Alabama football’s offensive report card
Offensive line: B
There is a lot that goes into an offensive line grade. There’s pass protection, run blocking, and a dozen other things. Alabama’s offensive line did a lot of these things right when the ball was snapped.
Mac Jones had a clean pocket for most of the first half. He used it to push the ball down the field and open up the defense. In terms of pas protection, everything was perfect early. Najee Harris also had some great running lanes early. All Harris needs is a crease to get the first down. he got a lot more than that in this game, and he made it work.
The offensive line still had errors. Most of them were presnap penalties. That hurt Alabama’s momentum late in the first half and lasted for the rest of the game. Those mental mistakes will be what keeps Alabama from reaching its fullest potential.
Landon Dickerson also had a bad snap with Bryce Young in the shotgun. That’s a minor thing, but Alabama football expects excellence from this experienced offensive line.
When the second string got some time, running lanes closed for Trey Sanders. This can be expected, but it hurts the grade of the offensive line as a whole. It’s not just about how your best players play. The offensive line works as a unit, and some plays did not go their way.