DeBoer Turns The Tide

Tyler Stearns |

Alabama has come under scrutiny from fans and pundits alike throughout the past month. Following a huge win over Georgia in Tuscaloosa, Alabama went into Nashville and lost to Vanderbilt, the first time they had done so in 40 years. Then, two games later, they lost to Tennessee. The defense seemed to have fallen apart and the offense couldn't produce. Alabama played a close one with South Carolina between the Vanderbilt and Tennessee games. That three-game stretch was about as dreadful as it can get for the greatest program in CFB history.

Jalen Milroe, Via The Daily Advertiser

Alabama needed a culture shift. The offense couldn't score, the defense couldn't defend, and even the special teams were making errors. The first game after their tough stretch was Missouri. Missouri is similar to the Tide in that they have faced some tough defeats. But Alabama was able to shut out the outmanned Tigers. Though that game may have not been as pretty as some Alabama fans had hoped for, it instilled a new sense of hope in the program. The defense was able to stop the run, something that they couldn't do versus Vanderbilt. And of course, they were able to stop Drew Pyne, which they weren't able to do against Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The offense started to click in the second half, too. Alabama started to lean on the QB run more, and so they were able to wear out the Tiger defense. They won 31-0, and something changed.

Going into LSU week, the talk was about the Death Valley noise and the ability of the LSU pass rush to get to the QB. The offense was of course going to be strong, specifically with Garret Nussmeier. And the Tigers were supposed to be hungry following their embarrassing loss to Texas A&M. But all the talk stopped at 4:30p Saturday, as the game kicked off. And it ended in the first quarter. Alabama dominated. LSU wasn't able to generate any offense or stop the Milroe run. Milroe finished with nearly 200 rushing yards and four scores on the ground and tied Jalen Hurts for the most rushing touchdowns in Alabama history. Alabama's defense was lights out too, getting to the QB, rushing his passes, and shutting down the dangerous wide receivers.

DeBoer let the CFB world know that he meant business. Alabama isn't a team to be reckoned with. They fixed the mistakes that they had during the Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Tennessee games. And they started to lean on their offensive strengths, which is running the football. DeBoer now regained the trust of his fans and is in a prime position to make the College Football Playoff.