Bio Blast: Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama is a national title contender once again. Can you believe it? For the first time in a decade, Nick Saban will bring his juggernaut program to Lexington on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are 6-0 in SEC play and are eyeing a matchup with Georgia in December. One more conference victory will clinch a 10th SEC West title since Saban arrived.

Bama has a lot to play for in November with two remaining conference road games. Kentucky will look to play spoiler on Saturday afternoon.

Let’s take a closer look at one of the hottest teams in college football.

Alabama has found a quarterback

Following spring practice, new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees decided that a personnel move needed to be made. Alabama went to the transfer portal and brought Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner to Tuscaloosa. The thought was that Rees was taking his former quarterback and would eventually make him the starter at Alabama.

That did happen.

After a home loss to Texas in Week 2, Nick Saban benched Jalen Milroe and started Buchner with redshirt freshman Ty Simpson also getting some playing time against USF. The results were disastrous. Alabama went back to Milroe in SEC play, and the rest is history.

Since making that final move at quarterback, Bama is averaging 31.7 points per game on 6.2 yards per play. Milroe is completing 64.8 percent of his 22 passes per game on a robust 10.4 yards per attempt. Alabama has 12 completions of 40-plus yards this season and often goes big-play hunting off play-action.

Milroe can also hurt defenses with his legs. In a big spot against LSU, Rees unleashed the QB run game, and Milroe delivered 167 yards on 18 carries with four touchdowns and seven gains of 10-plus yards. On the season, the former top-100 recruit has rushed for 491-non sack yards on 6.5 yards per rush with nine touchdowns, a 55.4 percent rushing success rate, and a 35.4 percent explosive run rate.

The redshirt sophomore is one of the most explosive players in the SEC. We’re now starting to see the Texas native play with more efficiency. However, Milroe’s sack rate (15.4%) is absurdly high. The quarterback will take some negative plays while waiting for big pass opportunities to open up.

Alabama has a boom-or-bust nature to their offense this season, but the busts are starting to lower as Milroe evolves.

The game can swing in pass protection

Jalen Milroe’s sack rate is super high for a reason. Alabama has some major issues in pass protection. On the season, the Crimson Tide are allowing a 38.4 percent pressure rate on 276 dropbacks. That has led to 37 sacks. Only Arkansas and South Carolina have allowed more sacks in the SEC. Despite having a ton of blue-chippers and future pros, the protection is struggling. The run blocking has not been much better as tailbacks Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams 37.9 percent success rate on 23.2 rushes per game and 4.9 yards per rush.

The Tide are oddly vulnerable at the point of attack on offense, but the biggest weakness is in pass protection.

On defense, the strength is on the edge. Alabama has rolled up a 35.8 percent pressure rate this season, according to PFF data. Kevin Steele‘s defense ranks No. 11 in sack rate (9.43%). Most of this production is coming from two players.

Dallas Turner leads the SEC in pressures (38). Chris Braswell is one spot behind him with 37 pressures. The duo has combined to record 13.5 sacks forming what is likely the best pass rushing duo in college football. Braswell recorded a strip sack against Tennessee in the second half that turned a one-possession game into a two touchdown win. Turner knocked Jayden Daniels out of the game with a vicious hit on a pass rush win.

No. 15 and No. 41 can tilt the game.

When we look back at the game on Saturday, pass rush production on both sides of the line of scrimmage will likely have a major say in the final outcome.

Pass defense is vulnerable to explosives

Alabama’s pass rush is dangerous. The run defense is still efficient (No. 17 in success rate). However, this group has been glitchy in the big-play department.

On the ground, Alabama currently ranks No. 58 in EPA/play. The Crimson Tide are ninth in the conference with nine rushes of 20-plus yards allowed. In the passing game, Bama ranks No. 10 in the SEC with 16 completions of 30-plus yards allowed. LSU, Texas, and Texas A&M each averaged at least eight yards per play against the Crimson Tide. Max Johnson (239 yards, 9.6 yards per attempt, 42.9% success rate) might have had his best performance of the season against Alabama.

An offense that can create explosive plays can find some success against the Tide. Due to their efficiency, this unit will force a fair amount of three-and-out possessions, but splash plays can and will be given up.