There are bad losses, and then there are losses that leave you wondering how the same problems keep costing Alabama games.
Saturday in Knoxville was the latter.
Alabama's 26-10 loss to Tennessee exposed the same issues that have threatened to derail the Crimson Tide throughout the season: slow starts, uninspired offensive playcalling, inconsistent execution, and costly mistakes made by both sides of the ball.
Fortunately for the Tide, the football gods have left the door open in the SEC and across college football. With five of the nation's top seven teams all suffering losses, an already unpredictable playoff picture has become even more wide open.
But what good is a season full of opportunity if Alabama can't fix the self-inflicted problems staring back at it in the mirror? Is it too late for the Crimson Tide to turn things around? And with the door still being opened, are they even disciplined enough to take advantage of it?
Those are the type of questions that are beginning to emerge, especially after hearing what felt like another tone-deaf and redundant message from Kalen DeBoer to his locker room following the loss.
Kalen DeBoer's message may be wearing thin as Alabama's same problems continue to cost it games
“I just said it’s going to be really uncomfortable,” DeBoer said to reporters postgame. “Again, everything I said to those guys, it’s not like I didn’t feel like they practiced. We had a lot of motivation to come back and have a great week and prepare for this game, but moving forward, it’s going to be another level of uncomfortable. A lot of guys haven’t been through the last year or the last two. I know they feel it, and our older guys mentioned that even a couple of weeks ago, and what it’s going to be like on this stretch. The key is that you just hone in on one game. Don’t look at the big picture. Just hone in on one game and believe that you have a team that can get it done.”
The problem is that Alabama has heard DeBoer's message about responding, regrouping, and moving forward. Hell, this week was supposed to be the week that the message translated into results. Instead, the Tide's performance offered little evidence of progress.
Offensively, Alabama went 2-of-13 on third downs, allowed four sacks, committed three turnovers and managed just 201 yards of total offense on the day. Defensively, Tennessee workhorse running back DeSean Bishop ran rampant, rushing for 159 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns as the Vols controlled the clock, holding a nearly 12-minute advantage in time of possession (35:44 to 24:16).
The numbers tell the story of a team that continues to make life harder on itself. Alabama couldn't sustain drives, protect the football, or slow down Tennessee's predictable ground game to get off the field when it mattered most. And when those same issues keep showing up more and more as the season weighs on, it's fair to question whether the problem is simply execution or something deeper.
And even with No. 4 Indiana, No. 7 Texas, No. 1 Georgia, and No. 2 Notre Dame suffering losses, Alabama's biggest obstacle to making something of this season remains the same: Alabama.
Every goal this team set out to reach, from the first offseason workout to this very moment, remains within reach. And yes, Alabama still mathematically has a 59% chance to make the postseason. But the SEC's parity and the chaos across college football won't mean much if DeBoer's team continues to look incapable of correcting its own mistakes that have repeatedly held it back.
The door is still open, but now with two losses in their last three with five remaining, it'll be interesting to see where the chips fall with Alabama running out of time to prove it belongs among the teams capable of walking through.
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