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, against Auburn, due to COVID-19 protocols).

They finished the season undefeated with a record of 13-0 (10-0 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.

Because of their dominance of their all SEC schedule with multiple ranked opponents, and the fact that they finished with three Heisman Trophy candidates, several pundits have called the team the greatest in college football history with ESPN citing them as the greatest team of the playoff era.

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

Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released

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

D. J. Dale - DL (Media)

Josh Jobe - DB (Coaches)

Specialists

1st team

Jaylen Waddle – RS (Coaches, Media)

Jaylen Waddle - AP (Media)

Coaching staff

 * Graduate assistants
 * Tino Sunseri
 * Andy Kwon
 * Max Bullough
 * Jake Long
 * Analysts


 * Dean Altobelli
 * Major Applewhite
 * Javier Arenas
 * Bert Biffani
 * Rob Ezell
 * Johnathan Galante
 * Butch Jones
 * Shiloh Keo
 * A. J. Milwee
 * Alex Mortensen
 * Nick Perry
 * Patrick Reilly
 * Gordon Steele
 * Mike Stoops
 * Charlie Strong

Depth chart
True Freshman

Double Position :

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).


 * Schedule Source:

At Missouri Tigers

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No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies

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At Ole Miss Rebels

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No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs

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At Tennessee Volunteers

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

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Statistics

Kentucky Wildcats

 * Sources:

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.


 * Sources:

At LSU Tigers

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At Arkansas Razorbacks

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Vs. No. 7 Florida Gators

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Vs. No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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Vs. No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes

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Awards and honors
DeVonta Smith
 * Heisman Trophy
 * Maxwell Award
 * Walter Camp Award
 * Fred Biletnikoff Award
 * Paul Hornung Award
 * Associated Press College Football Player of the Year
 * Sporting News College Football Player of the Year
 * SEC Offensive Player of the Year

Mac Jones
 * Davey O’Brien Award
 * Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
 * Manning Award

Najee Harris
 * Doak Walker Award

Alex Leatherwood
 * Outland Trophy
 * Jacobs Blocking Trophy

Landon Dickerson
 * Rimington Trophy
 * Jacobs Blocking Trophy

Thomas Fletcher
 * Patrick Mannelly Award

Patrick Surtain II
 * SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Offensive line
 * Joe Moore Award

John Metchie III
 * Jon Cornish Trophy

Coaches
Nick Saban
 * Paul “Bear” Bryant Award

Steve Sarkisian
 * Broyles Award

All Americans
Unanimous Selection


 * Najee Harris (AFCA, AP, CBS, ESPN, FWAA, Phil Steele, TSN, WCFF)
 * DeVonta Smith (AFCA, AP, Athletic, CBS, ESPN, FWAA, Phil Steele, TSN, USAT, WCFF)
 * Landon Dickerson (AFCA, AP, CBS, ESPN, FWAA, Phil Steele, TSN, WCFF)
 * Alex Leatherwood (AFCA, AP, Athletic, CBS, ESPN, FWAA, Phil Steele, TSN, USAT, WCFF)
 * Patrick Surtain II (AFCA, AP, Athletic, CBS, ESPN, FWAA, Phil Steele, TSN, USAT, WCFF)

Consensus Selection


 * Mac Jones (AFCA, AP, Athletic, ESPN, TSN, USAT, WCFF)

Other Selections


 * Will Reichard (CBS)
 * Thomas Fletcher (Phil Steele)

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 Jr. (AP: 2)

DB- Malachi Moore

KR- Jaylen Waddle (Coaches: 2)

Radio

 * WTID (FM) (Tide 102.9) – Nationwide (Dish Network, Sirius XM, TuneIn radio and iHeartRadio)

TV

 * CBS Family – CBS 42 (CBS), CBS Sports Network
 * ESPN/ABC Family – ABC 33/40 (ABC), ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network)
 * FOX Family – WBRC (FOX), FOX/FS1, FSN
 * NBC – WVTM-TV, NBC Sports, NBCSN