Alabama Football: Bryce Young is good enough to win Heisman but …

At least among Alabama football fans, there is no debate about Bryce Young being a worthy Heisman finalist. There is also a strong sense he will keep getting better as the season progresses. So, yes, Bryce Young is good enough to win the Heisman as a sophomore.

No Alabama Football quarterback has ever won a Heisman. Other than maybe Tua and A.J. McCarron, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterbacks being zero-for the Heisman does not cause much disappointment.

One reason is, the greatest college football program ever has a bigger goal. That goal is of course winning a National Championship. Whether the prospects of finishing No. 1 are good or not good at all, the goal of winning championships is an every-season thing for the Crimson Tide.

So the foremost question about Bryce is not is he Heisman-worthy. It is can he lead the 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide to a National Championship.

Most Crimson Tide fans are primed to answer in the affirmative. When we do, there is often a pesky word that follows “Bryce Young can lead the Crimson Tide to a National Championship, if …”

Let’s consider the most mentioned Alabama Football ‘ifs’

If the Crimson Tide defense can hold up against top teams. That if, has plenty of subsets; if Pete Golding … if the secondary … if the inside linebackers … if the defensive line. What does not get answered is how much better the defense must be. It isn’t answered because college football has changed so much, none of us know the answer.

Not too long ago, teams were expected to lose if they surrendered 500 yards in a game. Last season, Alabama football allowed Ole Miss to gain 647 yards and the Tide won by 15 points. This season, Wake Forest gave up 595 yards to Army and won by 14 points. Even more staggering, the Army offense had the ball 42 minutes and 43 seconds against Wake. Two examples are not a sufficient sample, but finding others would not be difficult.

How much defense does it take for a team to win? As much as a team’s offense can outscore by one point.

The Alabama Football offense is No. 2 in the FBS at 45.9 points per game. That stat allows a credible claim the Crimson Tide offense, though not equal to last season, is potent enough to lead the Tide to a National Championship.

Unfortunately, that claim brings on more ‘ifs.’

• If the right side of the offensive line can better pass protect
• If the offensive line can get more push in short-yardage running plays
• If Bill O’Brien will run the damn ball – especially in the red zone
• If Bill O’Brien would use either the Steve Sarkisian or Lane Kiffin playbook
• If the receivers would stop dropping passes

The sum total of all the ‘ifs’ – offensively and defensively – is a massive overreaction. If all those things were a problem in a single game, the Crimson Tide would lose to a top team – badly.

Fortunately, games are played against other teams that also have ‘ifs.’ All the Tide’s ‘ifs’ (and an opponent’s ‘ifs’) will never manifest themselves in a single game.

How good does the Crimson Tide defense have to be? It only has to be as good as it takes to allow one less point than what the highly talented and poised Bryce Young and his offensive teammates can produce.