I'm curious (in a very non-sarcastic way) how people feel about the state of their program. Being that this is the first year in a longgg while that Bama is no longer in the Championship discussion, I understand how this could appear to be a signal for the program's decline. A loss to a "good but not elite" Auburn team sure doesn't help. But at the same time, they BATTLED with what currently looks like a generational LSU squad with Tua not even close to 100% and really handed it to Michigan (a team ND flat out didn't show up to play) in the second half of their bowl game. They sure do lose some ELITE talent to the draft this year (specifically their WRs) and the damage could be far worse if Dylan Moses and Najee Harris declare.
Is the general consensus that we should trust that Bama always reloads based on their past recruiting classes and our experience seeing it happen year after year? Or is the feeling that Bama's time as THE elite program (or top 2 elites) is slowly coming to an end?
The talent is certainly on the roster for them to reload. But some of the players they lose to the draft are going to be VERY hard to replace. If Harris leaves, they essentially lose nearly every starting skill position on offense other than DeVonta Smith... and those players were on an entirely different level (Jeudy, Ruggs, and Tua are likely first rounders and Harris is an elite talent).
Further, the typical Bama brand of football is becoming obsolete in today's game. Bullying the opposition on both sides of the ball, relying on a bruising run game, and maintaining good field position isn't as effective as it use to be. Bama has made some very apparent adjustments recently and adapted their offense to incorporate more spread / passing and their defense as well. Even their QB recruiting philosophy has changed. It's almost impossible to imagine a Tua, Jalen Hurts, or a Bryce Young playing QB at Bama in the early 2010s. Are their adjustments enough? Is realigning the staff and bringing in creative minds the answer?
With all this said, I personally think Bama will remain at the top of that elite tier for at least a few more years. I think LSU managed to catch lightning in a bottle this year and will likely take a step backwards next year. Clemson continues to prove they've built a sustainable "top tier of elite" program, but their recruiting philosophy and coaching style are VERY different and seem more tailored for the modern landscape of the game and recruiting. The SEC West will continue to be a gauntlet for years to come, but Bama is the alpha there and should be into the foreseeable future. Losing that level of elite talent is almost impossible to overcome for most programs, but if there is any program that CAN, it's Bama (and Clemson pending this championship game... still haven't been tested outside of OSU and really should have lost that game so the jury is still out).
If any program's reputation took a serious hit this year, I'd argue it's Oklahoma, not Bama. Hell, the entire BIG XII. Suspensions or not, that embarrassment of a Peach Bowl really showed the weakness of a conference and the need to actually play even a MAC level of defense in order to win. The rest of the CFB world has learned and applied Oklahoma's style of offense and is starting to put up the same level of points. The difference is the great-to-elite tier of teams also pairs that with great defense.
Curious to hear all of your thoughts. I don't post that much on here, but I read the threads daily and seem a little confused with the consensus here. No shots fired at all. Just genuinely curious and want to hear thoughts other than my own
