Alabama Crimson Tide Football

The Alabama Crimson Tide will have two of their best players available for their Dec. 31 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats after all.

Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. plan to play in the Sugar Bowl, head coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Chris Low on Friday. Saban added the Crimson Tide aren't expecting any players will opt out of the game.

Young and Anderson are both expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft. Their decision to play in Alabama's non-playoff bowl game is a surprise as many top draft picks over the years have opted out of their respective bowl games to avoid injury ahead of the draft.

With both Young and Anderson in the lineup, Alabama should undoubtedly have the edge over Kansas State.

The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-2 and just missed out on a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Young, who won the Heisman Trophy last season as the best player in college football, is in the midst of another strong season despite missing time with an injury to his throwing shoulder.

The junior quarterback has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 195 yards and four scores.

Anderson, meanwhile, won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the second straight season as the best defender in college football after posting 10 sacks, 51 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, one interception and one pass breakup in 12 games.

The 2022 campaign has been a disappointing one for Alabama. In addition to dropping two games and missing out on the CFP, the Crimson Tide also didn't appear in the SEC Championship Game.

Regardless, they still have the opportunity to close out the season on a high note with a win.

Kansas State finished second in the Big 12 this season with a 10-3 record, sitting behind 12-1 TCU, which is set to play in the College Football Playoff.

Highly touted edge-rusher Keon Keeley committed to Alabama on Monday.

Keeley is the No. 10 overall player and top-ranked talent at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting class. He originally committed to Notre Dame before walking back his decision in August.

The Crimson Tide are on track to finish first in 247Sports' composite team rankings for next year. Keeley is their third 5-star commit, joining safety Caleb Downs and running back Justice Haynes. Head coach Nick Saban already got a commitment from 4-star edge-rusher Yhonzae Pierre as well.

Keeley told On3's Chad Simmons he had narrowed his final candidates to Alabama and Ohio State and explained why the former was his ultimate choice:

I really liked the culture and the coaching staff. It's just a rare opportunity to go to the University of Alabama to play football for such a prestigious coach like Coach Saban. It's a great opportunity to go play, and you look at the track record of the outside linebacker position, they've had a bunch of guys drafted in the past five years. Alabama is Alabama, and I just felt like, 'Why not 'Bama?' It's a rare opportunity, and I'm blessed to be able to have it.

Coincidentally, 247Sports' Andrew Ivins scouted Keeley in May and compared him to former Buckeyes standout, Chase Young:

Has a bit of a natural up-right demeanor to him, but isn't exactly stiff, and has shown time and time again on Friday nights that he can bend and find some leverage. Does a variety of different things well at this stage in his development, but the most promising trait might be his motor and ability to make stops/plays in backside pursuit. Has experience working out of both a two and three-point stance in a 4-3 base defense. Superb snap anticipation allows him to quickly shoot into the backfield and get to work.

Ohio State has seen its fair share of elite pass-rushers cycle through the program in recent years. Young and Nick Bosa were the No. 2 overall picks in 2020 and 2019, respectively, and Joey Bosa was the third overall pick in 2016.

But it's not hard to see why Keeley thought Alabama presented him with a better opportunity.

Will Anderson Jr., who's the top player on Bleacher Report's 2023 big board, is poised to be a top-five selection this spring. He'll join the large list of former Crimson Tide stars along the front seven to come off the board in the first round.

Anderson's departure could potentially open the door for Keeley to carve out a meaningful role on the defense immediately. He'll have stiff competition from Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell, who were both 5-star recruits in 2022.

As the cliche goes, pressure makes diamonds. Keeley might be counting on the talent Alabama already has at outside linebacker push him to realize his full potential in college.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is making the case for the Crimson Tide to be one of the four teams selected for the 2022 College Football Playoff.

While speaking on ESPN's College Football Show, Saban discussed Bryce Young's shoulder injury and how it limited him earlier in the season, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough. Additionally, Saban noted that his team has played well over the last three weeks of the season, going 3-0.

The longtime Alabama head coach said the CFP Selection Committee must ask itself: "How are they playing at present?"

Saban made similar comments after Alabama defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Nov. 26, via ESPN's Chris Low:

"I don't make those decisions, but I know what a resilient football team this has been. We've lost two games to top-10 opponents, both on the last play of the game and both on the road. We could have easily won both games but didn't. We're a good football team and hopefully people will recognize that and we'll get a chance [to play in the playoff]."

Alabama went 10-2 this season, suffering losses to No. 7 Tennessee and No. 14 LSU. They fell to the Volunteers on a last-second field goal, and lost to LSU when the Tigers scored on a late two-point conversion.

The Crimson Tide are currently ranked No. 6 in the CFP rankings behind Georgia, Michigan, TCU, USC and Ohio State.

USC's loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and TCU's loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game opened the door for a two-loss team like Alabama to be selected for the CFP.

If the Crimson Tide are picked for the four-team playoff, they would be the first-ever two-loss team to be picked for the CFP. Additionally, Alabama has appeared in every CFP since its inception in 2014, except for 2020.

The CFP Selection Committee is set to make its picks on Sunday. If Alabama is not selected, they will at least appear in a non-playoff bowl game.

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the unranked Auburn Tigers 49-27 in the Iron Bowl on Saturday to improve to 10-2, and now head coach Nick Saban is lobbying for his team to be selected for the College Football Playoff.

