There is nothing quite like being wrong about Bama football. Especially when you spend an entire week buying into the hype and narratives from the college football media personalities putting LSU on a pedestal. Just like most of them, I picked LSU to beat Alabama. I expected the Tide to stumble in Baton Rouge, fall further down the College Football Playoff rankings, and potentially watch its postseason hopes disappear before November was even halfway over.
Well, Alabama never got the memo. Kalen DeBoer's team walked into Death Valley on Saturday night and walked out with a convincing 31-13 victory. After questioning whether this team had what it takes to compete at the highest level, Alabama gave me a pretty good reason that maybe DeBoer and the Tide have turned the page.
At least for this week.
Alabama finally delivered when it mattered
Let's give credit where it's due. Alabama didn't panic when LSU took a 13-10 lead late in the third quarter. Instead, Keelon Russell and the offense responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Josh Ford. The defense followed by forcing consecutive turnovers on downs, and Russell connected with Cederian Morgan and Kaleb Edwards for two more touchdowns.
Just like that, a potentially disastrous Saturday turned into an 18-point road victory. Russell finished with 206 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Ryan Coleman-Williams also made his return from injury, contributing a rushing touchdown and a big punt return.
Those are the kinds of responses Alabama fans have been waiting to see. And I'll gladly admit that I didn't expect it.
One win doesn't immediately erase Alabama's concerns
Now comes the part where I refuse to completely abandon my skepticism. Despite winning by 18 points, Alabama was actually outgained by LSU, 457-285. The Tigers also recorded 27 first downs compared to Alabama's 13. LSU moved the football. A lot.
The difference was that Alabama made the plays that LSU couldn't. The Tide forced four turnovers on downs, recorded four sacks, and kept the Tigers out of the end zone during the fourth quarter. That's an impressive defensive performance, but it's also worth recognizing that Alabama relied on its defense to bail out an offense that wasn't particularly productive for much of the evening.
The good news? Russell protected the football, made the big throws when they mattered, and helped Alabama finish drives while LSU couldn't.
The concern? Can this team consistently play that way against the remaining schedule and potential playoff opponents? That's still something I need to see. Sustaining this momentum and finishing out the season strong.
I doubted Alabama heading into Baton Rouge. I thought LSU would expose Alabama's offensive line and secondary. Instead, Alabama responded with one of its more impressive wins of the season.
I am happy to be wrong.
However, I'm not throwing away every concern I've had about this football team because of one Saturday night. Especially after the disappointing back-to-back losses last month. The offensive consistency, physicality, and ability to put together a complete performance still deserve scrutiny.
Maybe this is the beginning of Alabama finally finding its identity under DeBoer. Maybe the pieces are starting to come together for a deep playoff run. Or maybe Saturday was simply a reminder that counting Alabama out is usually a dangerous proposition.
Either way, I'll gladly eat my words this week.
Roll Tide.
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