Alabama Football: Quick thoughts on the Texas game

Alabama Football survived Texas and itself to win in Austin. In the end, what can be viewed as a historic drive led to the winning field goal. One player does not win football games, but when the Alabama Crimson Tide required a hero – it had one in Bryce Young.

Any honest Alabama football fan has to admit, the game’s outcome could have easily gone the other way. Alabama was responsible for much of its shortcomings through a Saban-Era record number of penalties. Plus, miscues by the Texas snapper, holder and kicker took away an easy first-half field goal for the Longhorns.

The game will be another ‘what if’ for Texas, losing Quinn Ewers to injury, as it did Colt McCoy back in the 2010 National Championship game. The Longhorns lost much when Ewers went out. Not much later, the backup, Hudson Card was limping. The ‘what if’ from Saturday is more legitimate than the one in 2010.

Thoughts on the Alabama Football Performance

• The 15 penalties hurt the Crimson Tide in more ways than the penalized 100 yards. As Nick Saban said after the game, penalties come down to a lack of discipline and that deficiency in discipline is difficult to comprehend.
• Alabama receivers, until late in the game, when Texas might not have been as aggressive, failed to consistently create space. Pass protection broke down some, but most of the Texas pressure came after Bryce Young could find no clearly open receiver.
• Kicking has so often failed an Alabama Crimson Tide team, winning via a field goal attempt never feels secure. But Will Reichard is solid and both his late attempts (before and after a Texas timeout) were solid and sure.
• Texas is an improved football team. Hopefully, the Longhorns are a much-improved team or the Crimson Tide has a long way to go to become a championship contender.
•  The coaching job by Steve Sarkisian and his staff was outstanding.
• Bryce Young proved again he is college football’s most clutch quarterback.

After the game, Nick Saban was relieved.

But Saban had plenty to make him unhappy. As reported by al.com, Saban was disappointed by the Tide’s five, three-and-outs and its inability to effectively run the ball.

Despite those weaknesses, as Saban said in the video below, he had a lot of confidence in the offense on the last drive.

Much of Saban’s confidence came from a belief in what Bryce Young is capable of doing, under any level of pressure.

A hat tip to Steve Sarkisian and his Texas football team. Sark is bringing the Horns back quickly.