Offensive lineman Tyler Booker reveals Alabama held players-only meeting after USF victory

Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker revealed a players-only meeting was held following the Crimson Tide’s unimpressive victory over the USF Bulls.

Joining the crew on The Next Round, Booker explained what the Crimson Tide had to get off their chest on Sunday, as they felt like they weren’t reaching expectations.

“Everybody got stuff off their chest. I think everybody is on the same page now. … I wouldn’t say there was any fractions. We need to put an emphasis on togetherness,” Booker explained, via The Next Round. “I’m not saying we weren’t together, but we’re just emphasizing it more now. That was pretty much the emphasis of the whole meeting. Just coming together, supporting each other. Not saying we weren’t doing that before, but we’re just putting it on the forefront of everything.

“Because if we all do our job, as a unit — as an offensive line, if we all do our job. If the running backs do their job. If the defensive backs do their job. The wide receivers do their job. Then, there’s really nobody that can stop us. We all have to execute at the same time, when we’re supposed to.”

Alabama is playing far from how their faithful expected them to in 2023 at the moment. Perhaps the players-only meeting will be the spark that lights their flames this season.

They certainly need it, with some tough showdowns on the horizon. The Crimson Tide are at an inflection point, and they must look themselves in the mirror and get better following last weekend.

Paul Finebaum calls for Alabama to go back to Jalen Milroe at quarterback

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum called for Alabama to go back to quarterback Jalen Milroe following a closer-than-expected win over USF over the weekend.

The Crimson Tide went on the road and won just 17-3 and struggled at quarterback with new starter Tyler Buchner, as well as Ty Simpson. Milroe was demoted to third string for the game against the Bulls.

But Finebaum said Alabama should go back to its original starter for the best chance to win.

“I just think the coaching staff has to figure out which direction they’re going and they certainly used the South Florida game as a laboratory experiment,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “I don’t know what their conclusion is. I know what mine is. I think I would go back to where they were two weeks ago and try to adjust.”

In the win over USF, Buchner was five-of-14 passing for 34 yards and Simpson was five-of-nine passing for 73 yards.

“I think certainly going with Milroe for most of the time, I’m not saying they can’t switch up a little bit less unless the coaching staff saw something in Ty Simpson that convinces them that he can hold the majority of the snaps and then maybe use Milroe in situations,” Finebaum said. 

“What I saw the other day was a complete and total embarrassment and I just have to wonder where the leadership is coming from. Not so much on the football team but within the coaching room because I just really don’t understand what the philosophy is right now under Tommy Rees.”