Grade: B-
It wasn’t the best effort from the Tide defense either. Penalties really impacted the game when Alabama was on defense. There were also parts of the game plan that was slightly confusing. Like sending one of the nation’s best pass rushers 20-yards downfield in man coverage against arguably the best running back in the country.
It’s hard to be overly critical considering the fact the offense kept going three and out and putting the defense right back on the 120-degree field with minimal rest.
Would the game have been different if Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers doesn’t get hurt? Sure, you could make that argument. But I’d also like to point out that nobody does a better job of making in-game adjustments than Nick Saban, so who’s to say the Tide defense doesn’t turn things around and start to make the redshirt freshman QB look like one?
Finally…special teams…