re: How did Bama lose to UT, LSU, and almost Texas ...

Bryce Young separated his throwing shoulder against Arkansas. He couldn't throw the ball in practice for more than a couple of snaps until the last game of the season. The young receivers didn't develop timing with him like they should have as a result. Bryce never completely recovered all year. Even so, it took Tennessee and LSU to the last play of the game to eke out wins. This with home field advantages, and huge losing streaks to motivate them. Texas, well, Alabama won. If Alabama's defense had taken up the slack while Bryce recovered, the team would have made a run at another championship, but that didn't happen. Almost no team can survive a major injury to their starting QB, especially if the offense is built around him.