Alabama football: Tide offense is so good that even Nick Saban is struggling to find something wrong
By Marq Burnett
Published:
“I’d appreciate it if you would sort of look at some of the things we didn’t do well and write about that so maybe I can show it to the players and say, ‘Look here, man. Here’s something you can do better.’”
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The press conference was over, but Nick Saban had more to say.
Saban, who went viral for his “rat poison” rant after the Texas A&M game last season, wanted to deliver a similar message this year.
“I don’t want to get into the rat poison again, a’ight, but we got a good team, but our team needs to do a lot of things to improve,” Saban said after No. 1 Alabama trounced No. 22 Texas A&M 45-23 Saturday.
“If what our team has accomplished to this point makes them in any way not take into account the kind of teams we have to play in the future and they underestimate what we need to do to improve so we can become a better team and don’t take things for granted that we’re going to show up because we have an Alabama uniform on and win the game, it’s not going to happen that way. It’s going to be everybody’s choice in the organization.
“I’d appreciate it if you would sort of look at some of the things we didn’t do well and write about that so maybe I can show it to the players and say, ‘Look here, man. Here’s something you can do better.’ A’ight, see you later.”
That’s where we’ve come with this team: Saban jokingly (or seriously) pleading for negative coverage because of how overwhelming Alabama has looked through four games.
Saturday had to be a little disheartening for Texas A&M.
The No. 22-ranked Aggies played fairly well in the opening half, and No. 1 Alabama didn’t play particularly well so one would think the game would be close.
Only the Crimson Tide were still up 18 points after the first half en route to a 22-point victory in front of a capacity crowd of 101,821 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The margin of error for this Alabama team is insane, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Not even Saban. Alabama didn’t even play well by its standards and still hung 45 points and 524 yards of offense on the Aggies. The Crimson Tide averaged 8.6 yards per play.
This offense is as explosive as any in the country, featuring eight players who can be go-to options: Damien Harris, Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs, Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, Jaylen Waddle and Irv Smith Jr. That list doesn’t even include tight end Hale Hentges who had two touchdown catches.
Tua Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 387 yards and 4 touchdowns, and didn’t play a second of the fourth quarter. He also ran for a touchdown.
Ten players had a play go for 14 yards or more. That’s next-level explosiveness.
Is this the best offense Saban has ever coached?
“I’m not ready to say that or make comparisons to any other teams,” Saban said.
Saban mentioned that Alabama has had good offenses in the past, but added that the “diversity and the number of playmakers this team has ranks it up there as one of the best.” He also said this team might throw it better than any of his previous teams, but “that’s not all there is to it.”
Saban is a perfectionist, pointing to how Alabama didn’t always control the line of scrimmage and that they didn’t run out the clock on offense.
No disrespect to Alabama’s 2012 offense that featured AJ McCarron, Eddie Lacy, Amari Cooper, T.J. Yeldon and others or to any of the Lane Kiffin-led offenses, but this group is the best of the Saban era and it doesn’t feel close at this point.
Alabama doesn’t have to force it to anyone. Teams can’t key on one guy and assume they’ll have success against Alabama’s offense.
Load the box? Tagovailoa and Alabama’s receivers will shred you and your man coverage. Drop back in coverage? Alabama has plenty of running backs who can find holes, and Tagovailoa can fit the ball in tight windows. There is no stopping this group as currently constructed.
“Anybody on offense, we know that whenever they get the ball in their hands, anybody on the field can make an explosive play,” said running back Damien Harris. “That makes our confidence go up because nobody feels like they have to carry the load on offense. There are a million guys on this offense that can go out and have a 70- or 80-yard touchdown at any given moment. That gives us all the confidence in the world. We’re confident in the play-calling so that’s where our confidence comes from.”
Veteran Alabama beat reporter Marq Burnett covers the Crimson Tide for Saturday Down South.
