By Brant Daughtry

Finally. After all the misery, all the frustration, all the so-close-but-so-far, the team finally pulled it out. It felt like pulling teeth at times. Auburn was spotted 21 points and a little more than a full quarter and it still took overtime, but that doesn’t matter as long as you win. The context of the win can be as ugly as you want it to be, but as long as it’s still a win, everyone’s happy.

The problems are still problems. This team can only move the ball with explosive plays. There’s zero replicable consistency here. The offense did absolutely nothing after the third touchdown until the middle of the fourth quarter. It took an A&M team coming out woefully unready to play to give Auburn that three touchdown lead, and A&M outscored Auburn 31-10 after that lead was established. If Auburn doesn’t manage that last minute drive, we’re talking about the worst collapse since Mississippi State in 2021. BUT. That’s not what happened. Auburn managed that two-minute drill. They got the stops and conversion they needed in what became one of the best games of the year. And the fans rushed the field.

Personally, I’m really happy for these seniors. They’ve had a miserable run of it. I keep focusing on Luke Deal specifically. A four star recruit in the class of 2018, he came to catch passes in a Gus Malzahn offense. Since then, he’s had three different head coaches, a different play caller in all six years, and has spent more time as a blocker than pass catcher on multiple teams with losing records. The dude was supposed to be a star, and he’s caught all of 16 passes in six years. But the whole time, he’s stayed. He’s gone to fullback, H-Back, extra O-lineman roles. He’s busted his butt every snap, and helped a lot of plays be successful by doing dirty work. He’s been a team captain for the last two years. In a thankless job on some bad teams, Luke Deal has shown up every single day. Saturday, his newborn son, Christopher, was in Jordan-Hare for the first time, and got to see his dad’s last home game as an Auburn Tiger. When Luke is old and done with football, he’ll have this memory with his wife and son to look back on. I’m happy for Luke, and every other old guy on this team, that it was a win.

Alabama is coached by Kalen DeBoer, and it feels weird to not say the name “Nick Saban” in that sentence. DeBoer is an offensive guru, a guy who has put up points everywhere he’s been. He’s won everywhere he’s been, most recently leading Washington to a PAC-12 championship and a playoff appearance last year. The dude has been a good coach and a good recruiter for his whole career, but as everyone knows, the SEC is a different beast. But more about that later.

The offense is quarterbacked by Jalen Milroe, one of the best video game quarterbacks ever, but who’s struggled some in real life. Milroe is weird. There are times where he looks like a legitimate Heisman contender, and there are times where the fan base wants to run him out of Tuscaloosa. He’s incredibly talented, but inconsistent. A very COLLEGE college football player. He’s the engine, also leading the team in rushing. They go as far as he’s able to take them in a day.

The offense is air raid-ish, built on stretching defenses vertically and horizontally and taking advantage of one-on-one matchups. There’s heavy involvement in the passing game from the tight ends as well. It’s all very modern. Three or four wide receivers, quick hitters, RPOs and deep shots. They thrive on picking up chunks and avoiding negative plays. When they can hit those explosives and avoid turning the ball over, they’re a force.

Defensively, they’re coached by Kane Wommack, formerly the head coach at South Alabama. He’s been exposed more than once this season, to the tune of a few embarrassing losses and an almost-collapse against Georgia. I have to be honest, I don’t understand coverages enough to really break down WHY this defense has gotten beaten so badly at times. I will say though, that Wommack is a former linebackers coach, and it’s clear that he expects high level play from his box defenders. It’s a hybrid 3-4 look most of the time, with one of those four linebackers usually coming off the edge. Similar to Auburn’s front seven, but that EDGE player is usually a designated pass rusher in Wommack’s defense, at least more than in Durkin’s.

Players to Watch For:

Wide Receiver Ryan Williams, #2- No shock here. The fifth and final member of the “Freeze Five.” The one that got away. And the one that’s turned into one of the best big play receivers in college football. Williams is one of the most graceful athletes I’ve ever seen on a football field. He leads Alabama in catches with 42, receiving yards with 804, and receiving touchdowns with eight. He’s the exact kind of receiver DeBoer wanted at Alabama, and it’s working really well so far.

Linebacker Jihaad Campbell, #11- Another physical freak. Campbell is technically an EDGE, but he’s capable of playing anywhere and often does. He leads Alabama in the following categories: tackles with 97, tackles for loss with 10.5, and sacks with 5. He’s freakishly athletic, fast, and reliable as a tackler. He’ll be a first round draft pick very soon.

So, Alabama lost to Oklahoma. A REALLY bad Oklahoma team. And it wasn’t particularly close either. Alabama was absolutely strangled on offense, to the tune of just 234 yards. That’s abysmal. To be fair, Alabama had a long touchdown late called back by a phantom illegal touching call, but it’s not like that would’ve made a difference. 24-3 and 24-10 are both pretty bad days offensively.

DeBoer has slipped up a couple of times now. Everyone knew he was good, but hadn’t coached in the SEC before. In several early road tests, Alabama has looked somewhat shell shocked. The last time we saw three losses in the regular season for Alabama, Cam Newton was the quarterback at Auburn. It’s clear, at least right now, he’s not Saban. Doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach, only one guy ever has been Nick Saban. But make no mistake, there are legitimate cracks that won’t fly at Alabama.

Here’s the problem. This game is in Tuscaloosa. Outside of the second half against Georgia, and a close win against South Carolina, who’s proven to be pretty good themselves lately, Alabama has been very competent playing on the newly christened Saban field. There are things in Auburn’s favor. Auburn’s coming off the biggest win in five years. There’s legitimate on-field momentum for the first time since Hugh Freeze was hired. And Alabama just had a lot taken from them. The playoffs are now much more unlikely. They’re mathematically eliminated from the SEC Championship. And losing this way to that Oklahoma team can be soul-crushing. Alabama is, in a vacuum, the better team. But football isn’t played in a vacuum, and right now, all the context leans Auburn’s way.