The Alabama Crimson Tide take on the Missouri Tigers at 6 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 26 to kickoff the season.  The SEC added Missouri to Alabama's schedule after opting to play a conference only schedule.

Redshirt junior, Mac Jones will be the starting quarterback for the Tide this week. In four starts last year, Mac Jones threw 1,172 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Questions remain if he is capable of leading the Tide as a full time starter.  Should Jones struggle to put up points, the Tide could turn to true freshman, Bryce Young, to show off his skills.

Missouri will be down twelve players due to COVID-19, but still have a few more rounds of testing to see who will be able to play. Missouri will not be announcing their starting quarterback ahead of week one.  Mizzou has four quarterbacks listed on their 2020 roster, redshirt juniors Shawn Robinson and Taylor Powell, redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak and freshman Brady Cook.  Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, refused to name a starter in order to create more scenarios for Alabama to prepare for.

This first game will start the road to the 2021 Heisman Trophy for Alabama running back, Najee Harris.  Harris had a great season in 2019, but will be competing against other amazing players including: Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, and Chuba Hubbard.  He came to the University of Alabama to win a national championship and become a Heisman Trophy winner.  He has already achieved one of those, Harris has shown his drive to win college football's most prestigious award in his new video series.

Alabama fans should be excited this year with the defensive talent returning to the team. Senior linebacker Dylan Moses made the decision to return to Tuscaloosa after tearing his ACL last summer. Moses is ready to embrace the leadership role that was missing in his absence last season.

"I want to strike fear into my opponents, I want it to be just like how it used to be as far  as how our culture goes, that's what Alabama's identity is and I want to bring that back," said Moses.

The Crimson Tide opened as a 21-point favorite but with the Missouri announcements of missing players the oddsmakers have risen Alabama to a 28-point favorite.

The game can be viewed on TV on ESPN with commentators Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Allison Williams. Fans looking for Eli Gold's call of the game can turn to Tide 100.9 FM or stream it anywhere on the free Tide1009app.

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