Why was Alabama fan tackled? Taking a look at dramatic incident from Alabama vs Tennessee Week 8 game
In Week 8, the Alabama Crimson Tide staged a remarkable comeback against their rival, the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols held a 20-7 lead at halftime, but in an extraordinary second-half performance, Nick Saban's team scored 37 unanswered points, winning the encounter 34-20. This victory propelled the Crimson Tide to the No. 9 ranking, marking their first appearance in the top 10 since Week 3, while the Volunteers slid to the No. 21 position in the AP Poll.
Jalen Milroe is coming into his own as the Crimson Tide's signal-caller throwing a solid 220 yards with two touchdown passes. Interceptions remain a problem for the young player, with him recording his fifth of the year. Alabama's running back Jase McClellan had a great game with 115 rushing yards and one touchdown
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Alabama Fan Tackled After Game
Following the game, an unfortunate incident occurred as an unauthorized fan gained access to the field. The fan's motives for being on the turf remain unclear, but shortly thereafter, videos emerged depicting the brutal treatment he received from security.
It isn't rare for security to tackle down fans who trespass into the field of play, but given the context, many wondered if this was an appropriate response. The harshness of security personnel is usually justified by the need to protect the players and other personnel on the field. Given that the game was over, and hardly any personnel from either school was present, many wondered if a softer couldn't be taken.
A possible answer was provided by a Twitter user, who claimed the following in a comment section of a video depicting the incident:
"I was on the other side of the stadium," said user Bama Bubba. "They escorted the kid off the field nicely at first. But he came back screaming and yelling and that's when he got drilled."
What's next for Alabama?
Suddenly the Crimson Tide has rejoined the college football playoff discussion. Currently at No. 9, if Alabama gets to the SEC championship game and manages to defeat a Georgia team that has spent the entire season at No. 1, it would be hard to deprive Nick Saban and his players of another trip to the semifinals.
In order to do that, Alabama would need to stay with a perfect record from here until the end of the season. In Week 9, that would mean defeating the No. 15 LSU Tigers. From there, all could be smooth sailing for Alabama as it would only need to beat Kentucky, Chattanooga, and Auburn.
A potential issue for the Tuscaloosa school is that if the Longhorns manage a similar feat and beat Oklahoma at the Big 12 championship game, it will be difficult to admit two teams with one loss into the playoffs. In that case, Texas could get the upper hand, given its victory over Alabama in Week 2.