Alabama Football: 5 takeaways from Tide vs. Miami

Alabama football’s takeaways vs. Miami

2. The offensive line still has room to grow

You couldn’t expect the Tide to have as elite of an offensive line this early in the season. They lost three starters from last year’s team, and Evan Neal changed from right tackle to left tackle. They also had their right tackle out for the game, so they moved their center to RT and started a new center. Needless to say, Alabama football has a lot of moving pieces on the offensive line this year.

The good news is that Alabama’s line is versatile. Neal has experience at guard and tackle. Chris Owens can play every position on the offensive line. Most of the interior linemen can contribute at any of the three positions.

The problem is that Miami had too much pressure in this game. The offensive line was solid, but they were not elite. Bryce Young had to manipulate the pocket too much for comfort, and this is what led to the fumble by Young. He was also nearly sacked for a safety.

Can the line improve? Obviously. They even looked better as the game progressed. The real question is if that will be enough for Alabama football to win against elite defenses. Once they’re fully healthy, we’ll have a better idea of what to expect this year.