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Happy Thursday, everyone. Alabama folllowed up its disappointing loss to Ole Miss with consecutive 100-point outings against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Nick Kelly believes that Mo Dioubate’s breakout game may not be an outlier by the end of the season.
Don’t expect 22 points every night, but don’t be surprised to see his role on offense continue to grow.
“Coach, he told me to be more aggressive when I get the ball,” Dioubate said. “He’s given me a little more leeway to go score the ball, so you should be seeing that more … hopefully.”
He’s never been known for his scoring or shooting. Dioubate is, after all, ninth in the rotation in points per game with 4.7. Only Aiden Sherrell averages fewer among players seeing regular time in the rotation. Defense and blue-collar points have been Dioubate’s foundation for getting minutes. He’s the posterchild for blue-collar basketball. But now he might have earned the opportunity to see more chances to score.
Oats said Dioubate has always had the leeway to score, but now Dioubate has more experience.
“He just needed to learn how to do it with the correct spacing when the opportunities are there,” Oats said. “You can’t put your head down and drive into crowds and expect anything good to happen.”
The “off-road package” was quite promising on Tuesday night.
Alabama football finished 17th in the Coaches’ poll. Kalen DeBoer ranked his squad slightly higher at 15.
Alabama’s coach placed the Crimson Tide at No. 15, according to USA Today’s reveal of every coach’s ballot. Teams DeBoer placed ahead of Alabama included SMU and Indiana, both squads UA fans were unhappy made the College Football Playoff over UA.
The season came to an end with Ohio State winning the national championship over Notre Dame Monday in Atlanta. The 2024 season was the first that featured a 12-team playoff, which Alabama was the first team out of, doomed by regular-season losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN gave Kalen a C- for his Alabama debut season.
I liked that Alabama went away from the Nick Saban tree to replace him and then brought in a coach who knew how to win championships and win big games.
But DeBoer’s adjustment to the environment, roster and expectations became a real challenge. Alabama was wildly unpredictable from game to game and even series to series. The Tide delivered a dramatic win over Georgia, only to fall at Vanderbilt for the first time in four decades. They outlasted South Carolina at home, only to lose at Tennessee and later at Oklahoma, failing to score a touchdown in Norman.
Alabama finished 115th nationally in penalties. Any post-Saban season that doesn’t end with a CFP appearance will be deemed a big disappointment, and Alabama’s bowl loss to Michigan — despite having almost all of its key players participating — was inexcusable. DeBoer will be under an even bigger microscope in Year 2
Seems fair. Alabama had no business putting itself in position to miss the playoff this year. Vandy played a phenomenal game and that one would have mostly been forgotten absent the no-show in Norman.
DeBoer will have a bit more of a chance at building a roster in his own image this offseason. Nobody really knows what we have next year, other than quite a bit of blue chip talent. As such, the predictions are all over the map.
For his money, Alex Scarborough sees some reason for optimism.
Whoever starts at quarterback, the offense figures to be more balanced than it was under the run-heavy direction of Jalen Milroe. Which means more opportunities for more receivers and more carries for the running back.
The hope is that a more balanced offense is more effective.
Adding former Miami receiver Isaiah Horton and former Louisiana running back Dre’Lyn Washington through the portal should help.
And the defense should be in good shape, especially with the return of starters Deontae Lawson, Justin Jefferson, LT Overton, Domani Jackson, Keon Sabb, Tim Keenan and Jah-Marien Latham.
Some young guys need to develop, especially on the defensive line and outside linebacker, but there were some nice transfer pickups which could help: former Florida edge Kelby Collins, former Colorado inside linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and former Utah corner Cameron Calhoun.
The defense played well down the stretch and should be one of the better units in the nation next season. Quarterback and offensive line will be the keys.
Alabama fans should all want to see the players who will give the team the best chance to win, but it’s tough not to root for Ty Simpson.
It was “a day of reckoning,” Ty Simpson said, even as a quarterback who was no stranger to change, who knew how the football world worked, who saw the year-to-year turnover of his father’s coaching staff.
As the shock lingered, Simpson had to make a decision. He grew up in college football. He knew it was a business. He knew Saban would not coach forever.
“I had no doubt where I wanted to be,” Simpson said.
His goals remained. He wanted to graduate from Alabama, which he did in December 2024. He wants to be the starting quarterback of the Crimson Tide, and he wants to win a national championship.
“I love this place,” Simpson said. “If I didn’t, I would have left, you know what I mean? But I love Tuscaloosa. I love the University of Alabama. I love the fans. I love the program. I love my teammates. And that’s the reason why I stayed.”
In an age where most would have been long gone by now, Ty stayed and waited his turn. What a story it would be if he led the Tide back to the top.
Mel Kiper believes that Alabama will keep the first round streak intact.
“Booker might be the best pure guard in the class,” Kiper wrote. “He’s strong at the point of attack, and no one gets past him. And he’s rugged in the run game, getting to the second level to clear lanes.”
Then the very next pick, Kiper projects the Cincinnati Bengals will take Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Otherwise, Kiper doesn’t see any other Alabama players selected on the first day of the draft. He mentioned Milroe potentially for the Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 as one of the options at quarterback for the Rams to draft and develop. But Kiper ultimately predicted the Rams will draft Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
Last, a local sports media personality in Pittsburgh believes that the Steelers may have their eyes on Milroe.
This makes some sense as a team that has to deal with Lamar Jackson twice a year. Jalen will obviously be a project for whichever team takes him. The main reason that he may get a first round look is that first rounders carry a fifth year team option at a somewhat reasonable rate, which is valuable for a project passer.
