Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from win vs. Tennessee Vols

Alabama football had some learning moments vs. Tennessee

While Alabama football covered the spread against the Tennessee Vols, they still struggled in the first half. They outlasted the Volunteers, but mental mistakes limited their ability to dominate this game.

You’ll always take a big win against a rival, but Alabama plays at a different standard. The mistakes made were inexcusable, and there is plenty to focus on as we head into the bye week.

Still, there were plenty of good and bad plays this week. The Tide left the game with cigars in their hands, and they boosted their resume once again.

Here are the top takeaways from Alabama football’s big win against the Tennessee Volunteers. Let’s start with one issue that was an overarching theme in the first half.

3. Alabama can beat themselves

Last season, Alabama was one of the most efficient teams in college football. Third-down plays were guaranteed to work, and the receivers could make something out of nothing on plenty of plays.

This year, that has not been the case. The offensive line has made too many mistakes for you to trust them. The drops by the receivers and tight ends have been concerning. The defense has allowed too many points for you to feel confident.

That happened in the first half. Drops by Jameson Williams stalled drives, and his fumble kept Alabama from scoring in the red zone. Tennessee only had a few first downs, but they scored on massive plays. Those were caused by defensive miscues in the secondary, but we’ll discuss that later.

These errors may not impact this game, but they could be the reason Alabama loses another game down the line. They have to be fixed.