CAN THE TIDE OFFENSE CARRY A SHAKY DEFENSE?

It’s an honest question. ‘Bama may start four freshmen this weekend. What do you say about that? Let’s be glad we aren’t in College Station on Saturday. Every team gets its share of injuries. The Dylan Moses injury is a major loss. The fact that the Tide lost a fifth-year senior as well tells me a lot about Alabama recruiting. The Tide must have missed on some big-time recruits in the past to find itself in this position. No doubt that Shane Lee and Christian Harris will be great players, but right now they are being introduced to big-time football and a steep learning curve. Will they get better? Sure, will it be in time to help win a national championship?  I don't know. 

The DL is hurting as well. A freshman nose guard is never a good sign, is it? Now, Alabama will start a freshman defensive end as well. Sorry, but even the staunchest Crimson fan has to worry. So, here’s the deal - ‘Bama has two games to get the defensive side of the ball “fixed”. I’m not sure anything was really broken in a sense. If Alabama got a couple of players to stick around for one more year the Tide would have been odds on favorites to win the National Championship. The Tide finds itself in a precarious situation right now.

Alabama is one injury away from becoming a pretty average football team. If Tua got hurt? We can’t run the ball right now. The best “run” from scrimmage was a lateral to Henry Ruggs that was called a forward pass to being with. Smashmouth football may not a be the way ‘Bama chooses to run their offense, but it would be nice to see someone pick up three solid yards on third down when needed.  Granted, neither Harris or Brian Robinson is Derrick Henry.  Obviously, someone needs to step forward and be the man.  If the line can open some running lanes then Keilen Robinson seems to have the skill to make some big runs.  That all starts with if the line can open some holes.  No one can run without blocking.  

My bet is that all these problems will get better with time.  Chaucer wrote in the prologue of The Clerks Tale that time and tide wait for no man. He was right in the middle ages and it still applies now. 'Bama is likely to take some hard knocks down the road.  They might even lose a game. Tide fans may not be able to stand that thought, but it's a legitimate one.  Our climate is falling apart, the United States Navy says it has film of three UFO's, and the Middle East may explode.  Those are all secondary to Alabama fans it seems.  Birth - Alabama football - Death?