Alabama's offense has spent the opening weeks of the season answering the questions directly in front of it.
The running game needed to show it could be the catalyst behind a more balanced offense. It did.
Keelon Russell needed to prove he could settle into the game and take what the defense gives him. He has.
Now, Alabama has another question to answer: Can its passing game become the difference-maker when the matchup calls for it?
Florida State's defense may be giving the Crimson Tide the exact matchup it needs to find out.
The Seminoles have allowed 702 passing yards through two games, ranking 132nd nationally at 351 yards per game, and opposing quarterbacks have consistently found ways to attack them.
New Mexico State quarterback Trey Hedden threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns, while connecting on four passes of at least 20 yards and helping the Aggies convert 10 of 17 third downs. A week later, SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings shredded the Noles for a career-high of 430 yards passing, producing six explosive plays through the air, including completions of 50, 64, and 79 yards.
Now Alabama gets its turn.
The Crimson Tide has scored 93 points without needing Russell to consistently put a game on his arm. He's completed 34 of his 53 passes for 444 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per attempt with one passing touchdown and two interceptions. But with SEC play waiting to resume on the other side of Florida State, this is an opportunity to push the sophomore QB and his receivers into a part of the offense Alabama will eventually need to trust.
That trust is a part of the next step Kalen DeBoer wants from his offense moving forward.
Kalen DeBoer hints playing faster could take Alabama's passing game to another level
"We’re going to dig a little deeper,” DeBoer said on Wednesday during his radio show. “I think our team truly believes, and one of the things we talk about is that as the game goes on, we will continue to get better. We want to be great going in. As our coaches get more and more information and our players continue to get more film each and every week of our opponent, I think they will be even more comfortable, and you’ll see even faster starts from our guys playing fast, knowing what to expect from their opponent. I’m looking forward to the next steps we take this week, really challenging our guys to come out, especially in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and make some plays right away. Play confident. Play fast."
That confidence could come from more than simply winning Saturday.
It could come from seeing Russell take shots downfield, watching his receivers make plays, and proving that Alabama can turn defensive mistakes into explosives when the opportunity is there.
Because eventually, the Crimson Tide won't be facing secondaries that give them this much room to capitalize on errors.
September is about building.
October is about proving.
Intentionally attacking Florida State's vulnerable secondary gives Alabama one of its final September tests to sharpen its passing game before the schedule gets tougher and the passing windows get smaller.
Watching Mexico State and SMU on tape has already given DeBoer and second-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb a blueprint for where Florida State can be had defensively.
Now, the challenge is whether Russell and the Crimson Tide can turn those openings into explosives — and give Alabama something it hasn't needed yet: a passing game it knows it can lean on.
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