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AUSTIN, Texas — Nick Saban vacillated between satisfaction and frustration as he met with the media following Alabama‘s heart-stopping 20-19 win over Texas on Saturday afternoon.
In a cramped, windowless room inside Darrell Ok Royal Stadium, the Crimson Tide’s typically crotchety coach smiled and provided to assist a cameraman who was struggling to arrange his microphone stand. Then he proceeded to reward his staff’s resilience.
“You gotta say that is nice from a aggressive standpoint, I feel it is nice from a staff character standpoint,” he mentioned. “But when we’ll be the form of staff that we wish to be, that we’re able to being, we’ll need to play higher down in and down out.”
And that is the place issues began to get prickly as a result of nearly nothing except for Alabama’s grittiness appeared worthy of the No. 1-ranked staff in faculty soccer. Bear in mind, they have been greater than 20-point favorites coming into the day. And that was earlier than Texas’ beginning quarterback, Quinn Ewers, was knocked out of the sport with a clavicle harm within the first quarter. Nonetheless, it took a last-second area objective to carry on and beat an unranked staff.
When Saban obtained labored up — when he appeared again on mistake after mistake — he punctuated his sentences by slapping on the plastic desk he was seated in entrance of.
“Whenever you’re taking part in video games like this, you must concentrate on what’s in entrance of you,” he mentioned. “You possibly can’t fear about all the opposite stuff that is occurring — what individuals say, what they are saying on ESPN, what you all [the media] say, how a lot you are favored within the recreation. You must concentrate on what’s in entrance of you. You are an offensive lineman, that is the man you gotta block. If you happen to’re a receiver, that is the man you gotta beat. If you happen to’re a quarterback, you gotta take what the protection provides you. If you happen to’re a runner, you gotta press the outlet and make the best cuts.”
Saban stepped proper as much as the road of a correct rant earlier than pulling himself again.
However will that change as soon as he returns to Tuscaloosa, sits down in a darkish room, clicker in hand, and evaluations the tape?
As soon as the aid of successful fades, simply how anxious ought to he be?
Let’s break down probably the most urgent points going through the Tide, rating the extent of panic on a scale of 1-5.
Table of Contents
Penalties | Panic stage: 1
It was Alabama’s first nonconference highway journey since 2011. And yeah, the gamers needed to cope with a raucous, record-setting crowd of 105,213. Plus, it was miserably scorching. However does that excuse a whopping 15 penalties? That is probably the most ever below Saban at Alabama and probably the most for the Tide since 2002.
Saban wasn’t shopping for any excuses.
“If you happen to soar offsides on protection, that does not have something to do with crowd noise,” Saban mentioned. “If you happen to block a man within the again, that does not have something to do with crowd noise. So lots of them are undisciplined penalties.”
He began slapping the desk once more.
“However we’ve to have the ability to play and handle crowd noise if we’ll play on this league, within the SEC,” he mentioned. “As a result of each place we play goes to be like this.”
Standout linebacker Will Anderson Jr. even obtained flagged, leaping offsides 3 times. Anderson, who dedicated a fourth penalty when he hit a participant who had already fallen to the bottom, mentioned he was “attempting to anticipate an excessive amount of.”
If a usually dependable participant like Anderson may catch the penalty bug, possibly it is secure to say 15 penalties have been a little bit of a fluke.
Offensive line | Panic meter: 5
However what about these false begins? If Alabama’s line could not preserve its composure at Texas, how is it going to fare on the highway at Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU?
The Tide can work on utilizing a silent snap depend till they’re blue within the face, however the true concern is not penalties as a lot it’s efficiency. As a result of all the optimism constructed up over the offseason, thanks largely to the addition of former Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, evaporated below the strain the Longhorns’ entrance seven created.
It was the identical sort of mediocre play we noticed final season.
Tide quarterback Bryce Younger was sacked twice and was pressured on 12 dropbacks. And the run blocking wasn’t a lot better. Apart from an 81-yard landing run by Jase McClellan, they weren’t in a position to decide up constant yards between the tackles. Half of Alabama’s 24 rush makes an attempt have been for 3 or fewer yards.
With no apparent reinforcements on the way in which, the hope is that the road improves the old school method: regular growth.
There was a stretch when Alabama punted on six consecutive possessions in opposition to Texas, together with three three-and-outs. And Saban was blunt about why.
“Effectively, we did not block ’em very nicely up entrance,” he mentioned. “We did not shield very nicely, obtained strain within the pocket. Wasn’t very efficient throwing the ball. Did not get individuals open. Most likely have to do a greater job from a planning standpoint, the way in which they performed us.”
Extensive receivers | Panic meter: 4
Let’s return to the “did not get individuals open” line. As a result of arguably the largest shock from Saturday was the underwhelming efficiency by Alabama’s receivers.
