Happy Monday, everyone. Alabama remains 4th in the polls following their win over South Carolina as all three teams ranked above them held serve. One of those teams is Texas A&M, which somehow blew out LSU
in Baton Rouge despite the game being played at night. LSU coach Brian Kelly’s tenure did not survive.
Kelly’s final game as LSU’s head coach was a 49-25 trouncing at the hands of Texas A&M inside Tiger Stadium. Per Kelly’s contract, he is set to be due a $53.29 million buyout, the second-highest buyout for a fired college football coach in history. Kelly won 34 games over three-plus seasons at LSU and he found some success early in his tenure, leading the Tigers to the SEC West division championship and SEC Championship Game appearance against Georgia in his first season. But since his debut, it’s been tough sledding for Kelly and the Tigers as they could not nab signature wins.
LSU finished the 2024 season with a demonstrative 37-17 victory at home over Oklahoma, a game that afterward Kelly told reporters and anyone that was listening that he and his football team “were taking receipts” of the detractors and doubters and what they had to say and that the Tigers “would see you in the national championship.”
In a sign of the times, Kelly is the tenth coach nationwide to be fired before November, which hasn’t happened since the 1970s. There will undoubtedly be more, and it will be very interesting to see how many of the new hires get those massive guarantees. Indiana recently extended Curt Cignetti and gave him a fully guaranteed $93 million, but that’s understandable considering the unprecedented success Indiana has enjoyed the past two seasons. That was about the only way to keep him from getting poached. This winter is going to be wild.
Alabama struggled mightily in Columbia, but that didn’t stop ESPN from shoveling some rat poison their way.
Barely beating a two-touchdown underdog is a weird way of getting onto a “playing like a national champion” list, but I’m struggling to avoid feelings of inevitability here, both because of how many times in a row the Crimson Tide have made the exact plays they needed to make in the fourth quarter and because Kalen DeBoer’s Washington Huskies basically did the exact same thing two years ago on the way to the national title game. They won eight one-score games during a 14-game winning streak, getting just the right combination of quarterback play, turnovers and special teams contributions to survive and advance. It’s hard to sustain that from year to year, but we’ve seen teams ride runs like this to rings throughout college football history.
Granted, DeBoer’s Huskies lost in 2023’s title game, but they lost to a Michigan team that ranked 12 spots higher than them on 247 Sports’ Talent Composite. The only team that ranks higher than Alabama in this year’s Talent Composite is Georgia, a team the Tide have already beaten. This team knows how to see games out and won’t face many matchup disadvantages in any hypothetical CFP matchup. That’s a pretty scary combination, isn’t it?
This team certainly seems to have potential, and they’ve won all the games since the disaster in August. But, they have yet to put together a full 60 minutes of consistent execution. That can be a positive or a negative, depending on your point of view.
The area of most concern headed into the bye week has to be an offensive line that can’t seem to create running lanes. Pass protection had been good for the most part, but even that took a step back on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide simply must be better up front. Against South Carolina, Simpson was under pressure far too often, fumbling the ball away on a sack from the blind side that he never saw coming.
Regular starting guard Geno VanDeMark did not play in Saturday’s game after showing up on the availability report in the week leading up to the matchup. Perhaps he can get healthy, and his return to the lineup will provide a boost.
But it’s not as if VanDeMark’s presence has made for perfect line play. Alabama has relied on a huge rotation, never quite finding the right five consistent players despite trying seemingly everyone across the line.
Alabama is already good. But having a really solid offensive line would likely elevate the Crimson Tide into a true national championship contender.
So, let’s have a look at those pressures, shall we?
– Wilkin Formby was back in the starting lineup at right tackle and played 59 snaps. Freshman Michael Carroll, who started last week against Tennessee, played 10 snaps. The only other offensive line position that experienced a rotation was left guard. Kam Dewberry played 50 snaps, and William Sanders played 19. Olaus Alinen saw the field on offense for one snap at left tackle, but that was when Kadyn Proctor lined up in the backfield and took a handoff.
– The Alabama offense allowed 10 pressures, but only eight of those were by offensive linemen. Running back Daniel Hill was credited with two pressures, including PFF’s lone allowed sack.
Pressures allowed by Alabama offensive linemen
Wilkin Formby: 4 pressures (4 hurries)
Parker Brailsford: 2 pressures (1 hit, 1 hurry)
Kam Dewberry: 1 pressure (1 hurry)
Kadyn Proctor: 1 pressure (1 hurry)
Michael Carroll: 0 pressures
William Sanders: 0 pressures
Jaeden Roberts: 0 pressures
No reason to be too concerned about Brailsford allowing two. He has been a stalwart on the line, and sometimes charting who is responsible for an A gap pressure can be challenging.
But, Wilkin. Bruh.
I’m always one to acknowledge that we aren’t privy to all of the information that the coaches have. We aren’t at practice, we don’t know if someone hasn’t mastered the playbook, etc. But based on what we see on Saturdays, it’s tough to imagine how Formby has managed to keep getting the lion’s share of the snaps at right tackle. Even in the game that Carroll started, Wilkin got more snaps. There has to be a reason for it, I just have no idea what it is.
Bama hoops played pretty well in the last exhibition game, held yesterday at Furman.
Alabama basketball turnovers better, but not by much
The Crimson Tide didn’t hit double-digit turnovers in the first period like it did against FSU, but nine still kept things close as Alabama didn’t extend a 10-plus lead until about nine minutes to halftime remained.
UA finished with 15 total.
Freshman Amari Allen shines on the glass
Emerging as Alabama’s lead rebounder, the forward shined with four offensive boards and five defensive boards. Oats said after the game that Allen didn’t play “particularly well” in an intersquad scrimmage on Wednesday, but was informed by players that Allen had spent “quite a bit” of time in the gym in the aftermath. On Sunday, it paid off.
The turnovers are still an issue, and the interior defense looked a bit rough. Aiden Sherrell hasn’t had to be “The Man” as a rim protector at the college level, but they will need him to do it this season. Noah Williamson has skills but not sure he’s quick enough to be counted on for huge minutes. Keitenn Bristow works hard but is pretty slight at 205 lbs. on his 6’10” frame. The dude with the most potential for that role is 265 lb. reclassified freshman Collins Onyejiaka, but he will need some seasoning as one would expect.
This team looks awfully good offensively when they can get out and run, though. Nate has shooters all over the floor, and there is plenty of length on the wings to get hands in passing lanes and contest on the perimeter. We’re one week out from the season opener against North Dakota.
I wasn’t aware of the National Softball Hall of Fame, but there is one and Alabama has a new inductee.
Alabama All-American and two-time Olympian Kelly Kretschman was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame Saturday evening as part of the Class of 2025 at the 44th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Oklahoma City.
Kretschman was a four-time All-American at Alabama from 1998-2001, the first Crimson Tide softball player to earn the prestigious honor soon after the program’s inaugural 1997 season. She helped lead Alabama to its first SEC Tournament title in 1998, its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1999 and its first Women’s College World Series appearance in 2000.
Last, you want to see something cool? Of course you do.
Best thing you’ll see today.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week.
Roll Tide.
