3 reasons why Alabama is struggling despite Nick Saban as Head Coach
Nick Saban has spent most of his college football coaching years with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ever since taking over the program as the head coach in 2007, he has changed the perception of fans for his team, and has gone on to create a dynasty for himself with the team.
The Crimson Tide has been one of the dominant teams in the college football scene for years now. But however, last year, Nick Saban and his Alabama missed out on making it to the college football playoffs, and the struggle has continued heading into the 2023 season as well.
So what's wrong with Alabama? Why are they struggling so much in recent times? Here are the three reasons why Alabama is struggling despite Nick Saban as the head coach.
Reasons why Alabama is struggling despite having Nick Saban
#1 Following the departure of Bryce Young, Alabama does not have a fixed starting QB
Bryce Young had been the starting QB for Nick Saban for the past two years. However, he made his way to the NFL this year, being drafted by the Carolina Panthers as the first overall pick. Thus, with Young's departure, the QB room of Alabama which produced star NFL players like Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts and others, does not have a solid starting QB for the 2023 campaign.
In the five games they've played so far this campaign, the QB role has seen a rotating between Jalen Milroe and Tyler Buchner. Buchner transferred from Notre Dame for this season in the hopes of having a better chance for a starting position under Nick Saban. However, Milroe has been getting the benefit of the doubt so far.
But this is taking a toll on the performance of the team on the field. Milroe has recorded 838 passing yards and 6 passing touchdowns this season, while Buchner has only 61 passing yards with no passing TD. This is far inferior to the quality of quarterback plays we've seen from Alabama so far. Thus, this is a major reason for their current struggles.
#2 Alabama is having a difficult time with its passing game
Another effect of the QB uncertainty in the team has led to their passing game struggling over the course of this season. They have a 13.6 passing completion per game while averaging a 63% pass completion per game. Neither Jalen Milroe nor Tyler Buchner have great passing statistics. So Alabama has been struggling in terms of making chances and securing comfortable wins over their opponents.
It would have been a different story had they boasted a competent rushing attack. But that is not the case, as they have an average of 4.1 rushing yards per attempt. And this issue will continue to be a bigger nuisance when they go against tougher teams in the coming days.
#3 They are not performing like they used to against tougher opponents
Remember there used to be a time when Alabama was still favored over opponents who posed a challenge to them? So far, they have not been able to assert that dominance over the tougher-ranked opponents they've faced in the 2023 campaign.
Week 2 saw them lose to the Texas Longhorns at their home ground. This was a definite hit on the morale of the team. However, they managed to comeback and secure three consecutive wins, one of them coming against Ole Miss.
But Nick Saban saw his team struggle even in victory, something he is not used to seeing on his team. Could Saban's dynasty be officially coming to an end? Or is this the start of a stronger comeback?