Bama loses to Oklahoma

Always a little something missing from this team    

    

Honestly, there has been something not quite right with this year's Alabama football team. The offensive line never reached a championship level. The Defensive backs were just not up to Alabama standards. The were too many long runs, to many long passes, and two many third downs given up all season. Despite all that the Tide scored 31 points last night. You'd think that would have been enough to win any game the Tide played. That doesn't appear to be true anymore. At least with the talent level the Tide had on defense this season it's true.

    Cyrus K may be a first round NFL pick. I don't see it. T.J. Yeldon proved that even a gifted back can appear lackluster behind a average line. The loss of Anthony Steen hurt. The place kicking was pretty good except when it mattered most. The players and coaches gave it a hundred percent all season but the talent level just wasn't there in my opinion. The loss of so many early departures to the NFL finally brought the Tide done a notch. I hate that A.J. McCarron got torn and tattered in his final game. He is the best quarterback who has ever played football at Alabama.  In terms of ability,  character, and leadership he stands in a class with very few members. Life isn't always fair. Life wasn't fair when A.J. nearly died as a five year old.  He survived that accident.  He'll survive the Sugar Bowl game. We will not remembe him because of the bowl game. There are too many high points to recall beyone that one game.

    The coaches did perhaps their best coaching job in covering up glaring shortcomings on this team. Great isnt' always measured in undefeated seasons. I think this team played to the max of their potential. Throw in three injuries to defensive starters and you have a defense that struggled at times. The loss of Sunseri seems to have really hurt. I'd think if you were a defensive back you be looking at Alabama  as a place to get instant playing time. Some welcome news was that Hootie Jones is back in the fold for the Tide. Bama also got Tony Brown yesterday. That is another 4 and 5 star addition to an already unbelievable recruiting class.

    You have to be excited about the play of one Derrick Henry. The Florida native gave warning that next season is going to be a stunner if decent line play evolves. My guess is the line is going to be much better. Hungry young lineman won't be willing to just wait their turn. They will play, take their lumps, and then become solid players. 

     You don't replace C.J.Moseley but the Tide has more than enough to cover up for his marvelous career. Players like Rueben Foster will step forward. The quarterback sitution will be an old fashioned bar fight. Someone will emerge. The coaches will manage him and let him develop.  This was a bad ending for Alabama this season. The world is not over.  The sun came  up. I'd rather have Alabama's pool of talent than most team. For whatever reason this team seemed to run of seven cylinders instead of eight. There have been some lessons learned, perhaps the fans won't be so full of unrealistic expectations.