Alabama football has a lot of work to do.
One week ago, Alabama football was seen as the greatest team in the country by a wide margin. After a loss to Texas A&M, the sky appears to be falling in Tuscaloosa. While neither of those extremes are true, the fact remains that Alabama needs to get better if they want to win a national championship.
Alabama controls their own destiny, but they also have no room to make a mistake with one loss under their belt. That means that perfection needs to be the standard, and they have yet to hit that this season.
The good news is that Alabama has an easier schedule looking forward. Most of their remaining games are at home, and their toughest opponents will be Arkansas and Auburn. Until a potential SEC Championship, Alabama football has what it takes to run the table easily.
However, an 11-1 regular-season record is not Alabama football’s goal. They want to win a title. To put it plainly, they do not look ready at this point in time. So, what do they need to do to get there?
For starters, the offensive line has to play better. They were solid in the run game, but their pass protection is some of the worst the Tide have seen in the Saban era. They need better communication and execution on the right side of the line. Don’t be surprised if a switch in the starting lineup happens at some point.
Also on offense, receivers need to make plays for Bryce Young. Young hasn’t thrown perfect passes, but he’s given receivers a chance to make the play. They have not done that yet, and that is not good for the long term. The drops have to stop.
On defense, there needs to be a sense of urgency. Busted assignments are becoming common, and defenders are missing tackles. Most of the defense returned from last year, so this is a surprise. There is hope for things to turn around, but that has yet to be proven.
Expect younger players to get a chance if this type of performance continues. Regardless, there is room for improvement on the roster. If communication and urgency can improve, the results will improve as well.