How Alabama got better from early stumbles to take charge

• Chris Low, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterOct 10, 2023, 07:00 AM ET Close College football

• press reporter Signed up with ESPN.com in 2007
• Graduate of the University of Tennessee

COLLEGE STATION, Texas– The midpoint of the season is no place to make any iron-clad (or crimson-clad) statements in college football.But if history

is any sign, Nick Saban has his skeptics right where he wants them following Alabama’s 26-20 victory over Texas A&M at raucous Kyle Field on Saturday.It was only a month ago that we heard a few of the very same cautions we’ve heard before when Saban and the Tide have lost, which has happened only six times in his last 50 games– with 5 of those defeats concerning teams ranked in the top 15 nationally.Immediately after the 34-24 home loss to Texas in Week 2, the familiar alarms went off: that the dynasty may be dead, that some cracks in the structure may be forming, that while Saban might not have totally lost his fastball, he certainly had actually lost some velocity.But here we are, six games into the season, and the Crimson Tide are sitting atop the SEC West as the only unbeaten team in league play.”I like this group. I like the method this group practices, the method these kids wish to practice and wish to compete. It’s an excellent group of kids,”Saban informed ESPN earlier this month. “We’ve just got to execute much better and pay more attention to information, and we’ve got some locations on our team that requirement to play better. We’re going to keep dealing with them to arrive because this team has everything it takes to be really, really great.” At no point has Saban suggested this can be a terrific team.

Obviously, he didn’t state that about the 2020 unbeaten national championship team or any of his other teams, either. That’s just not his style.But with a manageable course ahead to the SEC national championship(the next three games, versus

Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU, are all at home ), Alabama lives and well in spite of its warts.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated And while this might not be Saban’s many skilled, many total or inmost team, it might be the most satisfying one he’s had if it is able to get

to Atlanta and, at least, bet an SEC title.But all that, in Saban vernacular, is nothing however sound, something his players repeated over and over following the win over the Aggies.”From this point forward, we’re just going to keep working and keep attempting to improve and block out the outside sound due to the fact that the only people that can make any game a big game are the fans and

the media, since it’s not the players,” stated receiver Jermaine Burton, who torched A&M with nine catches for 197 lawns and two touchdowns.Burton’s introduction on offense has been complemented by a defense that has allowed simply 5 touchdowns in 4 games given that the Texas loss and is beginning to appear like a few of the disruptive units that were the cornerstones of Saban’s championship groups. There might not be as lots of very first-and second-round NFL draft teases this defense as in past years, however Bama is tied for 3rd nationally in sacks (22), tied for 3rd in the SEC in interceptions(seven) and is one of just three SEC teams, in addition to Georgia and Texas A&M, to rank in the top 30 nationally in both hurrying defense and passing defense.”They are a lot much better on defense than what individuals thought coming out of the Texas game and are only getting better,” one SEC coach informed ESPN.Rest guaranteed, today of practice won’t be a picnic for anybody at Alabama. Not after the Tide committed 14 penalties(9 pre-snap charges on offense ), had two turnovers, got a meager 23 hurrying yards, had quarterback Jalen Milroe get sacked 6 times, had a goal called back on a blocked field-goal effort and mismanaged the clock at the end of the game.As one Alabama team member stated Saturday as the players headed toward the group bus, “This is when Coach is at his best. He’ll be on everyone’s ass. You ‘d never ever know that we just won the game. “Saban’s message to his team late Saturday afternoon in the visiting locker space was both pointed and company.

