Rejoice, for this is the day that Saban giveth. It’s Third Saturday Gump Day, and we need to talk about the offensive line.
For a refreshing change, the offensive line is not sending us into paralytic catatonia — indeed, they’ve improved over last year’s bunch by many metrics. But there are still some lingering concerns: that Florida State game is hard to shake, as was the inconsistency displayed last week in Columbia against a stout Tigers front.
This team has accepted its identity as a passing group,
with Ty as its undisputed leader. But they are also cognizant of the fact that they need be better than they were last week on an every-down basis. Fair enough this week, too. The Vols have one of the worst secondaries that the Tide will face all season. The gameplan is going to go through the right arm of the Heisman favorite. Everyone knows that, and the Vols are rightly concerned.
But for Ty to have the success he is capable of, the big uglies have to be better.
Kadyn Proctor explains:
We knew going into this season that it could be weeks before the line shook out — and many of us expected Carroll to compete immediately for a starting job at RT. That has been a glaring weakness on the Tide offensive front for years now. When given spot duty, the mammoth freshman has impressed. He brings a nastiness to the position that many feared the Tide would lose after Booker’s departure. And, though it took six games, it seems Carroll’s time to start is coming sooner rather than later (especially after that disasterpiece Wilkin Formby sharted out in CoMo).
It was worse than you remember:
That performance led Ryan Grubb this week to say:
Carroll saw 41 snaps against the Commodores (0 pressures, 0 TFL), and in a hostile road environment, played 29 last week (1 pressure, zero TFL). That is a really good usage rate for someone off the bench: 71% and 40%, respectively.
The training wheels seem like they are about to come off, with last week’s road test being one of the last trials to overcome (if not the last). I mean, look at this beautiful violence:
Alabama isn’t alone in a midseason OL reshuffling and rotating 8-9 guys out. In Tennessee’s case, it’s because they’ve been arguably the best line in the conference, outside of A&M. They are second in TFL allowed, and have only surrendered four sacks all season.
Of course, they have a schedule like doggy poo hidden behind the sofa. But as we’ve seen in Tuscaloosa, even “bad” teams can get after it:
“Yeah, I thought both of them handled themselves really well, Satt with his hand on the ball, different defense structures, unknowns going into it. I thought he handled things extremely well, including the adjustments on the sideline. David played really well as well and continues – just from being out to now, getting all the reps in practice – just continues to get better. “Got great trust in those guys, and like I’ve said, we’re going to need them all.”
“Got great trust in those guys, and like I’ve said, we’re going to need them all.”
Here’s everything that emanated from Fulmer Jr.‘s greasy, kibble-strewn maw yesterday
I ordinarily wouldn’t foul my nest, but since it’s Gump Day, let’s laugh at the most Auburn things possible:
How about kicking your captain off the team for behavior and discipline issues?
Or, going Maximum Barn, the coach and AD whinging about officials instead of preparing for a home game against a Top 25 opponent?
Missouri -1.5 has never looked so good. And Auburn is never beating the allegations. Ever.
Thank God that Cohen said Freeze will almost certainly be back in 2026.
Basketball is just 13 days away, and when I return from New Mexico, I will have a season prospectus for you. And, seeing as THMB is a basketball site, let’s talk hoops. In the Tide’s first media availability, Nate Oats was asked — and answered — the question most Tide fans have had for the last 3-4 seasons: What will it take to cut down the nets in March?
The sore thumb was obvious, and Oats did not hesitate when asked Tuesday at SEC basketball media days about how his program can close the gap and win a national championship.
“I think it’s defense,” he responded. “Defensively we got to get better. We’ve known it. We’ve tried to focus on it. We’re on it now.”
Alabama ranked No. 3 in defensive efficiency in 2020-21 and 2022-23, something Oats wants to see return.
“We haven’t been anywhere close to third these last two years,” he said. “If we could get our defense back in the top 10, top five in the country, in defensive efficiency, I think that’s the answer.
“Until we get there, we’re just going to keep pushing, keep holding guys accountable, keep showing it, coaching it. … Defensively if we can get our defense up to where it was those other two years, I think we got a shot.”
