Alabama Football: Will Tide injuries be too much to handle?
By Dakota Cox
The injury bug has bitten Alabama football
Every year, the best teams in the country have to battle injuries as much as they do their opponents. In the past, some of Alabama football‘s best teams have struggled to overcome this obstacle. Just last year, the undefeated Tide lost Jaylen Waddle for most of the season before also losing Landon Dickerson in the postseason.
The Tide have depth at key positions, and that may end up saving their season. However, the injuries are stacking up at this point.
The injury bug first bit Alabama football in the season opener. Chris Allen went down with a season-ending injury against Miami. Drew Sanders also went down with an injury at outside linebacker later in the year, but he has returned.
Offensive line injuries have stacked up as well. While no single injury seems to be season-ending, the Tide have shifted multiple players around on a line that was weak to begin the season.
Against New Mexico State, Alabama saw even more injuries to the defense and offensive line. However, the one straw that may break the camel’s back was an injury to running back Roydell Williams. Williams is the third back to go down with an injury for Alabama football this year.
Last spring, the Tide had the deepest running back room in the country. Now, they have two players with any experience, and one has a history of injuries himself.
With key injuries to the offensive line and running back room, can Alabama football expect to run the table? The good news is that not all of these injuries are season-ending, and Alabama can clinch the SEC West title with a win on Saturday.
However, facing Georgia’s defensive front with a weak offensive line is not a recipe for success. The Tide have depth, but the lack of experience will hurt them against the Bulldogs. That is a must-win game for Alabama football, so whoever starts in the SEC Championship has to be ready for a career performance.
The injuries on defense can be overcome, and the run game will be okay if the Tide don’t suffer another injury. After all, Brian Robinson sees the majority of touches with the starters already. For the rest of the regular season, see if the offensive line holds up. That is the pivotal position group for the rest of the season.