Predictably, things weren't perfect for a young Alabama team in its first road game of the season, but it was a dang sight better than last year's road opener at Florida State, wasn't it? Granted, there similar vibes to the nightmare in Tallahassee in the first half, but the Crimson Tide turned it around over the final 30 minutes.
Trailing 17-13 at halftime, Alabama dominated the second-half, outscoring Kentucky 32-0 to cruise to a 45-17 win in Lexington. It took the offense some time to find its footing, but Kane Wommack's defense was there to calm the waters and put the Crimson Tide in advantageous situations.
There's plenty to clean up, but you'd rather clean things up after a 28-point win than a loss any day of the week. Before we can fully move on to Florida State this weekend, let's take a look at two truths and a lie coming out of Week 2 about the Crimson Tide.
Truth: Alabama has a championship-level defense
It's true that there are going to be offenses capable of stressing Alabama a lot more than Kentucky. There are going to be quarterbacks a lot better than Kenny Minchey on the schedule coming up, with LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina and Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State coming back-to-back following the FSU game. But it's impossible not to be thoroughly impressed with Wommack's defense so far this year.
They've played fast and physical through two games. They've shown the versatility to play heavy or light. They've gotten pressure with just four, finding complementary pass-rushing pieces next to Yhonzae Pierre. Transfers Caleb Woodson and Devan Thompkins came up with two sacks apiece against Kentucky.
They are winning the early downs and then forcing opponents to play from well behind the sticks on third down. Alabama leads the nation in third-down defense through two weeks, allowing just 1-of-23 conversions.
Alabama looks improved on the defensive line and at linebacker. Pair that with an elite secondary, and this defense is going to be a problem for every team on the schedule.
Truth: Alabama's offensive line is not far away
If you are having doubts about the Alabama offensive line, particularly with regard to the run game, I would encourage you to take the time to watch Brooks Austin's breakdown of it from the Kentucky game. Did they blow some assignments? Absolutely. Did they move Kentucky off the ball and open up some holes for the backs? You bet they did.
Alabama left some yards out there with one missed assignment here and there, and on a missed RPO read by Keelon Russell that likely springs Trae'shawn Brown for a touchdown. It's just little things that are holding them back right now. That's encouraging, because it's things like that that will continue to get cleaned up as the line gels together and Russell gets more confident.
But Alabama still put 150 rushing yards on Kentucky in the second half. And don't forget, they did that without sophomore guard Michael Carroll, arguably the best offensive lineman on the roster. They should have him back this week against Florida State.
After two weeks, the line already looks like a substantial improvement from last season.
Lie: Keelon Russell's performance at Kentucky was a major red flag
Some fans apparently expected Russell to have all the answers immediately as a first-time starter making his first road start. It's easy to forget that he's a 19-year-old college sophomore. Things were never going to be seamless with him right away.
And that's okay. Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb are clearly comfortable letting him learn on the job. Why? Because they know waiting on the other side is a superstar quarterback. We've seen the flashes; now we just need to see the consistency.
Russell looked a bit overwhelmed against Kentucky on Saturday. He had too many turnover-worthy plays. You can't put the ball in harm's way that many times, not against quality competition. If Alabama didn't have an elite defense, they might have been in real trouble in Lexington.
But Russell settled in and played a lot better after halftime. Alabama got the run game going, and he was able to hit some nice throws off play action as a result. DeBoer and Grubb need to do a better job in the future of dialing up some easier stuff for him early in games to get him comfortable. They also need to continue leaning on the ground game, which they did in the second half to major dividends.
There will be more bumps in the road with Russell coming up. But once things click for him, the rest of the country will be in serious trouble.
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