Happy Gump Day, folks. Let’s dive into some preseason football. It’s a slow one today, as we are at the deep breath before the plunge — fall camp opens in today. So, all’s quiet on the West-Central Front for a few more hours.
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Preseason Awards watch lists dropped yesterday, and ‘Bama was represented well on them:
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List chose “60 defensive standouts as contenders for the national defensive player of the year.” The Tide’s to-watch list were Tim Keenan, LT Overton (who I think
is poised for a big season), and Deontae Lawson. Lawson would have been a much stronger contender to me if we knew how he was going to play after injury. The physical skills are there, but mentally trusting your body again is often the hardest part.
Outland Trophy Watch list: “Two programs – Alabama and Oregon – have three members on the list spread across their offensive line. Each program has had an Outland Trophy winner within the last six seasons. Alabama, which has the lone returning FWAA All-American in center Parker Brailsford, also has guard Jaeden Roberts and offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.”
‘Bama’s offensive line was also named on the Joe Moore watchlist, and Hollywood earned a preseason Maxwell nod. Interesting point about the last one: Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith are the only two players from OSU/Alabama on the Maxwell list, but are also early Heisman favorite. In the Buckeyes case, it’s the deep rebuild in Columbus. In ‘Bama’s case, it just seems to be a lack of regard for guys like Miller and Bernard. And, of course, both have huge question marks under center.
In terms of rowdiness, Alabama’s Bryant Denny Stadium ranked 8th on most intimidating environments in CFB. And that’s fair. It’s simply not very hostile very often. There are other things that make it difficult: the least of which is the weight of history that bears down on visitors, and which the Alabama game day presentation folks do their best to amplify. LSU came in first, of course (though I would say that a game at a packed Neyland Stadium is far more hostile than Death Valley, and Jordan Hare lies on a cursed Indian burial site).
But, if we’re being honest, no one in America actually knows what an aggressive audience actually looks like. Don’t believe me? Here’s a regular season basketball game in Serbia. It can and does get much more hostile for soccer and their meaningful national matches.
America has customers. Its aggression comes from sheer numbers and occasional beer muscles.
Europe has fans, where that aggression arises from being nutty rednecks with hundreds of years of ethnic strife...often with some historical ethnic cleansing or imperial slaughter thrown in there.
New FSU OC, Gus Malzahn, took to YouTube yesterday to discuss the ‘Noles forthcoming season, as well as the challenge that playing Alabama presents. The unspoken bottom line here seems to be “we’re going to be conservative, RTDB, and force them to beat us up front...but also get ready for a few kitchen sink plays.”
Castellanos’ very average arm is a ghastly matchup vs. the Tide secondary. But, given ‘Bama’s struggles against running QBs, and his size that makes it easy to get lost in space, Castellanos could pose serious problems on the ground. Last year, running quarterbacks teed off on Alabama’s miserable interior rushing defense.
Too harsh? I don’t think you realize how truly bad it was:
- Jackson Arnold (25/131 2 TDs);
- Nico Iamaleava (9/44, 57% 3D conversion rate);
- Diego Pavia (6 1D on 20 carries, 50% 3rd down rushing conversion);
- Byrum Brown (107 yards, 4.7 YPC);
- Payton Thorne (10 carries, 4.2 YPA, 50% 3rd down rushing conversion).
The only mobile QB who wasn’t able to have success? Ironically, it’s the true “running quarterback,” LaNorris Sellers. So, given ‘Bama’s dubious body of work last season, and lack of demonstrable upgrade on the interior, he has a reason to be somewhat confident that FSU can find some room to run the ball from under center.
The wildcard of course is the FSU offensive line. Charitably, it was a hot mess last season. But with a new scheme and a very competent, experienced OLC, who worked with Malzahn for almost 20 years, I don’t think ‘Bama fans can put their eggs in this basket.
No, it’s going to have to be won up front.
We got some quality dumbassery today from Goodman: Ripping off Spurrier’s talking points. Rehashing some Bill Connelly. And then Barner convenient amnesia that acts as though Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa and won big immediately:
The glory days of Alabama quarterback gold ended with Bryce Young, and there is no proof that Simpson is good enough to lead Alabama back to the College Football Playoff. Times change. This preseason, the best quarterbacks in the SEC are at Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Florida.
The biggest questions are at Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
I like the idea of rewarding loyalty in today’s college football. No one wants a sport of mercenaries, but, like it or not, that’s the game. Simpson has been waiting his turn at Alabama for four years. If he struggles in the first half at FSU, then he’s done.
If Alabama loses at FSU, then DeBoer might be done, too.
Not to compare DeBoer and the GOAT, but Saban didn’t need his own quarterback to win his first national championship at Alabama.
Quarterback Greg McElroy was a Mike Shula recruit, but that was a different era of college football. Alabama won the championship for the 2009 season with a strong defense and a devastating running game. McElroy didn’t even throw a touchdown pass in the national championship game against Texas.
Alabama went 7-6 in Nick Saban’s first year, including what was arguably the worst loss of the last half-century: La-Monroe. DeBoer didn’t lose to a team below .500, nor to a non-conference opponent. All three losses were true SEC road games, two of which were contests at Norman and Neyland. And this came after Alabama lost its entire coaching staff, its new OC, and 47 players in two rounds of portal departures in just six weeks.
Football season must be close, if Goodman is dusting off his Great Value Scarbinksy brain rot.
Worth a chuckle, at least.
Interesting Nate Oats interview here with Seth Davis. We tend to think of Oats having a firm “No midrange jumper” diktat. But it’s not that simple. Analytics are meant to be applied to the course of a game — generally threes are better value propositions. But in-game moments will determine what is the best shot at the time of the shot.
It’s why Mark Sears’ floater in Auburn was actually the preferred shot for Oats’ crew over a perimeter attempt. And that shot selection is part of the culture baked in at Alabama. It’s not all tempo and YOLO, as it may seem from outside.
Want better shots?
— James Purchin (@JamesPurchin) July 23, 2025
Start with better standards.@Nate_Oats breaks it down here — no wonder Alabama’s culture is one of the best in the country. pic.twitter.com/5o5d5oVzNp
Oh, god. Talk analytics to me baby.
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And, finally, I leave you with some levity. How does the prospect of real-life Mario Kart in the jungles of Vietnam sound? No attorneys. No guard rails. No “safety standards.”
Just all the aggression and ruined friendships you can handle. Adding this one to my bucket list.
Low key a death race pic.twitter.com/nfZAsScnlv
— NRM84 (@Mappy6984) July 29, 2025
We’ll be back later. For now, have a great day and Roll Tide.
More from rollbamaroll.com:
- A legend hangs them up — Tua Tagovailoa enters the 2020 NFL Draft
- Jumbo Package: Decision Day
- MONDAY UPDATE: Alabama Crimson Tide NFL Draft Junior Tracker
- Devonta Smith announces his return to Alabama in 2020
- Tua Tagovailoa and Nick Saban to hold press conference at 11am CT Monday
- Predictions: Will they stay or will they go?
- Watch: NFL analyst breaks down Rashaan Evans’ role in critical goal line stand vs. Patriots
