Former Alabama football players and Crimson Tide fans are wondering what is wrong with this team.
After suffering its second loss of the season to Tennessee, the College Football Playoff window is dwindling away.
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Alabama could have easily blown the doors off the Volunteers; however, it continues to play poorly since the second half of the Georgia matchup. The Tide fell to Tennessee, 17-24, for a second time at Neyland Stadium. People want an answer to why Alabama has not been performing up to expectations, and one can look no further than the new coaching schemes.
Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer, Nick Sheridan, and JaMarcus Shephard from Washington. All three coached in some close games last season for the Huskies. Kane Wommack was brought in from South Alabama and other names decided to join forces with DeBoer to start the post Nick Saban era. People sang DeBoer’s praises after the Tide’s win over Georgia, but now we see Alabama for what it is: a team that is not ready to be elite yet under DeBoer. Some of the offensive strategy for DeBoer and Sheridan is too cute. Alabama is passing the ball in the red zone when it should be running it. When it dials up a good passing play in the red area, the ball does not go the right receiver. When the run game is working, Sheridan removes the ball from Justice Haynes and Jam Miller too quickly. Alabama has become overly reliant on Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams, and that is not good offense.
Williams is a great talent, but he should not be targeted 18 times like he was last week.
We were told in the offseason that this was the Crimson Tide’s best offensive line. The group has not been able to show it can sustain in the run game because Sheridan has not been committed to it. Alabama wants to run these different passing concepts and receivers are not open in some of the formations, which causes Milroe to take sacks. The best offensive minds that Alabama had such as Jim McElwain, Lane Kiffin, and Steve Sarkisian kept things simple. This offensive staff is doing way too much.
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Defensively, the 4-2-5 is not providing the best execution.
It is a good scheme when a team is getting sacks, forcing takeaways, and winning on third-down, but it is easy to torch it when execution is not on a high level. Alabama played better versus Tennessee than it did against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, yet Nico Iamaleava missed on several passes when receivers were open. Dylan Sampson still wore down the Tide’s defensive front with 139 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Alabama continues to also have moments where players look lost on the field.
The players are trying to retrain themselves after having Nick Saban as their voice. They have to learn DeBoer and his staff and coaches have to learn these players. It is going to take time for this gelling process to come together like it needs to.
DeBoer and his staff are learning the SEC, but schemes from Washington and other places have created issues with this Alabama team.
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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.
