Monday Down South: The college football season is riding on Tua Tagovailoa's ankle
Thanks for your concern, folks, but really: Tua is going to be just fine.
That’s the word from Tuscaloosa, anyway, where panic is giving way to some tentative relief. Tagovailoa reportedly had minor surgery Sunday morning on the ankle injury that sidelined for the entire second half of Alabama’s 35-13 win over Tennessee. This is the same “tightrope” procedure that doctors used to repair the same injury last December, according to Nick Saban, which allowed Tagovailoa to be back on the field a little less than a month later, looking like his usual record-breaking self in the Orange Bowl.
The only difference this time — aside from the fact that Jalen Hurts is no longer waiting in the wings if it turns out to be worse than feared — is that it was performed on the opposite ankle. That’s preferable to a recurrence in the same ankle, apparently. Saban predicted “a full and speedy recovery.”
Which leaves us with just one question, one Saban’s otherwise matter-of-fact statement pointedly declined to answer: Exactly how speedy are we talking about here? Because LSU looms in 19 days, and the answer at the end of that countdown stands to alter the course of both Alabama’s campaign and the national landscape at large.
That’s a lot to put on a sprained ankle, I know. But it’s hard to overstate how much is riding on Tua’s presence in the defining game of the season — the SEC West, the Playoff race, the Heisman Trophy, possibly even the top pick in next year’s NFL Draft, just for starters.
Bama and LSU are No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP poll; if that holds on Nov. 9 (a big if, with LSU facing a major test this weekend against Auburn), it will set up just the 4th regular-season meeting between the top 2 teams since 2000 and the first since the epic Bama-LSU slugfest in 2011, with all that implies.
The showdown between Tagovailoa and his record-breaking LSU counterpart, Joe Burrow, is a mirror image of the top-ranked defenses in the 2011 game, the pending shootout proof of how thoroughly the league has evolved over the past decade. It’s also the ultimate test of whether the Tigers’ embrace of the spread revolution is the key to ending the Tide’s dominance in the series.
The air goes out of all of those dynamics if the most decorated player in college football is a bystander. Or even if he’s visibly limited, as Tua was at times last year (including in the LSU game) by a midseason knee injury. Not only could his absence cost Alabama its best chance at a championship: It could cost the rest of us the payoff this entire season has been aiming at from the start.
The good news, for now, is that the early vibes are optimistic. Although he reportedly left the stadium following the injury, Tagovailoa made a post-game appearance in the locker room to enjoy a traditional victory cigar; linebacker Terrell Lewis said later that Tua assured teammates “I’ll be back for LSU.” Saban has only ruled him out for Saturday’s tune-up game vs. Arkansas, where the Tide opened as 33.5-point favorites, injuries be damned. The usual open date ahead of Bama-LSU is strategically timed for exactly this scenario. Based on last year’s time table, the smart money is probably on Tagovailoa suiting up, albeit not necessarily at 100 percent.
If not, the offense is in uncharted territory. Initial returns behind backup/would-be starter Mac Jones were not inspiring. Jones, a redshirt sophomore in the McElroy/McCarron mold, entered Saturday’s game midway through the 2nd quarter with Bama leading the Vols 21-10 after marching for touchdowns on 3 of its first 4 possessions; from there, the Tide struggled, scoring just once in their last 5 possessions and only then with the help of a dubious unsportsmanlike flag against Tennessee that extended the drive following a 3rd-down stop. The visit from Arkansas will be Jones’ first career start, which means a close-to-the-vest approach in a game Alabama can only conceivably screw up with an unprecedented flurry of turnovers.
Of course, it would hardly be out of character for Alabama’s defense to save its best game for LSU. (We’ve all sat through enough Bama-LSU slogs, including last year’s 29-0 thumping in Baton Rouge, to know what that looks like.) But the basic premise that makes this year’s matchup so intriguing is the possibility that, for once, even the Tide’s best efforts might not be enough to slow this version of LSU down.
These Tigers are a different beast, one that ranks No. 2 nationally in scoring offense at a tick above 50 points per game. With Tua, the Tide are every bit their equal, and then some. Without him, we don’t know who they are, and there’s no evidence that they do, either.
Notebook
Around the conference.
