RAMON ALVARADO

It’s back! College football finally makes it return this week and there is definitely no shortage of huge games to kick it off. ESPN is dubbing this opening weekend the best college football has ever had, and it’s really hard to argue against the claim with all the ranked teams facing each other. Headlining the slate of games on ESPN and its family network ABC is number 20 ranked USC and number one ranked Alabama.

Alabama is coming off their fourth national championship in seven years, winning three of the last five. Alabama is ranked number one even without having a quarterback on their roster with any real in-game experience. With the quarterback questions comes the departure of Heisman winning running back, Derrick Henry. Henry, who is now with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, was responsible for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns last year in his Heisman campaign. Alabama is looking to replace him with sophomore Bo Scarbrough, a running back who fans have been anxious to see. Fans of the Crimson Tide are also anxious to see how wide receiver Calvin Ridley is going to follow up his huge first season with the team; a season that saw him break Amari Cooper’s Alabama freshman record for receiving yards. The only thing that may stop Ridley from having an even greater season this time around is Alabama’s quarterback situation.

One thing that’s not a worry for the number one ranked team is its ferocious defense. Alabama’s defense is really what carried the team to last year’s championship and with numerous returning players, it’s looking to be monstrous once again.

The defending national champions will have a tough first test, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as they take on the number 20 ranked Trojans of Southern California. The Trojans are coming off a disappointing 8-6 season that ended with a loss to Wisconsin in the Holiday Bowl. Despite their struggles, USC is still loaded with talent; they just can’t seem to piece the puzzle. Junior wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is projected to have another outstanding season. As a sophomore, Smith-Schuster caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’ll definitely be a cause for concern for Alabama’s corners. Another player to look out for on the offensive side of the ball is Ronald Jones II, a running back entering his sophomore year. Jones II finished with 987 rushing yards and eight touchdowns; very impressive considering the fact that he shared carries with two other backs. Jones II is looking to have himself a breakout year for the Trojans, and they’ll definitely need it. Quarterback Max Browne is getting his first career start for USC when they face Alabama this weekend. The Crimson Tide defense Browne will be facing is as scary as it can get for a quarterback, let alone a first-time starting quarterback. It’ll be interesting to see how the Trojans’ new quarterback handles himself in his first career start. A start that comes in a primetime game on national television, against the defending champions.

Saturday night’s matchup on ABC will be a contest between two teams that have trended in different directions. USC’s football program has been in shambles since Pete Carroll left for the Seattle Seahawks. They’ve had three different head coaches since his departure in 2009.

Alabama, on the other hand, have built themselves a dynasty since hiring Nick Saban in 2007. They have won four national championships since and it looks like he’ll be able to add some more to that total in the years to come. Saban and his scouts consistently bring in new talent to replace the players he has leaving to the NFL, and it doesn’t look like that will stop any time soon. Not with the way his Alabama football team keeps winning.