A new generation of Alabama football could still mean more of the same for Tide fans

The Alabama Crimson Tide are about to finally enter the uncharteed waters that everyone has been anticipating.

The first season of the post Nick Saban era, the Tide might be in an age of turnover, but it doesn't mean it will come at the cost of wins.

Change can be good, and when previewing the 2024 season for the Capstone, there is a chance the change goes swimmingly.

Attainable Goal: Boast Another Heisman Trophy Winner

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe currently has the fourth-best odds to hoist the Heisman Trophy ahead of Week zero, at +1000 per Bet MGM . If you told a Tide fan who watched Milroe get benched against USF last season, that the QB would lead his team within a snap of a national championship, return as the undoubted starter, and head into 2024 as a top-five candidate for the Heisman trophy, they would have laughed and walked the other way.

But that's the kind of development that Milroe had in-season, much less everything he's learned under the guidance of one of college football's brightest offensive minds, HC Kalen DeBoer.

“He’s as hard of a working player as I’ve ever been around. He’s a completely committed, devoted student-athlete in all areas,” OC Nick Sheridan said of Milroe on Wednesday. “His teammates respect that. And I think he’s becoming more and more comfortable, even in our time here, of using his voice to encourage, to confront, to demand. Because he’s certainly putting in the time and the work.”

Expectation: A Return to the CFP

To be honest, even in a field of four, there is a case to be made that the Tide could be expected to return to the pinnacle of the sport. When analyzing their schedule and their preseason rankings , it's clear that they have double-digit wins written all over them, even if Vegas thinks otherwise .

So in an expanded playoff, where the field has now grown to three times the amount of teams, (four to 12) anything short of an appearance would be a a massive disappointment.

Main Key to Success: Play Through the Offensive Line

No position group at the university can have a bigger impact on Alabama's success than the men in the trenches. With two players via Kaydn Proctor and Tyler Booker who are expected to be first-round picks (Booker in 2025, Proctor in 2026) as long as they hold up in pass protection and Alabama uses their stable of backs and Jalen Milroe on designed runs, the offense will be able to score at will.

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