Alabama 35, Tennessee 13
What the heck happened on Tennessee’s momentum-killing, 4th-and-goal fumble midway through the 4th quarter? The buzzword from Vols players and coaches after the game was “miscommunication,” which … well, obviously.
Exactly what was miscommunicated to whom is less clear. On ESPN’s broadcast, there was speculation that QB Jarrett Guarantano called his own number without notifying the offensive line, which appeared to be blocking for another play entirely; the left guard, Trey Smith (No. 73), actually pulled on the play to kick out the end man on the line of scrimmage, making a QB sneak impossible. In fact, Smith’s alignment before the snap made a sneak impossible — his extra-wide split (on the 1-inch line?) left a huge, unprotected gap between Smith and center Brandon Kennedy…
… which left Guarantano exposed to Alabama LB Shane Lee (No. 35), who instantly crashed down on the sneak along with DB Xavier McKinney (15) and jarred the ball loose before Guarantano even had time to leave his feet. The alignment itself is so disorganized it’s hard to discern what Tennessee could have possibly had in mind that involved leaving a guy lined up directly over the ball on the goal line with an unimpeded shot at the quarterback. Add in Smith pulling to his left at the snap and this is some bona fide nonsense.
Frankly if Guarantano had tried to turn around and hand the ball off he would have been swarmed over almost as quickly, although at least in that case he might have been less likely to put the ball on the ground.
For what it’s worth, coach Jeremy Pruitt insisted after the game that a QB sneak was in fact the call from the sideline — “we elected to run a sneak” — and his over-the-top, facemask-yanking reaction was in response to Guarantano’s attempt to go over the top rather than lower his shoulder into the scrum and let his fullback help shove him across the line, Bush Push style. I don’t think it’s worth much: If that was the plan, at least half the offense didn’t get it. Hurrying to the line before the play didn’t help, either.
Anyway, that’s how the Vols managed to turn a 14-play, 8-minute drive that brought them to the cusp of pulling within 1 touchdown of Bama with half a quarter to play against a backup QB into yet another “Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown” experience. Given just how hopeless the season looked a month ago, maybe it’s a moral victory that Tennessee fans can still feel anything at all, even if it’s disappointment.
Florida 38, South Carolina 27
The officiating left almost everyone in Williams-Brice Stadium irate, including (naturally) Will Muschamp, who earned a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct in the 4th quarter and called out the official who threw it as “gutless.” And while I’m not going to defend hurling objects onto the field, on a couple of Florida scoring plays the mob had a point.
The first came early in the 3rd quarter, on a game-tying, 75-yard run by UF’s Dameon Pierce that should have been whistled dead from the get-go due to a false start by the Gators’ right tackle, No. 56 Jean Delance:
https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1185619704733417473?s=20
The extended downfield jersey grab by WR Tyrie Cleveland is debatable; personally, I agreed with the on-air explanation that it didn’t necessarily qualify as holding because the Carolina defender, Israel Mukuamu, never really attempted to disengage. Your mileage may vary. Regardless, the false start was plain as day.
The more egregious example, the one that finally set Muschamp and the drenched-to-the-bone crowd off, came later in the half, on what was essentially the game-clinching touchdown — the result of a blatant and blatantly ignored pick by Florida WR Josh Hammond — midway through the 4th quarter.
Will Muschamp goes nuclear on SEC officiating on this illegal no-call pick play that clinched the win for Florida. pic.twitter.com/ozA0KvkCB5
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) October 19, 2019
These things happen. But they can’t happen repeatedly on such consequential plays.
That said: The Gamecocks’ complaints only go so far in a game they led at the start of the 4th quarter, 20-17, and wound up losing by double digits at the hands of Florida QB Kyle Trask. Trask struggled for most of the first 3 quarters, including a bad interception to open the second half that set up a short-field South Carolina touchdown. In the 4th, though, he was on point, hitting 5-of-6 attempts for 64 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 legitimate pass interference penalties that don’t show up in his stat line.
The ones that did count included arguably his 3 best plays of the day: A key 4th-down conversion to TE Kyle Pitts after eluding pressure from the middle of the d-line; a perfectly placed, 25-yard TD pass to a diving Freddie Swain in the front corner of the end zone on the next play; and an ad-libbed 20-yard strike to Jacob Copelend that showed off Trask’s ability to buy time and throw on the run.
