Alabama football can mature into becoming a championship team, but a lot of work needs to happen quickly.
The Crimson Tide has not played its best football since the first quarter against Georgia.
RELATED: Five takeaways from Alabama’s win against South Carolina
Kalen DeBoer saw his group nearly fall to the Bulldogs, get beat by Vanderbilt, and struggled to defeat South Carolina. Alabama travels to Neyland Stadium this week to battle a talented Tennessee program. Several Tide fans are nervous about facing the Volunteers, especially with how Kane Wommack’s 4-2-5 defense is having issues.
Greg McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback, highlighted the most glaring problem for his Alma mater under Coach DeBoer in his Always College Football podcast.
The 2009 BCS National Champion said Alabama ‘lacks situational awareness.’
“This team right now is lacking situational awareness, which is really a problem.”@GregMcElroy‘s thoughts on @AlabamaFTBL after an ugly win over South Carolina ⬇️#RollTide pic.twitter.com/vBgfpEHADY
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) October 13, 2024
“This was a game that was very strange,” McElroy said Alabama’s matchup versus South Carolina.
“Alabama was in full control. Just full control of this game early on. And then, things started to shift. South Carolina puts a drive together, goes and cuts the score in half. It is now 14-7. And then Alabama made some of the dumbest mistakes I think I have ever seen. For as well coached and for as good as this team has traditionally been. That was … about as bad as it gets at the end of the first half and at the end of game situation. This team is lacking situational awareness, which is really a problem.”
McElroy questioned why Jalen Milroe kept holding onto the ball against South Carolina’s strength.
The Gamecocks have two marquee edge rushers — Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart — and both got after Milroe all game long. McElroy called the Tide’s performance ‘inexcusably bad’ and ‘dumb.’ He said Alabama’s play almost cost them another game and it should not have.
Can the Tide get this fixed? It has to now with Tennessee this weekend.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
