Alabama in unfamiliar territory on New Year’s — out of the College Football Playoffs
This was not the ending Alabama faithful anticipated.
Buoyed by talent at nearly every position, and led by Heisman Trophy candidate Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, the Crimson Tide was expected to compete for its third national championship in five years. The school played in each of the first five College Football Playoffs and made the championship game in each of the past four years.
But the once-promising season derailed in early November. Alabama (10-2) lost to by five to Louisiana State. A week later, the Crimson Tide lost Tagovailoa for the remainder of the season because of a hip injury. Although backup Mac Jones played well in his absence, Alabama dropped its regular season finale 48-45 to rival Auburn.
Undeterred by not being able to compete for a title this year, Crimson Tide players attempt to seek solace by closing out the season with a victory over 14th-ranked Michigan Wednesday in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.
“It is a little different,” Jones said of the motivation. “Obviously, we want to try to make the playoff every year, but obviously we didn’t this year. It’s a bowl game, and it’s exciting. It’s a football game, and we’ve been playing since we were 5. So we want to win every game we go to. Yeah, we wanted to play in the playoffs, but we’ll see what we do here.”
Junior right tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. added: “It’s been a complete different attitude. People think we fell off. If we lose two games here, people think we had the worst season ever. . . . It’s just something for us to go make a statement.”
Jones, a redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville, can potentially stake his claim to the starting job in 2020 with another strong performance. In 11 games, including three starts, Jones completed nearly 70 percent of his passes this season for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns with just three interceptions. The starter’s position is in flux awaiting word from Tagovailoa, has not made his decision whether to leave Alabama for the NFL or stay in school next year.
“I think the big thing with Mac is that he doesn’t really have anything to prove,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I think what he needs to do is do his job well. We have a lot of other guys around him that can make plays. He doesn’t have to try to live up or be anybody but himself.”
The talent level that surrounds Jones gives him every opportunity to put up big numbers. His top three receivers – Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith — are expected to be first-round picks in April’s NFL Draft. Several others, including offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, are also expected to be selected in the first few rounds.
“I think the confidence in his teammates for him has grown,” Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. “I think the receivers, the offensive line, all of a sudden those guys see No. 10 going there and making throws — make throws against Auburn, where guys are breathing down his face at critical moments on third down — getting conversions. So I think that’s where he’s grown.”
In return, Jones feels the team’s confidence level in his play has grown with each start.
“It is my team,” Jones said. “I think they’ve done well rallying around me, helping me out and making me look good. What everybody does around me, that makes it easier.”
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 1:15 PM.