Is Trask plausibly a championship quarterback? Of the starters for the SEC’s still-plausible contenders, he remains the least-known quantity, arguably even more so than Auburn’s Bo Nix. (Nix, after all, has played a lot more football over the past 4 years than Trask has.) But he’s holding his own: In his 4 starts vs. SEC opponents, the Gators have scored 34, 24, 28 and 38 points. Individually, Trask has posted an efficiency rating of 140 or better in every game, and a QBR rating of 75-plus in every game except Florida’s Week 6 win over Auburn; that’s consistently above the national average on both counts.
He might not be there yet — not before the Georgia game, anyway — but as unlikely as it seemed when he took the reins from Feleipe Franks in September, it’s getting a little more plausible by the week.
Vanderbilt 21, Missouri 14
The Commodores’ 34-10 loss to UNLV in Week 7 was the worst of the Derek Mason era, the kind of inexcusable flop that, in Year 6, tends to signal the beginning of the end. Seven days later, they turned in what might be the best win of Mason’s tenure. Your thoughts, coach?
Derek Mason is FIRED UP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lN2KHFvF58
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 19, 2019
Don’t try to make too much sense out of this one. Missouri came in on a 5-game winning streak, all by double digits; Vanderbilt, as I noted last week, came in ranked dead last in the SEC in virtually every single relevant category on both sides of the ball. The Commodores are also certain to be big underdogs in their last 4 conference games on the other side of a bye week, 3 on the road, which doesn’t bode well for the notion that Saturday was the beginning of a rally toward respectability.
Still, while it might be too early to say with any confidence that Mason saved his job, he has certainly bought himself some time before that decision gets made. That’s a significant shift from last week, when it was much easier to take for granted that the decision had been made already. He hasn’t lost the players, which for a 2-5 team that still has virtually no chance of qualifying for a bowl game is saying an awful lot.
Auburn 51, Arkansas 10
The same can’t be said right now for Chad Morris, whose 2nd year in Fayetteville is shaping up as a grim sequel to his 1st. The Razorbacks have had more than their share of embarrassing moments over the past year-and-a-half, so trust me when I say I don’t make this distinction lightly. But this, for my money, is the defining play of the Morris era:
This fake punt, uh, did not go as planned. pic.twitter.com/nD9ulfUZfJ
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) October 19, 2019
To his credit, Morris owned both the rationale behind the call and the execution, explaining that it was designed to “let the rush come and kinda touch pass over the top like a basketball shot, right over the top with (the Auburn defender) running under it.”
That’s… well, it’s an idea, I suppose. Time for generating more might be running out.
Superlatives
The best of the week…
1. D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
Swift carried the Bulldogs’ offense in a waterlogged 21-0 win over Kentucky, running for a season-high 179 yards and 2 of UGA’s 3 touchdowns amid the slop. As usual, the numbers don’t quite do Swift justice.
D’Andre Swift continues to prove this season that he truly is RB1.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) October 20, 2019
That marked his 5th game this season over 100 scrimmage yards, best in the conference, all of them hard-earned on a night when putting the ball in the air was … not productive, to say the least: Georgia stopped throwing at halftime, and Kentucky — running a limited, Wildcat-oriented offense with converted WR Lynn Bowden Jr. behind center for the 2nd week in a row — didn’t complete a pass until the dying minutes. Together, both sides combined for the fewest passing yards in an SEC game (53) since the turn of the century.
2. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Trap game? No, the Tigers’ 36-13 win at Mississippi State was just another day at the office: 25-of-32, 327 yards, 4 touchdown passes to 4 receivers, another step closer to a seat among the Heisman finalists in New York. Eight weeks into the season, Burrow’s efficiency rating has eclipsed the 200 mark in every game but one.
3. Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama
Bama held Lewis back in September to be absolutely sure he was at full speed, and the result is an emerging nightmare for opposing offenses. Last week, he broke out at Texas A&M with 2 sacks in his first start of the season; this week, he brought the heat from all over the field, finishing with 7 tackles and another pair of sacks against Tennessee while adding a nasty spin move to the list of ways he’s capable of getting to the quarterback.
https://twitter.com/TideSports/status/1185782696737460225
Along with fellow bookend Anfernee Jennings (7 tackles, 2 QB hurries, honorable mention credit in this week’s Superlatives standings), Lewis looks like the omnipresent edge-rushing threat the Tide have mostly lacked the past 2 years — a critical piece of the puzzle for a young lineup as it ramps up for Joe Burrow and other elite, Playoff-caliber passers down the stretch.
4. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt / Tavien Feaster, RB, South Carolina / Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
All 3 finished with career-highs for touches in circumstances nearly as unique as Swift’s:
Vaughn (176 total yards, 2 TDs on 33 touches) accounted for the majority of Vandy’s total offense vs. Missouri, headlining the upset alongside a walk-on quarterback who was (a) making his 1st career start and (b) knocked out of the game late in the 3rd quarter;
https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1185670702202052609?s=20
Feaster (175 yards, 2 TDs on 25 carries) shouldered the bulk of Carolina’s ground game after his running mate, Rico Dowdle, was injured on the first play, averaging 7.0 yards a pop in support of a true freshman quarterback in miserable conditions;
And Harris (153 total yards, 2 TDs on 25 touches) assumed full-time workhorse duties after Tagovailoa’s injury, grinding out most of those yards in the second half against a defense more focused on him for a change than it was on the arm of Mac Jones.
5. Justin Madubuike, DL, and Buddy Johnson, LB, Texas A&M
A&M’s defensive leaders combined for 15 tackles and 2 TFLs at Ole Miss as well as the biggest play of the game: A momentum-swinging, 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter — forced by Madubuike, finished by Johnson — that turned the tide permanently in A&M’s favor.
Before that play, the Aggies trailed 14-10 after giving up a touchdown on the opening series of the second half and subsequently going 3-and-out on offense; from that point on, they outscored Ole Miss 14-3 (due in part to a blocked field goal by Madubuike) en route to a 24-17 win.
Not that the final score in Oxford was a referendum on the direction of the program under Jimbo Fisher or anything like that. But if it had gone the other way, dropping the Aggies to 3-4 with trips to Georgia and LSU still to come, let’s just say this would not have been the most pleasant week in College Station.
Honorable Mention: Auburn QB Bo Nix, who finished 12-of-17 for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a 4th TD on the ground. … DE Marlon Davidson, who had 3 TFLs and 2 sacks in the Tigers’ win over Arkansas, including a forced fumble on the game’s opening series that set up a short field for their 1st touchdown. … LSU safeties Grant Delpit and Jacoby Stevens, who combined for 19 tackles, a sack and an interception in the win at Mississippi State. … Vanderbilt DE Dayo Odeyingbo and LB Andre Mintze, who combined for 8 tackles, 3 TFLs and 4 QB hurries against Missouri. … Mizzou LB Nick Bolton, who totaled 15 tackles with 3 TFLs in a losing effort. … Ole Miss LB Sam Williams, who was credited with 2 sacks and 2 QB hurries in the Rebels’ loss to Texas A&M. … And Tennessee DB Nigel Warrior, who finished with a team-high 6 tackles and an interception return off Tagovailoa that set up the Vols’ offense in Alabama territory for their only touchdown of the night.
The scoring system for the Superlatives standings has been slightly revised: Beginning this week, I’m awarding 8 points for the week’s top player, 6 for second, 5 for third, 4 for fourth, 3 for fifth, and 1 for honorable mention, because how honorable is it really if it doesn’t come with any points? Season totals have been adjusted accordingly.
I will be interested to see how Malzhan plans to attack LSU on offense. If he has a great game plan and Auburn can run the ball effectively then Auburn may surprise everyone. That is a big if but Auburn needs to find ways to run the ball and win the time of possession. Keep Joe Burrow on sideline and keep your D rested. If Auburn does this and the defense can pressure Burrow into a mistake or two then this will be the game nobody expected. Its in death valley which is a huge advantage! I think its closer than the experts think-Corso but LSU pulls it out and wins 31-24…if Auburn does not control the ball and waste time on O then this could get out of hand..in that case LSU 45 Auburn 17
I think its going to be a battle. If they can keep LSU’s offense off the field its gonna be a long night.
