Alabama Football: Ole Miss remains Tide’s toughest test
By Dakota Cox
Alabama football has plenty of challenges left on the schedule
With Alabama football having one of the toughest schedules in the country, they will be tested each and every week. Fans saw just that when the Tide squeaked by the Florida Gators on the road. That two-point victory was gritty, but tougher tests remain ahead.
Alabama still has to play four teams that are currently ranked in the AP top 25. That doesn’t include playing LSU or perennial rival Tennessee. With so many gritty games ahead, there are questions as to who will be the toughest team left. While Texas A&M is ranked the highest and will host their game against Alabama football, they don’t have the best shot of beating the Crimson Tide. Instead, that title goes to the Ole Miss Rebels.
Allow me to explain. Ole Miss remains one of the most underrated teams in college football. They have an incredibly potent offense. Lane Kiffin has gotten the most out of his players, and his creativity has shown in the playcalling. He also knows what Alabama football struggles with since he coached for Saban.
Also, Kiffin wants to be the first Saban assistant to beat the master. That’s not to say every opponent doesn’t want to beat Alabama football. However, Kiffin would give up everything to beat the Tide. He’ll call every unique play he can think of to emerge victoriously, and that’s dangerous for the Tide defense.
Alabama is in a unique situation. In the past, the Tide could rely on their offense to beat anyone. Now, they are prone to hurting themselves with mental mistakes. On defense, Alabama mostly takes advantage of other team’s errors. That’s what makes Ole Miss a dangerous opponent. Their weakness is defense, but Alabama’s ability to stall their own drives negates that. It’ll be hard to consistently stop Ole Miss’s offense, and Alabama will have to go shot-for-shot with the Rebels.
Alabama's report card vs. Florida. dark. Next
Alabama will still be favored in every game this regular season, but they’ll need to bring it all against Ole Miss. An electric offense gives an opponent the best chance to beat the Tide, and Ole Miss will have the best offense this year.