Did you expect anything else? Nobody bounces back like Nick Saban’s Tide

Mississippi State couldn’t have played Alabama at a worse time.

After the monumental Texas A&M upset last week, the Crimson Tide looked much more like its dominant self Saturday. Bama hammered the Bulldogs 49-9 in a game that was never close or contested. All the pieces fell in place for the Crimson Tide. Mississippi State and its offense under Mike Leach wasn’t nearly as good as advertised with Bama’s defense on the field. The Bulldogs could only manage 3 field goals. The end zone was about as accessible as Fort Knox.

(If you’re keeping score, Alabama hasn’t allowed a TD to Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense yet, winning both games by a combined 90-9.)

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young looked like the quarterback who began the season and became the talk of college football. Young completed 20-of-28 passes for 348 and 4 touchdowns. Bama rushed for 195 yards on 41 carries for a 4.8-yard average per rush. Receiver John Metchie III played one of his best games of the season with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Bama’s defense controlled the line of scrimmage completely. The Bulldogs ended the game with -1 yard rushing. Mississippi State threw for 300 yards but it took 55 pass attempts to get there and resulted in 3 interceptions.

Did I miss anyone? Oh yeah, kicker Will Reichard made all 7 of his extra points. No field goal attempts were needed. Even punter James Burnip had a good game. He landed 2 of his 3 punts inside the 20-yard line. The entire game was as one-sided as one could imagine considering Alabama was facing an SEC opponent that wasn’t named Vanderbilt.

While the game wasn’t shocking, it was staunch affirmation. This 2021 Alabama football team has the same aggressive gumption as its predecessors, especially on offense where coach Nick Saban had to replace about 100 Heisman finalists from last season. Forgive me if my math is just a bit off on that.

As lopsided as the game was, Alabama did have to punt on 2 of its first 3 possessions. However, that’s what has always separated Bama from other programs during Saban’s run of dominance. If one side of the football is struggling, the other side can step up and still dominate the game. That’s exactly what Alabama’s defense did. It forced State to punt. Remember that this is the same defense that allowed the Aggies to convert on so many clutch plays in last week’s upset. They certainly didn’t look the same.

Even when Alabama lost last week, it was still hard to imagine that they wouldn’t be in Atlanta in December for the SEC Championship Game. Bama’s play against Mississippi State only confirmed that sentiment. Let’s face it, the Aggies’ upset was commendable, but it was a bit of a fluke. Alabama outgained Texas A&M 522-379 in total yards.

There isn’t a team remaining on Bama’s schedule that should scare them. They’ll be favored in each game they play — as they usually are — for the remainder of the season. Note to Alabama fans: It’s always good to book hotel rooms early in Atlanta. Chances are you’ll be safe even with a strict no-cancellation policy. If you can get a discount for booking the same hotel at the same time next year, you might want to do that as well.

Replacing quarterback Mac Jones, receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Najee Harris would be impossible for most programs. It would have been foolish to think Alabama didn’t have the athletes to replace that talented trio from last season. Saban has recruited too well for there to be a drop-off in talent. However, having confidence can be challenging when the spotlight is on you instead of the player starting ahead of you. These offensive players don’t seem to mind being on the spot.

If that continues to be the case, we’ll likely be talking about Alabama being the favorite to win another national title. That wasn’t the case last week. The guys in Las Vegas moved Georgia (+120) above Alabama (+240) as the favorite to win a national title. That gap could shrink a bit after Alabama’s bounce-back win on Saturday. Of course, this is for entertainment purposes only, but who would you take? Give me Alabama and I’ll give even odds to all takers.

The reason is simple. Alabama can dominate in so many ways. Georgia has had moments in which its offense looked like it might break through and be able to yield more firepower. However, there’s been no consistency. Alabama’s offense has dominated defenses in every game they’ve played this season, including Texas A&M. Georgia has a better defense than Alabama, but it isn’t a night-and-day difference. Georgia’s defense is great. Alabama’s defense isn’t as good but good enough. They proved that on Saturday.

Opposing offensive coaches dream about how to beat Georgia’s defense consistently and score more points. The Bulldogs are that good. The better question is how can Georgia’s very average offense score against a team like Alabama. If Georgia and Alabama do indeed meet in the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs can only win with one method. The game will have to be low scoring and their defense will have to dominate. Alabama is not nearly as limited. Mississippi State saw that Saturday.

Dave Hooker

Dave Hooker started covering Tennessee in 1998. He hosts an SEC radio show out of Chattanooga and covers the SEC for Saturday Down South.