TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Now the real fun starts.
With Alabama’s 52-12 victory over Southern Miss on Saturday, the non-conference schedule has come to an abrupt end. Mourn it for its low stress level and halftime blowouts, just don’t think we’ve been cleared of questions: they still persist.
This systematic win was more of the same from Alabama. Amari Cooper remains the most-targeted, most-receptive receiver in the country, though, according to his teammates, plays aren’t necessarily called around him, he’s just that open. Tight end O.J. Howard still hasn’t caught a pass and may be hiding in plain sight. The run game is still churning along, going unnoticed among the shuffle of quarterback battles and Alabama dropping a spot on a poll that has no bearing on who is eventually crowned champion.
The SEC schedule is here. And though it starts with Florida — who barely survived in triple-OT over perennial doormat (yet improved) Kentucky — it’s the SEC nonetheless.
But until then, here are two takeaways from the Crimson Tide’s Saturday.
The quarterback position is set, ok? It’s over, done, no arguments, just stop it, cut it out.
Ok, Saban disagrees with that line of bold seen above and still maintains that it’s not a done deal, but it’s all set. Blake Sims has earned the trust of the coaching staff and if the fans aren’t confident with him in as quarterback, they’re watching a different team.
Saban praised Sims after the game Saturday, as he’s done for the past three weeks, but every compliment for Sims has some caveat to keep the Coker hopers clamoring for more.
“I think we’re going to have to make the decisions on a week-to-week basis on what we think gives us the best opportunity to win,” Saban said. “Right now Blake probably is a little more confident, so if that remains that way, he’s probably going to start the game. He’s started every game so far, but we have a lot of confidence in Jake. I just think Jake needs to play.”
Sims has started every game and he’s outplayed Coker in the games in which they split snaps. Against Southern Miss, Sims had more freedom running the ball, improvising and still managing to gain yardage even when plays broke down.
“Blake has been doing a good job. Better job of game management is part of it, and he’s done a good job in the decisions that he makes and we’re just going to have to keep trying to get him to have the kind of confidence and continue to improve,” Saban said. “He has a lot of confidence right now and I think he has confidence in our team and I think our team has confidence in him.”
Sims has stayed positive and upbeat throughout the process, refusing to budge on his stance of putting the team first and not seeming to care who gets the call at quarterback.
“I don’t have no feelings. I just leave that up to Coach Saban, and I just go out and try do whatever I can do to let the team know I’m ready to play,” Sims said. “And if I gotta be on the sideline, swinging a towel, cheering the whole time while the other quarterbacks are playing, that’s what I’m going to do. If that’s going to get a victory, I’m happy. I just want another ring.”
A thin secondary just got even thinner:
While Alabama’s run defense has been reliable, the team’s biggest struggle has been stopping the opposition’s passing game. The Crimson Tide has allowed fewer than 60 rushing yards per game but have been gashed in the secondary, especially on long, explosive plays.
Safety Jarrick Williams is already injured for a few more weeks with a broken foot, and now safety Nick Perry will miss the first half against Florida after being flagged for a targeting penalty and getting ejected from the game against Southern Miss.
“Obviously losing Nick for a half next week will create some situations for us at safety, but we just have to go through that and see how we end up,” Saban said. “Now that we lost Jarrick, who’s a safety, and Nick for half of a game, we’re getting a little thin there, especially when some of those guys play star, too.”
But even as thin as they are, the healthy members of Alabama’s secondary remain confident that there won’t be a drop-off in execution or ability, just in experience.
“Somebody is going to have to step up. Whoever the coaches feel deserves to play and put in that spot, that’s who’s going to have to step up and play, and we’re going to have confidence in him just like anybody else,” said cornerback Cyrus Jones. “It definitely just puts a little bit more pressure on the older guys that are playing a lot just to hold down the fort, I guess you could say, just be there for whoever they put in his place and be there for the young guys that have to step up.”
Safety Landon Collins said the team would miss Perry’s knowledge in the defensive backfield, but he’s confident that Alabama has enough talent to fill the void, specifically with Geno Smith stepping in to make calls in the secondary.
“We’ve got other safeties that will step up and will learn the keys and concepts of what’s going on,” Collins said. “That’s what we have to do. We have to have other guys step in and do exactly what he has to do.”
Follow Jonathan on Twitter @Jonathan_Biles
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