Despite suffering a rough loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, the Alabama Crimson Tide received a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. However, several of the program’s legends put the team on notice before they take the field for their first-round CFP game.
The Tide will face the Oklahoma Sooners again, who defeated them earlier this season in Tuscaloosa. However, former national champions A.J. McCarron and Trent Richardson provided some helpful insight on what Alabama can address ahead of the big rematch.
“We struggle to run the football,” McCarron said on “The Dynasty” podcast, adding, “Teams aren’t even blitzing, and they’re getting home rushing four or five. That’s a concern.”
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McCarron, a three-time national champion at Alabama, also said Ty Simpson needs to rebuild his confidence after a disappointing performance against Georgia.
“His feet are never in the ground,” McCarron explained. “He’s got to slow down and trust what he sees. You have to be in sync to be accurate.”
Richardson suggested that Simpson has faced constant pressure throughout his season and it’s taken a toll on him, saying the Alabama QB has been “beat the hell up.”
“He’s had to be the team this year. When your quarterback isn’t comfortable back there, it changes everything,” Richardson said on the podcast.
Along with Simpson, both players mentioned the team was missing key offensive personnel, including running back Jam Miller, who is a great pass protector. In a recent update, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer mentioned he was feeling “optimistic” about Miller and tight end Josh Cuevas returning against Oklahoma.
That said, McCarron also mentioned that costly turnovers against Georgia that “gave up 17 points,” suggesting that “one turnover changes the whole game.”
Georgia scored touchdowns in every quarter of the SEC Championship, en route to a 28-7 final. Gunnar Stockton threw for 156 yards and three touchdowns, each of which went to different receivers. He also had zero interceptions.
On the other side, Simpson had 212 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The team’s running game was rendered ineffective by Georgia’s defense, with the top two running backs tallying for a combined 21 yards. Obviously, that sort of performance from Simpson and the rest of the team won’t cut it against the Sooners.
While they have some issues to address, McCarron also pointed to them getting a very favorable first-round matchup, as it’s a team they have competed against before.
“I think Alabama has the best draw out of anybody. I truly do,” he said, adding, “You’re playing a team for the second time. And the fact that they won the first matchup gives you a little more juice going into this game to get revenge.”
Alabama lost 23-21 to Oklahoma in its previous game in mid-November. They briefly led in the third quarter, but an Oklahoma field goal in the fourth quarter decided the outcome.
The keys for Alabama will be avoiding early mistakes, starting fast, and generating explosive plays to win the rematch.
The Crimson Tide goes into this first-round CFP matchup against Oklahoma as a slight favorite. Still, according to the former Alabama national championship-winning players, they will need to clean up those issues to have a chance to advance further in the bracket.
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For more about Alabama and college football, visit Newsweek Sports.
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