Offense, defense, special teams: This Alabama might be unbeatable

SEC fans don’t want to hear this right now, but Alabama is unbeatable. At least the version I saw Saturday in Knoxville is.

The Crimson Tide went into Tennessee’s backyard and utterly annihilated the home team to the tune of 49-10. Keep in mind that this was a Volunteers club sitting atop the East with victories already over Florida and Georgia.

The Vols have had a bad habit this season of digging early holes. They did so against the Gators and Bulldogs, only to author miraculous comebacks — they needed a last-second Hail Mary in Athens, to be fair — of the team-of-destiny variety. Even at Texas A&M, they turned a 28-7 deficit into an overtime lead before finally falling.

This time, UT trailed ‘Bama 14-0 after one, 21-7 after two and 35-10 after three. There were no more rabbits left in the hat.

Florida struggles offensively and couldn’t put Tennessee away in the second half. Georgia is still finding itself under first-year coach Kirby Smart. Even Texas A&M has been unimpressive at times during its undefeated start.

The Tide, on the other hand, legitimately look like a flawless college football team at this point. Offense, defense, special teams — I challenge anyone to locate their Achilles’ heel. That doesn’t even account for the coaching staff. Nick Saban is a Hall of Famer, plus coordinators Lane Kiffin and Jeremy Pruitt are wunderkinds.

We have all wondered just how scary a Saban team could be if he ever fielded a genuine difference-maker at quarterback.

Well, we’re beginning to find out. Jalen Hurts, a true freshman with poise beyond his years, threw for 143 yards and ran for 132 more. He scored 3 touchdowns rushing, even looking somewhat bored on the third. It came too easy.

Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Saban has won four national championships with the likes of Greg McElroy, AJ McCarron and Jake Coker under center. McElroy started a grand total of one game in the NFL and is now an analyst. McCarron has made three starts, although he’s still in the league as a backup. Coker couldn’t even make a practice squad as a rookie.

From start to finish, Hurts outplayed Joshua Dobbs, who is a senior, three-year starter and unquestioned leader for the Volunteers.

While Hurt is far from a finished product, he continues to improve as a passer. His 16-of-26 performance through the air wasn’t exactly electrifying, but he can make all the throws and doesn’t have many poor decisions.

There’s no reason to force the ball into tight coverage when you can run like Hurts. A bruised and battered Vols defense — the injury list is too long to type here, honestly — was no match for the fleet-footed frosh, who continually turned the corner on read-option calls and couldn’t be caught once he broke containment.

Perhaps Hurts will hit the proverbial rookie wall at some point. It might not matter, though. Alabama is too big to fail.

Alongside him in the backfield, Damien Harris averaged 6.7 yards on 14 carries. Joshua Jacobs averaged 6.3 yards on 6 carries. Bo Scarbrough only got five attempts, but the last one he ran 85 yards for a TD.

In the receiving corps, Calvin Ridley might be the most dangerous receiver in the conference. Fellow wideout ArDarius Stewart is equally productive as a pass catcher — he added a 29-yard score on the ground, too. And even if he disappears from time to time, tight end O.J. Howard is a beast with the rock in his hands.

The offensive line, missing the services of guard Alphonse Taylor, helped the Crimson Tide run for 438 yards and 8.9 yards per carry.

This wasn’t against Kent State, mind you. This wasn’t some season-opening cupcake at home. This wasn’t some directional school needing a payday. This was Tennessee, the No. 9 team in the country, at Neyland Stadium.

Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Is it time to talk defense yet? ‘Bama might have the best defensive line, linebacking corps and secondary in the league — yes, all three levels. The pass rushers are deep and ferocious. The linebackers seemingly never miss tackles. The corners and safeties find the football and take it to the house.

Ronnie Harrison’s (above) 58-yard interception return was the Tide’s eighth defensive touchdown in seven games this season.

The Volunteers’ first three drives of the game all ended on a third-down sack. Tim Williams and Jonathan Allen couldn’t be blocked up front. Reuben Foster got his on a blitz. Alabama had two TDs before the Vols recorded two first downs.

The Crimson Tide are borderline bulletproof on special teams, too. Punter JK Scott came into the game third in the SEC with an average of 46.5 yards per attempt — he averaged 50 on four tries in this one. Kicker Adam Griffith is solid if not spectacular. Eddie Jackson scored for the second time in 2016 on a punt return.

Of the seven punt-return TDs produced by the best conference in America so far this year, ‘Bama has three of them.

Are the Tide unbeatable? No, they’re not. No team is infallible, even one with a seemingly endless supply of four- and five-star talent at every position. Remember, three of Saban’s four national title teams in Tuscaloosa lost a game.

However, if the squad that made itself so comfortable in those checkerboard end zones in Week 7 keeps showing up the rest of the campaign, I don’t see a loss on the schedule. Texas A&M needed OT to beat the Vols — in College Station, no less — despite being gift-wrapped seven turnovers. Alabama just made UT look like Western Kentucky.

Potent offense. Relentless defense. Big-play special teams. If the Crimson Tide have a flaw, I’m yet to see it.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.