Saban told ESPN's Chris Low:

"I don't make those decisions, but I know what a resilient football team this has been. We've lost two games to top-10 opponents, both on the last play of the game and both on the road. We could have easily won both games but didn't. We're a good football team and hopefully people will recognize that and we'll get a chance [to play in the playoff]."

Aside from the 2020 College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide have been one of the four teams selected for the prestigious tournament since its formation in 2014. If selected this season, Alabama would become the first two-loss team to ever make the CFP.

The only two losses Alabama suffered this season came to No. 10 Tennessee and No. 5 LSU. The Volunteers defeated the Crimson Tide 52-49 on a last-second field goal, and the Tigers won on a two-point conversion.

"We've had a lot of close games, didn't always play our best in those games, but did enough to get to 10 wins and hung in there as a team. I guess we will see what happens now," Saban said.

Saban added that he believes his team has been much better since quarterback Bryce Young recovered from an injury to his throwing shoulder. Young missed a game against Texas A&M before returning in the loss to Tennessee.

It's worth wondering whether or not the Crimson Tide would have defeated the Vols if Young was fully healthy, but that's still not going to be a factor in the selection committee's process. A loss is a loss, and Alabama had every opportunity to win that game.

There's still a good amount of hope for Alabama to make the College Football Playoff. No. 7 Clemson, No. 2 Ohio State and No 10. Oregon all lost on Saturday. The team's odds will likely get better if TCU and USC both lose their respective conference championship games.

We'll certainly be entering rare territory if Alabama isn't selected for the CFP, though it could end up being one of the more exciting playoffs of recent memory.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud are among the semifinalists for the 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Here's the full list for the Walter Camp Football Foundation's watch list:

• Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh, RB 
• Will Anderson Jr., Alabama, LB 
• Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia, QB 
• Brock Bowers, Georgia, TE 
• Chase Brown, Illinois, RB 
• Zach Charbonnet, UCLA, RB 
• Blake Corum, Michigan, RB 
• Jayden Daniels, LSU, QB 
• Max Duggan, TCU, QB 
• Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State, WR 
• Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, QB 
• Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee, WR 
• Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB 
• Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, TE 
• Bo Nix, Oregon, QB 
• Michael Penix Jr., Washington, QB 
• Bijan Robinson, Texas, RB 
• Noah Sewell, Oregon, LB 
• C.J. Stroud, Ohio State, QB 
• Tuli Tuipulotu, USC, DL 
• Caleb Williams, USC, QB 
• Bryce Young, Alabama, QB

Young is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, but the Walter Camp Award wasn't among the accolades he collected in 2021. The Crimson Tide star was a finalist and lost out to Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III.

Young is probably sitting in pole position for the 2022 honor.

The junior has thrown for 2,443 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 157 yards and three scores. Beyond the raw numbers, he has elevated a Crimson Tide team that doesn't have the kind of talent advantage it has enjoyed in recent years.

At 8-2, Alabama is already out of the College Football Playoff race. Its record would undoubtedly be worse were it not for Young. His ability to turn something into nothing has been a saving grace at times.

Should Ohio State remain unbeaten, Stroud will be a strong candidate for college football's top individual awards, though.

The third-year quarterback is leading FBS in quarterback rating (188.2) while throwing for 2,750 yards, 34 touchdowns and four interceptions. That's despite the Buckeyes missing their best wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for most of the season.

Ohio State has the largest margin of victory (31.2 points per game) in the country largely because its offense eventually overwhelms its opponents.

Penn State trailed OSU by just two points, 16-14, entering the fourth quarter on Oct. 29. The Buckeyes then dropped 28 points over the final 15 minutes and coasted to a double-digit victory. Stroud went 26-of-33 for 354 yards and one touchdown in that game.

Ohio State plays Maryland on Saturday and finishes with No. 3 Michigan on Nov. 26. Given the likely stakes of the Michigan game, Stroud could definitively tips the scales in his favor over Young and the rest of the field that day.

Bryce Young did everything in his power to carry Alabama to a 30-24 victory over Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday.

Looking to get back on track after last week's overtime loss at LSU and trying to avoid losing three games in a season for the first time since 2010, Young threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns.

It wasn't the best statistical day for the junior quarterback, but it was apparent throughout the game he was elevating the offense. His best play of the day was a touchdown pass to Ja'Corey Brooks on 3rd-and-goal that tied the score at 24 late in the third quarter.

Young's most important play was a 10-yard scramble on 3rd-and-6 from the Alabama 45-yard line to extend a drive with 6:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The first down allowed the Crimson Tide to take four more minutes off the clock and kick a field goal to turn a three-point game into a 30-24 advantage.

The response to Young's performance was positive and in stark contrast to what fans had to say about the play-calling from Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien.

This has certainly been an unusual season for Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban isn't accustomed to seeing his team struggle in the various ways this year's group has. The defense was a mess in losses to Tennessee and LSU.

The offense has been inconsistent, even in wins over Texas and Texas A&M. The win over the Aggies did come with Young unavailable because of a sprained right shoulder.

In four games since returning from that injury, Young has thrown for 1,241 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. He's completed 59.6 percent of his attempts during that span.

Saturday's win may have been somewhat bittersweet for the Crimson Tide. LSU clinched a berth in the SEC Championship Game thanks to the loss by Ole Miss.

Next up for Alabama will be a glorified tune-up against Austin Peay on Nov. 19 before the Iron Bowl against Auburn at Bryant–Denny Stadium in two weeks.