Crimson Tide Could Be The Best Of The Nick Saban Era
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com College Football Blogger
Penn State nearly lost, Ohio State’s feature remains unknown, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma look explosive but who can really tell against those opponents and neither Auburn nor Washington looked worthy of even a Top 20 ranking.
And Alabama rolled.
In fact, Alabama rolled so fiercely, it clearly established itself as the team to beat in college football. The 51-14 beatdown on Louisville in Week 1 was the most impressive showing of the opening weekend. The third week it was 62-7 whacking of Ole Miss. On the road.
Tua Tagovailoa takes this team to another level, and you can almost see opposing coaches on the schedule throwing their defensive game plans up in the air in frustration and saying “I give up; there’s no way to stop him.”
Jalen Hurts can’t compete with Tua. He simply can’t read the field like Tagovailoa and frankly, not many quarterbacks can at the collegiate level. Tua can also anticipate where his receivers will be and throw them open. He’s incredibly accurate and with a passing and downfield threat to go with that running game, the only team that could stop Alabama is, well. Alabama.
And with Nick Saban as as coach, that’s unlikely to happen.
If there’s one thing Bama coaches need to do, it’s to have Hurts run when he comes into the game. Put in some option plays; can you imagine if you add that element to the offense; a team would have no way to prepare for that and Tua.
But it’s not just the quarterback that makes this team so tough. Or even the defense (my main question on that side of the ball, the game-day play calling ability of new defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, was unnoticeable it was so smooth).
It’s another Jaylen, this one named Waddle, who doesn’t Waddle but streaks like a rocket. The wide receiver gives Alabama something it has been missing since Eddie Jackson got injured two years ago: a punt return threat. He can take it to the house at any moment, which means the Tide can score with Tua on the bench.
With all of these factors, this Crimson Tide team could be the best of the Nick Saban era.
And that is scary to the college football world.
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