The Alabama Crimson Tide beat Missouri in its 2020 opening game, coasting to a 38-19 win. The Tide’s trip to Columbia mainly wielded dominance even though head coach Nick Saban will undoubtedly find a few things about which to be unhappy.
Here are a three of our takeaways:
Alabama is without peer in 2020. Saban’s squad looked sharp, deep and like the most talented roster in the country. ESPN game reporter and NFL draft expert Todd McShay said he has twelve Bama players with “draftable grades.” There is no phase of the Tide’s game that does not look elite. Meanwhile, the defending champion LSU Tigers have reverted back to their pre-2019 existence. Clemson is trying to get by as a two-man football team. Oklahoma lost to a Kansas State team which had lost to Arkansas State. And then there is Kirby Smart who cannot seem to solve Georgia’s quarterback riddle.
ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer said on Saturday, “The Big 12 and the SEC are a lot more open than we think.” We are not sure what he means. The only things between Alabama and an SEC championship are two months of COVID-19 tests.
Mac Jones belongs in the top tier of quarterbacks in college football. Everyone will talk about Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello’s day throwing for 623 yards worth of crossing routes and bubble screens. (Side note: We saw the Coach O-coached teams we all knew and loved on Saturday.) That was not the most impressive quarterback performance of the day. We went on record early as Mac Jones fans, outlining before the season that the Tide could win the national championship with him under center. It feels like that was an embarrassing understatement. There was one sequence late in the second quarter which showed where Jones is living as a quarterback. Brian Robinson dropped an easy, well-thrown touchdown pass. On the very next play, Jones dropped in a perfect pass over Jaylen Waddle’s shoulder for a touchdown. Throwing for 239 yards in the first half, Jones was accurate, on time and in-rhythm before an early exit with the game well in-hand. He is dialed in and as good as any quarterback in college football.
Bama’s defensive speed and athleticism is as good as it has ever been. Daniel Wright, Josh Jobe, Patrick Surtain, Christian Harris, Will Anderson and a healthy Dylan Moses. There has not been a group this athletic, maybe ever. Tide fans, appreciate what your team is fielding on defense this year.
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
