Time for Alabama football depth to show up, deliver vs OU | Goodbread
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For more than three months now, Alabama football players have been running on and off the field so much, they’re probably in better shape just for the exercise. Waves of second-teamers, even a few third-teamers, have been substituting for starters at all kinds of positions like no college team I can remember in 40 years of paying attention.
Even the one unit that is typically immune from substitution unless necessitated by injury — the offensive line — shuffled through performance-based lineup changes throughout the season. Elsewhere, many positions have been subject to a liberal rotation, as well, and not just in blowouts against non-conference opponents. Backups saw the field in big games, in close games, and at critical junctures. Mistakes that come with inexperience can make that costly in the moment, but valuable late in the year, because so many backups become seasoned.
Now is the time for the payoff.
Norman, Okla., is the place for the payoff.
It didn’t appear to pay off at all in a 28-7 loss to Georgia, and while there were myriad reasons for the blowout that had nothing to do with injuries, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer didn’t hesitate to cite injuries and the general wear and tear on his team in his postgame comments. The Crimson Tide training room is a busy place right now. In the interim between the Georgia loss and a College Football Playoff first-round game at Oklahoma on Dec. 19, there are not only UA players rehabilitating injuries that kept them from playing at all against the Bulldogs, but others dealing with minor ailments who are medically cleared to play.
DeBoer mentioned several of them, including Germie Bernard, Parker Brailsford, Daniel Hill, Zabien Brown and Dijon Lee. But here’s what, in theory, should mitigate the Crimson Tide’s injury concerns for the CFP: eight offensive linemen have logged at least 185 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Five wide receivers have logged at least 250. Defensively, 23 players — more than two full teams — have played at least 100 snaps. If injuries prevent starters from playing or being effective against the Sooners, the UA coaching staff can turn to healthy options who shouldn’t be spooked by the gravity of the moment.
Few if any teams in the CFP will have depth with that much experience, and if they do, it likely dates back to September routs of lightweight competition.
Alabama should be built a little differently. And will have to be.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why it’s time for Alabama football’s depth to show up, deliver vs OU
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