Around Thanksgiving last year, pundits were kicking the tires on whether an undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide team could beat the winless Cleveland Browns. Could the most powerful college football power in recent memory actually take down the NFL’s most consistently hapless squad?
According to some outfit (named, appropriately, Whatifsports.com), the semi-professional team located in Cleveland would win 93.9% of the time and by an average score of 33-14. REALLY? What makes them any more of an authority on the outcome of that game than, let’s say, your average blog-site host who has observed Alabama play college football for nearly 50 years and has observed just how bad the NFL’s franchise along the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie really is.
Even the Wall Street Journal jumped into the act last season and indicated that, due to the speed of the NFL players, it might be dangerous for America’s most dominant college football program to line-up with those winless studs from Cleveland in a contest.
The problem with these stories from last year is that no one bothered to give a detailed analysis of the players and coaches for both teams and how they might match-up.
Fast forward to 2017, and nothing significant has changed. Alabama is again undefeated and ranked #1 in college football, while the Cleveland Browns, alas, have failed to win a single NFL game yet this season.
Let’s now analyze the 2017 version of these two teams to see who might have an advantage in a potential match-up.
Quarterback – Slight edge to Bama
Sophomore Jalen Hurts now has another year under his belt at Alabama. He took the team to the brink of the national championship in 2016 and has become a proven winner when the chips are down. He has thrown for 11 TD’s through 10 games with only 1 interception and has a QB rating of 149.6.
Meanwhile, the Browns’ current starting QB is Deshone Kiser, a rookie from Notre Dame. Though he plays against NFL competition, Kiser has thrown for 4 TD’s along with a whopping 12 interceptions this season. The Brownies rank 25th in the NFL in passing. Do you really think a quarterback just one year removed from college is likely any better than Bama’s QB? I think not.
Running Backs/Receivers – Toss-up
Yes, I know that Cleveland has a few good running backs (Isaiah Crowell and 3rd year player Duke Johnson) as the Browns’ lethargic offense depends on the run due to inept play at quarterback. Let’s give Cleveland the experience edge over Bama’s two-headed monster backfield of Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough.
At wide receiver, though, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley is an all-SEC performer with 49 catches for 755 yards in the first ten games of this season. Cleveland’s leading receiver is Ricardo Lewis (who??) who has caught 25 passes for a measly 305 yards this season. Bama gets the edge here.
O-Line – Slight edge to Browns
Though the two teams’ offensive lines are both comprised of extremely large and talented players, the professional experience for the Cleveland O-Line should give them an edge over the younger players at Alabama. But, for those of us who watch a lot of SEC football, Alabama’s offensive line is machine-like in their execution every season.
Defense -Toss-up
Alabama’s defense is ranked number 1 in college football this season and surrenders a measly 11 points/game in 2017. Led by All-American defensive back, Heisman candidate and Nick Saban’s on-field coach, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Bama’s defense is smothering. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns’ defense is surprisingly ranked #11 in the NFL this season (despite their winless record). The experience edge goes to the professional team, but the intensity and execution edge definitely goes to Bama.
Special Teams – Toss-up
Alabama’s 6’6″ senior punter, J.K. Scott, has averaged nearly 45 yards/punt during his 4-year career, while senior placekicker, Andy Pappanastos, has made 15 out of 19 field goals (79%) this season with a long of 49 yards while making a perfect 49 out of 49 extra points.
Cleveland’s punter Britton Colquitt averages 45.3 yards/punt while rookie placekicker Zane Gonzalez has make 8 out of 12 field goals and is 15 for 16 in extra points.
Coaching – Advantage Alabama
Though Cleveland’s Hue Jackson is certainly a good coach, it is hard to argue that Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s record in college football (four National Championships at Alabama and one at LSU) and two years as a professional coach in Miami (15-17 from 2005-2006) gives him the clear victory in this category. Cleveland’s Jackson has a career head coaching record is 9-32 with the Oakland Raiders and, now, with the Browns.
Summary – Though Cleveland’s players are a few years older and more experienced than the college players at Alabama, the coaching edge at Alabama would lead me to believe that the talent, discipline, intensity, and winning attitude of the Crimson Tide players would make this a truly fascinating game.
I would pay to see this contest, wouldn’t you?
SwampSwami says: Alabama 24, Browns 20. SEC! SEC!! SEC!!!