Alabama Football: What’s lacking for a Tide Playoff-capable defense
By Ronald Evans
Alabama football fans ask how much defense is needed to win a national championship and how far away is the Crimson Tide from having it?
The questions posed above were not being asked by most Alabama football fans Saturday night. Instead, passion-driven responses questioned the Crimson Tide level of defensive talent. The most frustrated fans voiced complaints about the Tide coaching staff – especially Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding.
As a new game-week began, more frequently the questions became those posed above. Against elite teams, defense is still needed in this era of explosive offenses. Alabama football did not have the defense it needed against LSU. It is tempting to fault the Tide defense for the LSU loss. More correctly, all phases of team play must perform to win against top opposition.
The Alabama football offense mounted a great comeback. Until the comeback, the Tide offense was often ineffective. The Tide had 14 possessions in the game. On its first 10 possessions, it scored two touchdowns. The other eight possessions included three, three-and-outs, a lost fumble and an interception. The remaining possessions totaled 13 plays that gained 43 yards. The Alabama football offense played a big part in allowing LSU to establish a 20-point lead.
LSU also had 14 possessions. The Crimson Tide forced the Bengal Tigers to punt four times. LSU also scored a field goal and a touchdown after drives of 18 and 13 yards. The Crimson Tide defense deserves no excuses. As Nick Saban said on Monday, his team missed 25 tackles in the open field.
One unfortunate event in the game is not an excuse for the defense. The blown call on the out-of-bounds, what should have been deemed, ineligible LSU receiver, should not be ignored. He was clearly out-of-bounds and he was not forced out by Trevon Diggs.
How much has the Alabama football offense slipped?
Comparing stats can be tricky. At best what is gained is certain comparatives offering a perspective. The dominant Alabama football defenses of Saban’s first three Crimson Tide National Championships are no more. In the 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons, the per-game average for yardage allowed by the Tide was 227 yards. Let’s compare that stat to the 2016-2018 seasons. From 2016-2018, the per-game average allowed by the Tide was 282 yards. Nine games into the 2019 season, the per-game average for yards allowed is 335 yards. There is little doubt if the Crimson Tide makes the Playoff field, the 2019 average will go up.
Using the current 2019 number, the Tide defense gives up 48 percent more yards than Tide defenses did in 2009, 2011 and 2012. The game has changed in a decade. Has Alabama football changed enough to adjust to the offensive explosions of today?
We are not prepared to offer an answer. We will say there are many factors to consider. One has been a lack of coaching continuity. Another is talent depletion driven by two factors. One is the large number of Crimson Tide players who choose NFL early-entry. The other is some misses in a couple of recruiting classes. As a result, the Crimson Tide defensive gold standard established in 2011 is no longer possible.
Considering everything in the preceding paragraph, bad luck with injuries in any season can derail a championship goal. It remains to be seen if that is the case in 2019.
What cannot be argued is Nick Saban being out-of-touch with how the game must be played. He is still one of the top defensive minds in college football. And schemes don’t win games – execution by players does. The Alabama football staff did not suddenly learn Saturday that missing tackles can lead to a loss.
Maybe one answer is it is damn near impossible to dominate college football for a decade or longer. National pundits are at least partly correct when they say the Crimson Tide is no longer the 900-pound Gorilla.
However the current Crimson Tide fails to measure up, rest assured Nick Saban is on it. One loss does not mean more than one loss. It certainly does not define a program.