He didn’t hold back and called well as anybody that this team doesn’t have the margin of mistake that a few of his other groups did. “Where it shows up the most is our depth. We don’t have the depth we utilized to,”Saban told ESPN.”However I do not know that anyone does with the website. It’s a lot more important for me to be positive with this team and do whatever we can as coaches to make certain they do it the method we desire it done.”How much can we improve in the areas that are injuring us right now, all the self-inflicted wounds? That’s the question. So any disappointment I may have is with myself in making sure we get that done and not with the players.” While acknowledging the obstacles Alabama has actually dealt with, Nick Saban has the Tide atop the SEC West. Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports One aspect that has worked against Alabama is the turnover on the coaching personnel, and Saban admitted having a lot of coaches reoccuring has actually been an obstacle.At some time, teaching the coaches every year how he wants things done becomes taxing. Alabama has 2 new organizers this season, Tommy Rees on offense and Kevin Steele on defense. Rees is Alabama’s sixth offensive coordinator since the 2016 season, and Saban has actually also needed to change many position coaches over the last couple of years.”We’ve had a lot of new coaches, and for various factors,”Saban stated. “I can’t remain in every position room, and it becomes a difficulty in attempting to teach individuals to do things the method you desire them done, however not hinder them from doing what they wish to do, however still type of doing what you believe in.”It holds true that Saban, who turns 72 later on this month, is not fascinated with the current variation of college football, particularly the transfer portal making it more difficult to establish players and produce depth and NIL being utilized as a method to pay players out of high school.What isn’t real is that Saban, with his six championship games at Alabama, is prepared to go silently into the night

. The retirement talk will continue to get steam, as it would for any coach Saban’s age, however his enthusiasm to challenge his players and himself to be the absolute best hasn’t subsided one bit.It’s been a while (maybe returning to Saban’s very first season )because Alabama has

been on the outdoors searching in as far as being geared up to make a nationwide title run.Allstate Playoff Predictor How will Saturday’s leading games affect the College Football Playoff go after?

What are the present odds for the leading four? The Allstate Playoff Predictor has the responses. Inspect back weekly as the chances are updated following that week’s games. For the many part, his players do not seem to

mind the spotlight being directed elsewhere for a change. The only spotlight with any meaning is the one that shines on those teams vying for the 4 playoff areas come early December.”No matter what opponent we’re playing,

we’re going to provide our best, we’re going to play four quarters of football, and we’re going to have fun,”Milroe said.”And we’re going to play to the standard that we all know remains in our locker space.”It’s a standard that never ever

alters at Alabama.Milroe’s development will go a long way toward determining whether the Crimson Tide can get back to the playoff. They’ve never gone more than 2 years without winning a national title under Saban, which puts his amazing encounter perspective.Milroe is coming off his finest game of the season against Texas A&M with 321 backyards passing and 3

goals. He hit a number of big plays down the field, and all three of his scoring throws began either second -or third-and-long. The feeling on Alabama’s staff is that Milroe is growing as his repeatings in practice and games increase. He split associates all preseason and didn’t even play Week 3 against South Florida.Saban was heartened to see Milroe react from his third-quarter interception Saturday with a game-tying goal the next time Alabama got the ball. Milroe stays minimal in some locations. He’s taken a lot of sacks, does not always get to his second option rapidly enough and has actually made some ill-advised choices on pricey interceptions. But playing the way he did versus Texas A&M, and doing so in such a hostile environment, was a great sign for him and Alabama.Asked where he’s grown the most, Milroe stated,”Just acknowledging that I’m not a finished product, but just overall attempting to be the very best version I can for the team. It’s everything about the team. There’s no single success at all. Everything is for the team, which’s what I try to do as much as possible.”It’s just,’How can I be a much better leader, be a better passer and do anything that is asked of me playing quarterback here?'”What will Alabama’s quarterback scenario appear like moving forward? Milroe has two more seasons staying. There’s a lot of optimism on the personnel surrounding real freshman Dylan Lonergan and nobody has quit on redshirt freshman Ty Simpson, who was ESPN’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback possibility in the 2022 finalizing class. Likewise, first-class dedicate Julian Sayin of Carlsbad, California, ESPN’s No. 1 dual-threat QB possibility, belongs to the 2024 class. The Tide are likely to search in the website for quarterbacks too.Elite competition on the practice field has sustained Alabama’s championship run under Saban, although stockpiling quarterbacks has actually become nearly difficult. Regardless, Alabama’s quarterback room likely will look different next year.Of course, the future for Saban is the next practice or the next meeting.Just before he hopped into an SUV that would take him to the College Station airport Saturday, Saban shook his head and pierced his lips securely. “We’re making it way too difficult,”he said in a hushed tone.The fact is it’s most likely going to be that way the rest of the season for his team.But as Saban has shown, Alabama has long

been the SEC’s version of Dracula. It seems there’s simply no killing the Crimson Tide, even when they seem at their most vulnerable.