I love the Auburn defense, but Burrow can make the quick throws consistently that those guys have trouble dealing with. I’m thinking it’s a 35-27 game
With LSU winning
Sounds about right to me. One things for sure its must-see TV!
What makes you think LSU can hold anyone any good under 30 points? Their offense is good. Their defense is porous.
If you look at total defense stats, Auburn, LSU, Florida, and Alabama are all bunched together, ranked 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th, in that order. They’re all about dead even. Are they all porous?
Most of the yards and points Auburn has given up have been in the 4th quarter after the game was out of hand. A&M had barely 150 yards of offense through 3 quarters until our offense quit extending drives and our defense was on the field over 10:00 that quarter and just got tired/conservative. The only time teams can run on us are the one or two big plays we give up a game. Other than the 5 or 6 big runs we’ve allowed, all of which came during points in the game where our offense was ineffective so our defense wasn’t getting much time to rest, opponents are averaging about 2 yards per carry on us this year. When the offense is doing their part we have the best defense in the country. When the offense is ineffective we still have a top 5 or 10 defense.
@kodyaufan2…The only games that were out of hand were Kent State, Miss State and Arkansas. Maybe Tulane. So you think you have a top 5 or 10 defense based on garbage time yards from those teams? With a run-first offense, your defense gets tired? Alabama and LSU have high-powered offenses that score quickly and give opposing offenses more opportunities. Does that count for anything?
The Gators are “pretty” good and they didn’t hit 30. And if you’re paying attention, a lot of folks are picking the Gators to win the East.
Not really. 91st in rushing and 31st in passing.
As an Auburn fan I think that was pretty accurate analysis. If Auburn can establish the run at some point in the first half, then they can beat anybody. Even if the offense isn’t getting it done, our defense is good enough to keep it close through 3 quarters with anyone, but eventually they will get tired and the other team pulls away.
By “anyone”, you mean Except UF, right??
You must have missed the “If Auburn can establish the run…” part of his comment.
Auburn never established the run against Florida.
If I remember correctly Harris was averaging close to 6 yards a carry coming into the game he just didn’t get much work in the games..
Watching that Swift touchdown was like the feeling you get after taking a dump after being constipated for a while. The sweet release of watching the ball move more than 5 yards was exhilarating.
Swift is the anchor for the UGA offense. He has been impressive without much help from the passing game..
Right now he is carrying Fromm the way that Nick and Sony did in 2017.
Shows what happens when you use the perimeter rushing game and allow guys like Isaiah Wilson, Andrew Thomas, etc., to move around and find someone to flatten.
Swift is the best RB in the SEC and its really not close.
country*
From what I saw, without Tua, Alabama is only the 5th best team in the SEC.
Is the 2nd string QB that bad? I only saw a little of his play against UT (thanks ESPN for the 9:00 EST kickoff!)
I think they had three 3 and outs (should have been 4) in the first 7 drives after he came in, and only one TD drive with him in.
Goo dhting Auburn is only 6th.
Mac is fine. Not beating LSU fine but he’s a starting QB for a lot of teams. You can’t judge his performance coming in cold in relief to what it will be with him getting all the reps this week in practice and having a game plan fitted to his skill set.
He’s also had plenty of play time this year in the second half of games, has he not? And it’s true that he should be better after getting all the 1st team reps this week (although it’s not hard to look good against Arkansas’s defense). But at the same time, it throws the defense off having to see a QB they likely didn’t gameplan for and has a different skill set. I’m not sure how highly rated Mac Jones was out of high school, but if he was the typical 4 or 5 star player Bama usually gets, I would have thought the offense would have looked better than it did with him considering all the talent they have at receiver.
He’s not had as much playing time as you might think. In games where reps would be meaningful, meaning against Power 5 competition, I believe he’s lead about four or five drives. And one or two of those were with the 1st string offense still in. So, no he actually hasn’t had too many reps with the 1st team offense in games. But that can’t be an excuse when your number gets called. I do think he looked nervous when he was thrown in and it showed. I would expect him to do far better after a full week of 1st team reps. He’s not going to lead the Tide to a championship but there’s no chance we lose to Arky with him as QB. He’s still a talented guy and should move the offense along just fine. We’re not talking about scoring the average but he’ll do enough to get us a W and keep the score respectable. Against LSU, I just can’t see a way but this has been an extremely weird season so far.