For the previous 4 seasons, the Tide have been spoiled at receiver. First, they’d the younger trio of Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III to lean on. Then alongside got here John Metchie and, because of the switch portal, Jameson Williams.
We noticed how nicely the offense carried out final season when Metchie and Williams have been each wholesome and taking part in at an All-American stage. Williams’ skill to stretch the sphere vertically made everybody’s jobs simpler.
However we noticed in opposition to Auburn and Georgia what it was like once they weren’t each accessible.
With out Metchie’s certain arms and Williams’ harmful velocity, defenses felt extra comfy loading the field and going after Younger.
Sound acquainted?
Texas wasn’t precisely anxious in regards to the deep ball on Saturday. Solely 13 of Younger’s 27 completions went to his receivers as a result of they merely could not create separation.
Fifth-year senior Traeshon Holden has developed properly, however he is primarily a possession receiver.
Kobe Prentice is a promising freshman with some explosiveness, however he is inexperienced.
Jermaine Burton was imagined to make a Jameson Williams-like impression after transferring from Georgia after final season — and it appeared that method within the opener in opposition to Utah State, when he caught a pair of touchdowns — however then he disappeared in opposition to the Longhorns, catching solely two passes for 10 yards.
Possibly switch Tyler Harrell could be a difference-maker as soon as he sees the sphere. He reportedly ran a 4.24 second 40-yard sprint at Louisville’s professional day in 2021, so he has the form of top-end velocity Alabama has been lacking with out Williams. However Harrell has been out with a foot sprain and Saban has provided no timeline on his return.
Cornerback | Panic meter: 3
The addition of former LSU All-American cornerback Eli Ricks in December appeared to take an already loaded protection and put it excessive.
The Tide already had veteran safeties in Jordan Battle and DeMarcco Hellams. Plugging in Ricks alongside an inexperienced however gifted cornerback like former four-star Kool-Aid McKinstry or Khyree Jackson would make all of the items match completely.
However Ricks’ growth was slowed by accidents, and Saban hinted Ricks wanted extra time to study the protection. And as soon as the preliminary depth chart was launched previous to the season opener, Ricks wasn’t listed because the definitive starter.
Judging by what Texas did within the passing recreation Saturday — racking up 5 receptions of 20 or extra yards regardless of having to make a change at quarterback — neither Ricks nor Jackson nor McKinstry seem able to anchor the place.
Ricks did not present up on the stat sheet in any respect, McKinstry obtained an earful from Saban after he was crushed on at the least one deep ball and Jackson was pulled in favor of Terrion Arnold after he was crushed a couple of too many occasions.
The excellent news is Arnold greater than held his personal, racking up 5 tackles and a move breakup. And there is nonetheless time for Ricks to be the participant he was at LSU.
“I obtained confidence in all of them,” Saban mentioned, “however when Terrion went into the sport, I assumed he did a very good job, made a pair very nice performs.”
Quarterback | Panic meter: 0
Panic? Are you kidding? With out Younger at quarterback, Alabama could be doomed.
Regardless of taking part in in entrance of a leaky offensive line and regardless of having restricted choices within the passing recreation, relying largely on working again Jahmyr Gibbs, Younger did not get flustered.
When hope was dwindling — when Alabama was down six factors after a Texas area objective and was coming off six straight drives that led to punts — Younger took over with 12:55 left within the fourth quarter and did not flinch. He marched Alabama 68 yards down the sphere, rolled to his proper on first-and-goal and threw a dart off his again foot to Gibbs for the go-ahead landing.
When Texas responded with a area objective to retake the lead, Younger once more confirmed his resolve. Getting the ball down one level with 1:29 remaining, Younger accomplished 4 straight passes after which scrambled for 20 yards to arrange the game-winning, 33-yard area objective by Will Reichard.
Afterward, a reporter requested Saban why Younger appears to come back up massive in essential moments.
Saban laughed.
“Why is he so good?” he mentioned, grinning. “I imply, if I may really inform you that, I do not know if I would be doing this.”
Saban then proceeded to put out a few of the the explanation why Younger received the Heisman Trophy final season and is taken into account a doable No. 1 decide in subsequent yr’s draft: the way in which he research and prepares for video games, his understanding of protections, his skill to increase performs.
“And he’s correct throwing the ball,” Saban mentioned. “And he is very, very instinctive. I imply, he performs quarterback like a degree guard in basketball. He is obtained expertise, however he does not simply play along with his expertise. He is very nicely ready and is aware of precisely what the sport plan is and what he must do to execute it.”
However even Saban’s praise got here with a warning tacked on.
“,” Saban mentioned, “gamers round him have gotten to play nicely, too. Quarterback’s a tough place to play when gamers round you do not play nicely.”
Younger has proved to be a championship-caliber quarterback. Whether or not Alabama is a championship-caliber staff stays to be seen.
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