Bama is good. Plain and simple. They lost by 6 at Ole Miss who is going to be 1 or 2? Not a Bama fan/supporter/anything, but to say they aren't very good is unfair. Where people get confused is the comparison of Bama teams of past to this team. We are used to a superior product. Bama is still good just not what we are used to seeing.

Bama is still a top team, they were just hung over after getting beat by Ole Miss who happens to be a 1 or 2 team

Didn't they just lose their stud back, Drake last week to a season ending injury?

 

They're very good. There aren't 5 teams in the country better than them.

Things I've learned: I'm more of the opinion that even a mastermind like Saban won't be able to overcome the inevitable Lane Kiffin screwup than most. Alabama has taken a step back and/or the rest of the league has caught up to them. Texas A&M and Arkansas went to OT. Arkansas should have beaten Bama. Take away the "big" win over South Carolina and what has A&M done? Got blown out by Ole Miss? Struggled to put away Arky?

 

You could make a strong case for being better: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn

 

Teams you can make a solid case for: Florida State, Baylor,

 

Teams who could beat them on a given night: Georgia, TCU, ???

 

 

They'll beat teams just because of their name and brand. They get Tennessee as their permanent cross division and a Florida team that UK took to OT in the Swamp as their rotational. Beat West Virginia (3 points better than Maryland and Texas Tech so far). LSU is down this season, but the two Mississippi schools are up.

 

Losing to Ole Miss in Oxford when they were hosting Gameday and had tons of 'mo was understandable. Coming out sloppy and flat against Arkansas in a game where they needed to make a statement? -- Worrisome if you are a Tide fan.

Things I've learned: I'm more of the opinion that even a mastermind like Saban won't be able to overcome the inevitable Lane Kiffin screwup than most. Alabama has taken a step back and/or the rest of the league has caught up to them. Texas A&M and Arkansas went to OT. Arkansas should have beaten Bama. Take away the "big" win over South Carolina and what has A&M done? Got blown out by Ole Miss? Struggled to put away Arky?

 

You could make a strong case for being better: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn

 

Teams you can make a solid case for: Florida State, Baylor,

 

Teams who could beat them on a given night: Georgia, TCU, ???

 

 

They'll beat teams just because of their name and brand. They get Tennessee as their permanent cross division and a Florida team that UK took to OT in the Swamp as their rotational. Beat West Virginia (3 points better than Maryland and Texas Tech so far). LSU is down this season, but the two Mississippi schools are up.

 

Losing to Ole Miss in Oxford when they were hosting Gameday and had tons of 'mo was understandable. Coming out sloppy and flat against Arkansas in a game where they needed to make a statement? -- Worrisome if you are a Tide fan.

 

A lot of what I've seen is still hammering FSU for their schedule and not looking as dominant as they were expected to be. Yet Alabama is by and large given a pass by some. I do believe that if you look closer at Alabama this year (as you have done) that the cracks are appearing. By some metrics Arkansas is the best team they've beaten and others it is Florida. Neither of those are great wins, but at least Arkansas was on the road. Anyone watching that game knows that they easily could have lost it. They didn't exactly blow West Virginia away either. The name still has the same cache and I still feel like they might go unbeaten the rest of the way (just as much as anything because every big game left is in Tuscaloosa), but it is strange to me the way they're just given a pass. It is OK for people to feel like Alabama might not quite be what we're used to and not be shouted down as crazy.

 

Anyone have a guess as to how many wins over ranked teams Alabama currently has? Either currently ranked or at the time they played (take your pick)? I'll save you the trouble - it's zero.

They are missing Matt Elam?

A lot of what I've seen is still hammering FSU for their schedule and not looking as dominant as they were expected to be. Yet Alabama is by and large given a pass by some. I do believe that if you look closer at Alabama this year (as you have done) that the cracks are appearing. By some metrics Arkansas is the best team they've beaten and others it is Florida. Neither of those are great wins, but at least Arkansas was on the road. Anyone watching that game knows that they easily could have lost it. They didn't exactly blow West Virginia away either. The name still has the same cache and I still feel like they might go unbeaten the rest of the way (just as much as anything because every big game left is in Tuscaloosa), but it is strange to me the way they're just given a pass. It is OK for people to feel like Alabama might not quite be what we're used to and not be shouted down as crazy.

 

Anyone have a guess as to how many wins over ranked teams Alabama currently has? Either currently ranked or at the time they played (take your pick)? I'll save you the trouble - it's zero.

 

Their big games are usually near the end of the year. They have only played 1 ranked team so far. They still have 3 on the schedule. This week vs. #21 Texas A&M should be a win, they also have #1 Mississippi State and #6 Auburn left. I know I wear crimson colored glasses but with 4 teams making the playoff this year, I wouldn't count them out. A lot could change from now until the middle of November when Miss. State comes to T-Town.

Their big games are usually near the end of the year. They have only played 1 ranked team so far. They still have 3 on the schedule. This week vs. #21 Texas A&M should be a win, they also have #1 Mississippi State and #6 Auburn left. I know I wear crimson colored glasses but with 4 teams making the playoff this year, I wouldn't count them out. A lot could change from now until the middle of November when Miss. State comes to T-Town.

 

I'm not counting them out. That's not what I meant at all. If they win out they'll still be there in all likelihood, though it would help for Ole Miss to lose their way out of the SEC title game because not even winning your division is a bad look. What I meant was that this year they haven't had really anything to hang their hat on but for some reason people still act like it's crazy to question them. The Arkansas game was jarring to me.

 

By the way, IMO Texas A&M shouldn't be ranked either to give Bama the opportunity to claim a win over a ranked team. If they played in any conference but the SEC they wouldn't be. They've done nothing of note other than beat a fraud of a team in South Carolina and get run by the Mississippi schools.

I'm not counting them out. That's not what I meant at all. If they win out they'll still be there in all likelihood, though it would help for Ole Miss to lose their way out of the SEC title game because not even winning your division is a bad look. What I meant was that this year they haven't had really anything to hang their hat on but for some reason people still act like it's crazy to question them. The Arkansas game was jarring to me.

 

By the way, IMO Texas A&M shouldn't be ranked either to give Bama the opportunity to claim a win over a ranked team. If they played in any conference but the SEC they wouldn't be. They've done nothing of note other than beat a fraud of a team in South Carolina and get run by the Mississippi schools.

 

So A&M shouldn't be ranked, but no mention of teams like Stanford or Clemson being in the polls? #Hater

I never thought I would see an Alabama Team shut down running the ball the way they were today.

 

Alabama doesn't seem to have that "Freak" game breaking athlete that they normally have two or three of on both sides of the ball this season.

 

Missing Drake and the starting center certainly had an effect on the running game. Still, past teams have always been able to overcome those situations and still win big. This team is not that talented.

So A&M shouldn't be ranked, but no mention of teams like Stanford or Clemson being in the polls? #Hater

 

Do I have to defend or throw out every team that is in the top 25? I assumed someone else would help me do the heavy lifting!

 

In all seriousness, maybe they don't, but I also believe neither of those teams have the cache that Texas A&M does. People still seem to think A&M is a good team - they are not.