I agree with that. Bama will still take care of lesser teams, but without Tua, beating LSU is probably a longshot, and the Iron Bowl would become almost a toss-up game as well.
I agree. It even happens in the pros. If you watch the pro bowl, look how many passes are over or under thrown due to not knowing the timing with their receivers as well as the ones they practice with everyday.
Doesnt mean Mac cant produce as the more reps he gets starting the game and in practice.
“The college football season is riding on Tua Tagovailoa’s ankle” Sorry. I like the kid and hope he recovers quickly but the CFB season that I care about has very little to do with Tua. The CFB world does not revolve around Bama.
My thoughts exactly.
Unfortunately, this may actually help Alabama. If they lose to LSU, and LSU runs the table, they have a ready-made excuse for all the playoff committee members who seem to bend over backwards to give Alabama the benefit of every doubt.
My new nightmare is that if we by some heavenly miracle (knock on wood) manage to somehow make it to the SECCG, this means he could potentially reaggravate it, and then a backup could come in the 4th quarter and…oh God, I’m hyperventilating.
That’s pretty funny. Or sad. Depends on your perspective.
HA
Gimmie a break. It was a tongue in cheek hyperbole type head line. If you took it seriously then that’s on you.
The holding on Florida should have definitely been called. It’s puzzling to me why anyone would think otherwise. It’s hard for the DB to make more of an effort, as the SEC “rules expert” wanted him to, when you are being pulled back by the collar.
There were several other missed calls in the SCar-UF game that are getting no attention, specifically blatant holding by UF on plays prior to the illegal pick, which was about as egregious a blown call as we see nowadays. The side judge, or whoever missed that call, should never work an SEC game again.
As a former DB, I am also confused on what they expect the DB to do more besides overreact?
Holding should not have been called on the long Pierce run because it didn’t meet the NCAA definition of holding. For holding to be called, the opponent must be slowed down or his movement obstructed. Clearly, he wasn’t and it wasn’t. You can run the length of the field holding a guy’s jersey as long as you don’t slow him down.
There were multiple non-calls that hurt both sides.
Florida was leading by 18 before South Carolina scored its last TD against the Gator 2s and 3s playing a soft zone. So while the missed false start and illegal pick calls were egregious screw ups, they did not determine the outcome of the game.
The DBs movements was definitely obstructed. The WR as a fistful of the back of his jersey with his arm extended preventing the DB from moving left toward the ball carrier. I guess you think it’s “natural” for a tackler to run alongside a ball carrier without attempting to move over and make the tackle? I know some of you Gator fans are blinded with bias, but the rest of us realize that was blatant holding.
I assumed the DB has couldn’t move towards the ball carrier because he was to busy grabbing Tyries face mask. I know some of you anti Gator fans are blinded with bias, but the rest of us realize that was a blatant face mask.
Tyrie was literally pulling his neck from behind for 30+ yards.
The 75 yard run changes everything. How you miss that procedure penalty is unexplainable. The Ref and the Umpire are looking right at it.
And not calling a penalty because it supposedly doesn’t affect the play is a new wrinkle for me.
Yeah I don’t know where that came from. Holds and PI are called all the time away from the ball.
If bama had to deal with an injury to Tua the timing is just slightly less than ideal. With Arkansas and an open date coming up it give jones a chance to get more game experience and a lot of practice before THe LSU game. So he will be more ready and Tua may come back but I would think that is pretty questionable. I was planning to take LSU before Tuas injury. Think they are playing the best right now. Without Tua it’s difficult to pick against LSU. This just looks like LSU’s year. The bama D is good but not overwhelming like most years.
I agree. I would have picked LSU in a close one before the injury. If Tua doesn’t play or isn’t close to 100% LSU may take them to the woodshed.
Granted this depends on Tua being 100% but why is all the talk about Bama’s D but not about LSU’s? Bama is giving up plenty of yards, yes. But they’re still tough to score on. They rank ahead of both Auburn and LSU in scoring defense at 13th in the country. It’s a bend don’t break approach but it’s working. My only point is, neither defense has
Oops, lol.
