Defense may not be good... but one difference that I am surprised to see

The biggest difference in our bunch this year and last year is negative plays and turnovers.

If you look at the Florida game objectively, we should have caused 2 more turnovers (bad luck, questionable calls, idiot decision outside the actual turnover). That would have held them to around 28-31 points......which isn't great but it's definitely not terrible.

Sacks and turnovers help cover up a lot of issues, and they are the great equalizer along with red zone defense. Our ability to do those things gives us more of a shot this year than last year on that side of the ball.

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Lose maybe 1 or 2 off this defense for next season?

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More than that

- Surtain
- Barmore
- Moses
- Jobe (probably)


Return
DE - Young
DT - Smith/Dale/Burroughs
DE - Eboigbe/Mathis
OLB - Anderson
ILB - Harris
OLB - Allen
FS - Wright/Hellams
SS - Battle
CB/STAR - Moore/Branch

Drew Sanders got a lot of PT Saturday as well - he must be practicing well.

Returning backups
DE - Chris Braswell
ILB - Demouy Kennedy
ILB - Ale Kaho
ILB - Shane Lee
ILB - Jaylen Moody
CB - Marcus Banks
CB - Jalyn-Amrour Davis
CB - Ronald Williams
S - Eddie Smith

Newcomers with shots at PT in year 1
DE - Dallas Turner
DT - Damon Payne
CB - Ga'Quincy McKinstry
CB - Khyree Jackson (you don't bring in JuCos to sit)

Should be a pretty damn talented and experienced group. Would be nice to see them turn into an actual dominant unit, because we'll need them to be that next year with the offense in transition.

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All 7 of Anderson’s sacks have come in the last 4 games

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It's like the light came on to go from getting close to finishing the play.

He's an absolute terror - and he doesn't really have any pass rush moves yet. It's all physical abilities of speed and power.

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Yeah the Toney physics defying non-fumble on the goalline and the SEC replay officials deciding they didn't need to look at who had possession of the ball on the fumble right before 3rd and Golding were the two plays that kept the game close. If we get either of those then the game likely becomes a beatdown.

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That was wild - I mean hey, maybe the gloves these days are that good. But the ball literally had to be sticking to his hand without his hand squeezing the ball in any way, or else it was not in his control. I mean hey, those things don't excuse then being weak minded and giving up 3rd and 17, but they do show that while we gave up stuff we also continued to be disruptive, and if we'd had a little better fumble luck (and it is luck, much like the Metchie fumble was luck to bounce up to us) then things might be different.

Not an excuse for the play after those fumbles, which has to get better, but we are causing those turnovers and negative plays and that is a big deal. You can ride a great offense and a disruptive defense that gives up yards to a national title. That script has been written numerous times before. It is going to give us all a heart attack, but it's definitely something that works in modern football.

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Yeah the Toney physics defying non-fumble on the goalline and the SEC replay officials deciding they didn't need to look at who had possession of the ball on the fumble right before 3rd and Golding were the two plays that kept the game close. If we get either of those then the game likely becomes a beatdown.



That was wild - I mean hey, maybe the gloves these days are that good. But the ball literally had to be sticking to his hand without his hand squeezing the ball in any way, or else it was not in his control. I mean hey, those things don't excuse then being weak minded and giving up 3rd and 17, but they do show that while we gave up stuff we also continued to be disruptive, and if we'd had a little better fumble luck (and it is luck, much like the Metchie fumble was luck to bounce up to us) then things might be different.

Not an excuse for the play after those fumbles, which has to get better, but we are causing those turnovers and negative plays and that is a big deal. You can ride a great offense and a disruptive defense that gives up yards to a national title. That script has been written numerous times before. It is going to give us all a heart attack, but it's definitely something that works in modern football.

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I think it is also pretty clear that Florida lost to LSU because they were already on Bama prep. Trask made us pay for almost every mistake on the back end, db's took a one step bite on Toney a couple times on slant and go and he burned us.

Hopefully this test will make us more prepared in the playoffs.

I feel like I'm falling into the trap again, but I will say that compared to the Ole Miss game, this felt a whole lot more like "Florida made plays" than "Alabama looks lost".

We did look lost some, but most of the time Florida was just making big throws and catches. Doesn't really make me feel a whole lot better because I know Clemson has a similar ability (though not in the same way with QB/WR/TE necessarily), but my frustration on Saturday was more with the result than feeling like we were just totally lost and incompetent.

If that makes sense?

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this felt a whole lot more like "Florida made plays" than "Alabama looks lost".

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Definitely the case, I think we were surprised by a few things. But FL had to make the plays. It was not like guys just running open on busted assignments all game long.

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Doesn't really make me feel a whole lot better because I know Clemson has a similar ability (though not in the same way with QB/WR/TE necessarily), but my frustration on Saturday was more with the result than feeling like we were just totally lost and incompetent.

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Biggest worry, but maybe should not be. Teams like Clemson are going to get their yards between the 20s.

Can we stop their running attack and hold them to FGs, when the QB can scramble.

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I'm sorry but Barmore leaving right now would be pretty idiotic.

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Weak DT class, guy is probably going 1st round for sure. Be shocked if he returns.

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also think Jobe is borderline 1st/2nd round and could benefit from one more year as our top lock-down corner in 2021. Moses is also a late rounder at this point, and alot of GM's wold probably like to see him come back and prove he's actually past the knee injury. I expect Moses to go anyway though, especially since he could lose his spot as a starter next year even if he comes back.

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I do not know about Jobe, think he is a second round guy IMO. But look at guys like Kareem.

Moses I have no idea, guy is not playing that well at all. But maybe combine vaults him into a project for someone.

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I feel like I'm falling into the trap again, but I will say that compared to the Ole Miss game, this felt a whole lot more like "Florida made plays" than "Alabama looks lost".

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That's how I saw it. Trask only missed one throw all night from what I recall - the deep ball he overthrew to Grimes(I think) who had 2 or 3 steps on Jobe. Moore just got beat by a great route by Toney on that TD, and Surtain just misjudged/misplayed the ball on that TD. Otherwise, I thought was did a good enough job covering them and knowing our assignments.

The game was closer than it should have been because we didn't get points on those first 2 drives in the 2nd half. Thought Sark got a little too cute with his playcalling. Running a sweep with a TE? Seriously?