Jumbo Package: Will Georgia or LSU present the toughest challenge to Alabama this fall?

Happy Thursday, everyone. Adam Kramer posted a great feature on Bryce Young yesterday, and Alabama fans are right to be excited about him.

Craig knew. As he paced the sidelines every Friday night and watched every touchdown, he knew he was biased from a father’s hope, but he also knew he wasn’t wrong, that his son was destined for a stage befitting of his abilities rather than his size.

Few stages in football, if any, are brighter than the one Young is poised to take in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this fall.

And while Young is still not quite six feet tall, the questions asked about him now have nothing to do with his height. The questions now are about just how dominant he can be in the SEC—and how quickly.

“I would think that he’s got a shot to win the Heisman Trophy,” says Steve Wiltfong, the director of recruiting for 247Sports. “He’s going to have so many great players around him at Alabama, and if he’s the player that we think he’s going to be, I think you’re talking about a guy who is going to be invited to New York, maybe more than once.”

That sounds just fine to me.

Athlon ranked the toughest games on Alabama’s schedule, and the top spot is interesting.

1. Nov. 7 at LSU

A lot of talking heads out there are counting on a precipitous drop from the Tigers after their national title campaign last year. I’m not so certain the fall is going to be that big. Sure there is no Joe Burrow and nine underclassmen left for the NFL. But head coach Ed Orgeron and Co. have recruited well and will be stocked for more post-season hardware. And yes, with just eight starters back there is plenty of rebuilding to be done. But by the time this one rolls around the restocking will be well in place. Besides, when it comes to discussing Bama’s toughest game, I’ve got two words for ya’: Death. Valley.

It is true that LSU will have had time to jell by then, but they also suffered a ton of turnover on the coaching staff so we don’t know how well they will develop. Of course, Georgia has plenty of question marks as well.

So, which game concerns you the most?

CBS Sports has jokes.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame may not be a member of a Power Five conference, but it is still a Power Five program. Plus, considering its scheduling agreement with the ACC, one could argue that the Irish are the second-best team in the league. Like Georgia, Notre Dame has already reached the College Football Playoff. Unlike Georgia, it did not reach the title game but was instead crushed by the same Clemson squad that steamrolled Alabama in the CFP National Championship that year.

As for Notre Dame’s ability to get back there, its independence is a two-edged sword. Notre Dame has to go undefeated to have a realistic shot of making the playoff; however, after starting a season 12-0, it doesn’t have to go 13-0 since it has no conference championship to play in. Thanks to its ACC schedule agreement and its national rivalries, it will always have a strong enough schedule to boost its resume should it go 12-0. The Irish recruit well enough — their classes sometimes crack the top 10 and are usually within the top 15 — to ensure that they remain a viable option. Last national title: 1988

Excuse me for a moment.

May you all find someone who loves you the way sportswriters love Notre Dame.

Speaking of jokes, check out this list.

So, you’re going to have a “best QB of the decade list” and include two one-hit wonders, but leave off Deshaun Watson and Tua Tagovailoa? I guess a Heisman was a prerequisite.

Derrick Henry sat down for a few minutes with comedian Kevin Hart. on Alabama fans, he said, “That’s all they know is football, so they treat you like royalty out there from the time you get on campus. But when you elevate your game as a player it just gets better.”

Good stuff. Derrick must be about seven feet tall if you count the hair.

Last, with baseball set to start soon, have you seen the Texas Rangers’ new park?

It looks like somewhere you’d attend a rodeo or livestock auction, not a baseball game.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.