…neither defense has looked like their typical dominant selves so I’m not sure why, if Tua is healthy, people are still claiming LSU has a better chance. It’s really about the offenses as the defenses are really a wash.
I think that Ole Miss scoring 31 against Alabama and Plumlee running roughshod on them has defined much of the narrative on Alabama’s defense. You may argue why it shouldn’t, and I’m not even saying that it should, but many saw what happened in that game and draw their own conclusions.
Yeah the fumble by JG is what will be remembered but lets not forget the officiating was awful as well. Phantom holds, bad no calls, questionable reviews, and giving Bama a free time out when they weren’t ready for a trick play were all reprehensible.
Completely agree. It was obvious this weekend the SEC is trying to make sure Alabama and LSU get to Nov. 9 undefeated. Without those awful calls that goalline play would have been for Tennessee to take the lead. Alabama was handed an 11 point swing by the officials.
I can agree that the league offices would prefer for both LSU and Bama to arrive on 9 Nov unscathed, but I doubt very seriously they’re working to make it happen.
Officiating has been gawd awful across the board. I think the refs are too old and slow to track the types of athletes they see each week. Also, too many are incompetent and vindictive. They just have to get that mouthy coach or player. It’s really hurting the gm and needs to improve.
So who do you think the officials are turning a ‘blind eye’ to when it comes to penalties? It’s hard to miss jumping off sides, snap infractions, illegal movement, etc.. But when it comes to a ‘pick play’ it’s judgement, same as clipping, holding, and others.
I don’t think there is a play run where holding couldn’t be called.
So which teams are protected my the officials.
If this was SEC basketball, there would be no debate.
Dancing and prancing Calipari almost dares the officials to make a call against the guys playing for the name on the back of their jerseys.
Alabama is the most penalized team in the SEC but sure, let’s keep going with this narrative.
It’s not the quantity it’s the timing of bad calls. Crucial penalties. Like Tyler Simmons for instance…
That’s crazy… If UGA gets 4 penalties a game and Bama gets 10 that’s huge momentum swings and possible drive stoppers…
I generally think the refs were to involved on both sides in the first half, but several calls against Tennessee were huge difference makers. The free bama timeout on what would have been a trick play and the personal foul on what should have been a 3 and out come to mind. Not to mention multiple weird reviews that started as spot of ball and turned into something else (targeting on bituli). I thought a lot of the PI’s on both sides were soft, to your point.
I wish Tua a speedy recovery. College football is better with gifted players like him playing their best. I’ll still be rooting (a little bit) for LSU when they play, but I hope Tua’s on the field.
I think I can speak for everyone that isn’t Alabama fans and say that the college football world is ready for a championship game that doesn’t include Alabama for a change.. We are ready for something new and better..
I’m certainly ready but to be the man you have to beat the man. Until that happens the dynasty continues.
WAIT WAIT WAIT. The guy running behind the “best as touted by the media” offensive line in the nation gets #1 for getting fewer than 5 yard more than Feaster and the frikin VANDY RB who had virtually no help. REALLY? Jesus homer much? the UGA uniform counts for a first place spot over a 4th place.
Good god.
Probably because he did it with 8 in the box and everyone on the planet knowing what play call was coming next. Speaks volumes for what our Oline was able to accomplish not going against a quality defensive team with the two weeks to scheme advantage.
I feel like having a Negan moment, lol. The single biggest INJUSTICE this year is Georgia having to play FIVE SEC teams that are coming off BYE weeks, yet no one wants to TALK about that! Sabans Controlled NCAA CFP committee are in cahoots to keep GEORGIA OUT! Lol. That felt pretty good. Long live the King!
I am surprised in two things with Alabama. 1) They don’t have a power running game. I know they have not really needed it, but that has always been a big part of their championship identity. Remember when they wiped the field with Michigan State?
2) That they don’t have a quality number 2 QB. Remember when Ohio State used their 3rd string guy to get some big wins? Florida is now relying on their 2nd and 3rd string guys to win. Georgia had two quality guys last year. Etc,etc. Jalen Hurts leaving for Oklahoma was telegraphed for close to a year. This guy Mack Jones is a game manager, not a game winner. Real surprising that Saban has himself in this position.