quarterback position. Legit respect goes to Petrino for his offensive schemes but the Tide are so big and so fast, even with the less-experienced defense, they shouldn’t have issues. Maybe Louisville scores a couple of TD’s, but my early guess is 31-17 Alabama, with a chance of it being more one-sided.

The Cards have shocked the world before, and doing it again may not be as far-fetched as you think.

Next: Revamped Secondary Could Steal Spotlight for Cards

See you September 1st Cardnation!