Alabama has won six straight games and continues to position itself as a legitimate contender in the National Championship race.
A big reason for that is the emergence of redshirt junior QB Ty Simpson, who in just seven starts has solidified himself as one of the nation's best quarterbacks.
Simpson put together another strong performance this past weekend in leading Alabama to a 37-20 win over Tennessee, the team's fourth consecutive win over a ranked SEC foe. For the season, Simpson has now thrown for 1931 yards with 18 touchdowns to just one interception. He's been impressive diagnosing things pre- and post-snap. He plays the position like a veteran with three times as many starts as he actually has.
ESPN's Bill Connelly says you can trust Simpson moving forward. He's one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and he's proven it enough times against high-level competition. Connelly - and Alabama fans - are less sure about the Crimson Tide's defense.
"The Tide are just 58th in yards allowed per play and 66th in success rate allowed, but they're 22nd in scoring defense," Connelly writes. "That's a tenuous balance, and we'll see what happens against Oklahoma or anyone they might face in the SEC championship game or CFP, but it's working well for now.
"Simpson has earned our trust, although I'm still willing to cast a suspicious glance toward the defense."
Alabama's defense is doing enough to win games
Not many Alabama fans are sold on defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. The talent level on the defensive side of the ball should be producing better overall numbers, though it's hard to argue with recent results. Though the process is always more important than the results, because if the process is poor, the results are going to ultimately swing.
Alabama's defense has been better since struggling against Florida State in the opener, but the overall numbers are below what was expected coming into the season. The pass defense has been strong, but the Crimson Tide has struggled against the run. Per Game on Paper, Alabama ranks 98th in the country in EPA per rush attempt defensively.
From down to down, Alabama has been solid against the run, but it gives up an explosive play or two every single game, which is concerning moving forward.
Of course, some of Alabama's lower numbers could be a product of playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. Six of Alabama's seven games have come against Power Four competition, including the last four against ranked opponents from the SEC.
Perhaps the best part of Alabama's six-game winning streak is that they've done it against high-level competition while also not yet coming close to playing its best football on either side of the ball. It feels like Kalen DeBoer's team still has another gear it can get to. If it does, then it might be GG's for the rest of the SEC and the country.