Alabama DC breaks silence on Crimson Tide's struggles ahead of Missouri clash
The No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide have found themselves in a rough stretch over the past several games. After winning their first four games – the last of which came in an early Game of the Year contender against the then-No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs – they are 1-2 over the past three weeks.
Alabama suffered a shocking loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 6. While they bounced back with a 27-25 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, they took their second loss of the season last weekend as they fell to the then-No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers.
Their two losses over the first seven games of the season are their most since 2007. That was Nick Saban's first season at the helm after taking over a team coming off a 6-7 season and without a title since 1992.
Alabama's co-defensive coordinator Kane Wommack shared the team's defensive mentality heading into their Week 9 matchup with the No. 21 Missouri Tigers.
"Our players, I think, are ready to go to work and to respond," Wommack said while speaking to the media on Monday. "Some young players that stepped up last week are going to be asked to step up moving forward, as well. I think they're all ready for the challenge. I talked to the players yesterday. All that should be on our minds is, 'What do we have to do to beat Missouri on Saturday?'
"Anything outside of that is a distraction and does not keep focus on the main thing. And, ultimately, during adverse times, that's what you have to do is keep the main thing the main thing and stay focused on the task at hand. I think our jobs are doing a really good job in that," he added.
Check out Kane Wommack's comments below:
(from 2:52 mark onwards)
While Alabama has suffered two losses this season, they remain in the postseason picture. If they take a third loss, however, they could find themselves outside the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
What are the Alabama Crimson Tide's postseason odds?
The Alabama Crimson Tide are currently 5-2, with a 2-2 mark in SEC play. Their -105 odds of reaching the College Football Playoff for the ninth time since its inception in 2014 are the 13th-best in the nation and fifth-best in the conference, as per FanDuel.
That is a slight dip from where their odds sat earlier this week. On Sunday, the day after their 24-17 loss to the Volunteers, Alabama's postseason odds sat at -110, which was 11th-best in the nation and fourth-best in the conference. While the LSU Tigers have jumped ahead of the Crimson Tide in the eyes of the oddsmakers, the two teams will meet in Baton Rouge in a pivotal matchup on Nov. 9.