This Isn't Your Two-Year-Old's Alabama Team

Tide performance against Texas proves Bama vulnerable to almost entire SEC West

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Sep 11, 2022 9:02 PM EDT
Original:
Sep 10, 2022

There's no telling if anyone else smelled it, but in Arkansas it was easy to smell the blood in the water Saturday afternoon drifting all the way from Central Texas.

When Arkansas let Alabama handle it's light weight in the Texas Longhorns this year in search of more playoff resume worthy opponents, it was assumed the Crimson Tide would wander into central Texas, make the Longhorns quit shortly after halftime like they did in Fayetteville last year, and return to Tuscaloosa to prepare for more quality future opponents.

Instead, Alabama proved it's nowhere near the team it has been in the past. The Tide team that barely escaped Austin looks like a team destined for at least three losses.

It was not only a look of weakness for Nick Saban's team, it was embarrassing for the conference to struggle so mightily against a poor program like Texas.

The Tide went up against a team with such a poor culture that it quits faster than a teen working a manual labor job and made it look like Ohio State.

There was a lot of talk about the heat leading into the game. It's hard to imagine any previous Alabama team making such an excuse.

It gets hot in Tuscaloosa also, so one has to wonder whether Saban keeps his boys tucked safely indoors during practice so they won't whine, complain of poor treatment, and transfer out. If they're not any tougher than that then those players aren't long for the SEC.

Alabama indicating such physical and mental softness after all these years is disappointing, but it also means Arkansas has an opening in its pursuit of the SEC West championship. If this iteration of the Crimson Tide can't handle heat, nor Texas, then the mystique is gone.

There's no reason to fear Alabama anymore. They're not only human, they're now middle of the pack material.

King Saban's team has shown immense weakness. If Arkansas can pull off the win Oct. 1, it's possible the Crimson Tide will spiral, possibly losing 5-of-6 at the hands of Tennessee, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss in addition to the Hogs.

Such a season might be the blow that ends the Saban era in Tuscaloosa. In years past, it would be impossible to imagine such things, but no more.

If a Big 12 doormat like Texas can hold Alabama under 20 and bring the Tide to shame the way they did by barely losing, then there is no need to fear them anymore.

Other than LSU, there's not a team in the SEC West that can't beat the team Alabama ran out onto the field today.

Times are changing.

You can smell it in the water.