Jumbo Package: With COVID Cancellations in SEC Football Running Rampant, Hot Takes Abound

“It was a lot, actually,” Moses said. “From the beginning up until now, I felt like I had to find my identity again, as well as lead the younger guys and then try and be a signal-caller. I had a lot on my plate at the beginning of the season, and I had to level things out, balance things out. I have met with Coach Saban on multiple occasions just to help me out and all. That has helped me out a lot, and like he said, I have been playing better throughout the games this year.”

That’s been beneficial for the Crimson Tide, which has only given up 17 points over the last 10 quarters of play. But of late, all of Alabama’s players have seen the Dylan Moses of old.

“It’s definitely been very good to see him get his mojo back,” offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood said. “It’s been a work in process, week in and week out, and he’s been getting better every week. He’s just getting back on his feet, getting more confident and more comfortable as the weeks go one, and I’m excited to see where he goes.”

Dylan Moses took a lot of heat from fans (me included) for his play the first 3.5 games of the season, as he was consistently tentative around the line of scrimmage and a step behind in covering running backs out of the backfield. He’s still clearly not up to the speed that he used to have before the injury, but he’s made a number of promising tackles chasing a running back to the sidelines. He’s getting more confident, and it’s showing. 17 total points in 10 quarters is a side effect of significantly improved linebacker play.

In 1963 Alabama was scheduled to play at Miami on Friday, October 18, but CBS asked for and received permission to televise the game on December 7, a week after Bama’s game against Auburn.

On Friday, November 22, however, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The Army-Navy game scheduled November 23 and almost every other college football game that Saturday was postponed or canceled.

Army-Navy was rescheduled for December 7 – and it was a CBS telecast. To alleviate the conflict, Alabama-Miami was moved to December 14.

Alabama star quarterback Joe Namath, meanwhile, was suspended for both the Miami game and the Sugar Bowl game against Ole Miss. The Tide won both games, 17-12 over George Mira led Miami, and 12-7 over Ole Miss as Tim Davis kicked four field goals in snow-covered Tulane Stadium.

I won’t say too much about the cancellation/postponement since we have plenty of other articles about that. However, this is a neat piece from Kirk McNair referencing other times in the past that Alabama has been involved with games getting moved around.

Here’s to hoping the SEC works it all out and Alabama gets their chance to put a revenge-whoopin’ on LSU this season.

We always knew this was going to happen, so let’s not act shocked now and start pointing fingers. No, instead, it’s time to take a different perspective. This season in college football is more like an exhibition than something we can take seriously. For example, the best player in college football (Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence) couldn’t play in the Tigers’ biggest game of the season last weekend because he tested positive. Clemson then lost to Notre Dame 47-40 in overtime.

Clearly, if we’re being fair and unbiased, Clemson should not be penalized by the College Football Playoff committee for that loss.

Is Notre Dame now the favorite to represent the ACC in the CFP? If that’s the question you’re asking yourself, then you just don’t get it. Notre Dame is an independent, and the only reason they’re playing in the ACC this season is because it doesn’t really matter in the end.

Man, check out this steaming hot take fresh off the press. You knew it was coming, too. Not that Clemson’s back-up QB had as good or better of a game than anything we’ve seen from Sunshine in three years. Not that it was the Clemson defense that gave up 47 points and couldn’t stop Notre Dame’s offense in overtime.

Sure. Sure. When there’s an external scapegoat to blame for your team not being Alabama this season, you take it. Covid-19 has been the perfect scapegoat for everyone in the world for almost anything they want to get out of for 9 months now. Might as well keep on using it when you can.

“There’s no excuse for Georgia to go out in the two biggest games of the year and get pushed around offensively and to give up that kind of offensive productivity. We’re talking about a group that got shredded by Alabama and shredded by Florida in their two biggest games of the year, and this is a team that’s supposed to win with their defense?” said McElroy, per Austin Nivison of 247Sports.

“I’ve heard all the conversation and vitriol being spewed at Stetson Bennett and D’Wan Mathis, the quarterbacks. I get it. Is it warranted? Yeah, to a certain extent, but this team is built to run the football and to win on defense” continued McElroy.

“In the two biggest games, they couldn’t do either. If I’m Georgia, I’m looking in the mirror and asking is this the best way to proceed? We’re calling this the best defense in America? Clearly, it’s not based on the performances they’ve had against two very capable offenses in Alabama and Florida.”

GMac hit this one on the head. Sure, Georgia’s offense is a bit inept in the passing game, but they couldn’t slow down Alabama or Florida’s offenses enough to even give their own offense a chance.

That said, I really do believe they still have one of the best defenses in all of college football. It’s just that, well, since about 2015, the realm of college football shifted and the elite offense almost always beats the elite defense.

The no-huddle offense becoming popular was a major blow. As was when teams started figuring out how to take advantage of blocking downfield rules with RPO plays. Then there was the emphasis on targeting. Finally, 2020 has seen an intentional emphasis in limiting offensive holding calls.

Personally, I think that these things work in a pendulum. Someone will start figuring out a counter-meta defense that works against this same offense that pretty everyone is running now, and then it will be on offenses to find a new adaptation. And I’m but a lowly blogger, but I think that it has to start with a focus on highly aggressive press coverage on receivers to disrupt the timing points of the RPO reads.

Five-star Alabama cornerback commit Ga’Quincy McKinstry had arguably his best outing of the season last Friday in Pinson Valley’s playoff victory over Arab. The nation’s top-rated cornerback — who stars on both sides of the ball for the Indians — caught five passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-0 win. On defense, McKinstry took back an interception 85 yards for a touchdown.

Check out the newest Alabama recruit! If we’re talking about how to get back to playing good defense in college football, then we have to make sure superstar-potential talents want to play defense instead of offense.

Alabama was well-represented during another week at the professional level, as several former Crimson Tide players were contributors for teams across the National Football League.

Five Alabama players scored touchdowns in Week 9 in Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Jerry Jeudy (Broncos), Julio Jones (Falcons), Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins). Smith and Tagovailoa each scored twice during wins this week. Jeudy and Cam Sims (Washington) both topped 100 receiving yards for the first time in their NFL careers — but in losses.

Defensively, Minkah Fitzpatrick (Steelers) was once again a turnover magnet, intercepting one pass and recovering one fumble, while Jarran Reed (Seahawks) registered 2.5 sacks.

Speaking of recruiting, Alabama has a massive billboard with more-than-subliminal messaging going on every Thursday night, Sunday, and Monday night (Shout out to Damien Harris for winning my fantasy football game for me Monday night). And obviously the official Alabama Twitter account is leaning into it.

Enjoy your day!

Roll Tide!