The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team is on a path less traveled. The team will shoot for its third national championship in a row this season.

“Roll Tide” should be a household phrase by now. Those two words symbolize the spirit and level of prestige the Crimson Tide has shown by winning two consecutive national championships and three of the past four.

This season, Alabama will do something not accomplished since 1944-1946 by the United States Military Academy: win three straight national championships.

Three reasons why the Alabama Crimson Tide will win its third title in a row:

1.      Soft Schedule

The Crimson Tide came into the college football season atop the polls in unanimous fashion. This means the team controls its own destiny all the way to the title game. An extremely soft schedule will keep Alabama there for the remainder of the season.

First, here is a look at the non-conference schedule:

Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Georgia State, Chattanooga.

Alabama already handled Virginia Tech easily in the first game of the season winning 35-10. The remaining three games are even more laughable, so laughable that Colorado State, Georgia State, and Chattanooga should not even bother showing up to the game. These three games should serve as scrimmages for Head Coach Nick Saban and his players.

In SEC play, Alabama takes on its usual division foes playing Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State, and Auburn.

The biggest threat to Alabama’s three-peat was Johnny Manziel and the Aggies in last Saturday’s matchup in College Station. Alabama won 49-42, but the game was not as close as the scoreboard indicated, with Alabama controlling the game almost entirely.

The Crimson Tide also faces Kentucky and Tennessee, two programs in major rebuilding modes.

Alabama dodged three bullets in avoiding SEC East-division powerhouses Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, all of which had potential to upset the reigning national champions.

Alabama will also have to risk its run at another title at the end of the season in the SEC championship game, which will more than likely be against the Georgia Bulldogs.

2.      Balance

Alabama has tremendous balance in all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. With strong players at each phase to go along with depth, this team is poised to make another run.

On offense, senior quarterback A.J. McCarron has proved himself as a big time leader and an even bigger winner. Complementing McCarron is sophomore running back T.J. Yeldon, who busted over 1,000 yards on the ground. McCarron’s main target, sophomore wide receiver Amari Cooper, also got to the 1,000 yard mark and continues to be a big play threat.

The defense has been a staple of Saban’s championship runs. The Crimson Tide defense returns senior tackling machine C.J. Mosley and junior safety Vinnie Sunseri, who covers a ton of ground in the secondary.

The defense will continue to make life tough for opposing offenses, and will keep the team in any game long enough until the offense gets hot.

The special teams unit is highlighted by junior return specialist Christion Jones, who scored on a 72-yard punt return, as well as a 94-yard kickoff return in the first game of the season. With a good return threat in Jones, look for other teams to punt the ball short or out of bounds to avoid Jones, which in return sets up good field position for Alabama’s offense.

3.      Coaching

A major influence on a team’s success is its coaching staff, and there is no coach better in college football than Saban.

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Alabama in 2007, Saban won a national championship during his tenure at LSU and has continued his winning ways.

In order for a coach to be successful, they have to gain trust and respect from the players. Saban has done that magnificently by developing team chemistry and winning ways. Players pass up leaving for the NFL one season early because they know they will always have a chance at winning a national championship under Saban.

Along with Saban, defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is a master of his craft.

Smart has the unique ability to come up with tailored ways to stop opposing offenses each week. There is no offense Smart has not seen. To go along with his tremendous knowledge of defensive schemes, he has the experience and winning mentality to continue the success.

When put all together, there is no doubt that this Alabama team is in a position to make another championship run.

Although it does not appear that any team has the ability to step up to the plate and defeat the Tide, the only team that possess the ability to end Alabama’s championship hopes is the Crimson Tide itself.