At 4-0, Alabama Crimson Tide fans are so ready to shout 'Bama is Back'. In Tuscaloosa, being back must mean that Alabama is a national title contender. Can that claim be made about the Crimson Tide, with no wins yet over a ranked team?
A cautious answer is that Alabama has more to prove. Over the next four weeks, the Crimson Tide can deliver proof against Mississippi State, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Alabama did prove a couple of things in its 49-18 win Saturday night. Alabama showed it can explode in the first half of games. In Kalen DeBoer's post-game review, he defined the Tide's quick start as: "I thought the guys just cut it loose."
Sparking the explosion was Keelon Russell. Russell was so good against the Gamecocks that it is hard to imagine him getting better. He will, and during this season, Keelon can become the SEC's top quarterback.
Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor was outstanding against South Carolina, passing for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Keelon also threw four touchdown passes against the Gamecocks, while passing for 368 yards. Unlike Taylor, who threw an interception against South Carolina, Russell had no turnovers. The only SEC quarterback arguably playing better than Russell and Taylor now is Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss.
LSU's Sam Leavitt had a big game in the Bengal Tigers' trouncing of Texas A&M. Leavitt's QB Rating for the game was 91.5, but after Week 3 play, Leavitt had the SEC's third-lowest Passer Rating of 127.3.
Despite Ole Miss losing to Florida, 52-28, Chambliss was tremendous again, posting a 90.6 QB rating. Keelon Russell's explosion against South Carolina earned him a 98.3 QB rating. Against Missouri Saturday night, Kamario Taylor posted an 84.8 QB Rating.
Keelon has 'arrived' ahead of schedule for Alabama
Russell and his teammates have much more to prove. But Keelon is ahead of schedule. So much so that we can say he has 'arrived' as a top quarterback. Keelon's continued progress depends on his offensive and defensive teammates. If Jayvin James' injury proves to be serious, Keelon's protection could be diminished. Kane Wommack's defense needs to be more consistent at denying big plays.
Make no mistake, Alabama has gained the respect of every SEC team on its schedule. During Saturday night's telecast, it was said that Kalen DeBoer has his best Alabama team. What is becoming clear is that DeBoer's 'best' can become much better.
Note: QB Ratings provided by ESPN
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