Fair enough; we’ve all known that. But what Latrell Wrightsell said afterwards was almost comically horrifying:
“I like to say we’re gonna shoot a lot of threes and play fast again, but I feel like we’re emphasizing defense a lot more than we have in recent years,” Wrightsell said. “Normally we don’t talk about defense until June or July, but we talked about it in May — just emphasizing it a lot more and getting our defensive concepts starting in May. We started doing defense before we did offense. That’s rare to hear about Alabama.
“That’s a big emphasis and we know that. Just understanding that and a lot of guys that came are defensive-oriented. They start with defense and then translate to their offensive game.”
If you want to know why defense sometimes seemed like an afterthought with the past few ’Bama squads, there’s your answer. And it’s not reassuring. But it also explains some of the Portal pickups this year, and why Nate spent a lot of time in Oklahoma City: If you’re going to play like an NBA team, you may as well learn to defend like one.
Defensive coverage over here at 247.
And here’s everything Coach Oats had to say at Media Days.
As always, Oats was incredibly candid almost to the point of bluntness:
Yeah, so back court defense I think significantly improved. Going into the year, you probably would have said, and rightfully so, that Holloway would have been a weak link defensively, particularly in the back court.
I think his defense has significantly improved. He’s doing a great job. He’s getting up in the guys, pressuring the ball. He understands as a smaller guard, he’s got to be a lot more of a pest. I think he’s doing it. He’s been good. He’s put on weight, is stronger, more physical. He’s always been super talented offensively. You got him playing a lot better.
Ty Simpson is saying the right things about Tennessee — nothing but respect, their secondary isn’t weak, the defense can bring it, etc.
“I honestly don’t think they’re vulnerable at all, to be honest with you,” he answered. “They do a lot. They’re good up front. You know, they’ll play man. They’re physical. They move around. They’re fast. I mean, it’s just like an SEC defense, you know what I mean? They’re going to cause chaos. They’re going to blitz. All types of stuff, right? So we got to be on our P’s and Q’s and, you know, got to be disciplined with everything, right? Because they’re going to bring every type thing they got at us. And we just got to make sure that we make plays, right?
Jermie Bernard was a bit more honest. LOL.
“They like to play man-to-man, they want to bring the house,” Bernard said. “So it’s a great opportunity for our offense. They give a lot of yards, but that’s because they trust and believe in their guys to get the job done.
“For us to have that opportunity to go against man-to-man, it’s a field of dreams, man. That’s what receivers want, those one-to-one matchups. It’s gonna be up to us to go out there and make the plays.”
Translation: We’re fiddin’ to cook these boys.
But, on a more analytical level, assuming he’s healthy this could be a nice rebound game for Ryan Williams, as well as a breakout game for some the Tide’s speedier wideouts (Cole Adams, for instance). Tennessee doesn’t bracket much, given how often they blitz. The throws will be there.
It’s time to test Simpson’s deep ball; you’re not going to get a better chance to do so.
From left for dead on Labor Day, to a unanimous pick to face Ohio State in the CFP Title Game. Absolutely amazing.
Just keep wearing that black hoodie, baby.
Well…except for a certain person at ESPN who doesn’t even think the Tide will win in Atlanta, much less win it all.
One last tidbit of Gump Fuel: You can 100% tell that Ty is a coach’s kid and a Sabanite to his marrow:
When the team arrived back in Tuscaloosa, Ty Simpson had something to say.
“Ripped our ass when we were in the team meeting yesterday,” offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor told reporters Tuesday. “So he knows how to get us riled up and he’s a great leader.”
* * *
Proctor said of Simpson’s message. “We did not, we still haven’t played a full game as an offensive line, as a quarterback, any position, we haven’t played a shutout game, which is hard to do, but that’s what’s expected of us.”
Head coach Kalen DeBoer has mentioned in the past that Simpson has a fiery leadership style. Also speaking with reporters Tuesday, Simpson was asked what he had told the team on Monday. He opted to keep most of it close to the vest.
“I think it’s gonna stay between the offense, but I just kind of told it how it was, how I felt as a leader,” Simpson said.
‘Bama by 50.
And, finally, your moment of levity…
Have a great morning, and Roll Tide.
Brent will be along with a Tennessee offensive preview for you shortly.
