Happy Gump Day: Defensive takeaways, ferocious offensive line play must lead the Tide in Norman

Let’s get a start to Gump Day with some extra-Gumpy goodness. It’s Tyler Booker SZN.

And, are we ever gonna’ miss Tyler Booker next year when he heads to the NFL. Bro is already drawing late R1 grades with his assignment soundness and general orneriness. But his real stand-out quality is that he’s a great leader (DeBoer called him his “right-hand man.”)

Watch him drag the walk-ons into the post-practice team huddle:

Speaking of Booker, it doesn’t particularly matter what we think of a trip to Atlanta: According to the man, the team wants to go and wants to win.

So, I guess we need to put aside these silly “if we lose” thoughts that have infiltrated our fanbase over the last few years, as parity has crept into the game. I’m glad he corrected my thinking on this. If Alabama loses, then they lose. But you don’t turn down the challenge or the opportunity.

Hell, why not have some more Tyler Booker appreciation on this awesome kid from New Haven, a player who grew up in the shadow of Yale, was coached by Michael J. Fox (yes, that one), and seized every opportunity to lead and win presented to him:

“I said, ‘Listen if there’s a crack in the door for you to be a leader, kick the door down,’” William said. “Kick it down, man, because you’ll realize that if nobody else is saying anything, you’ll realize that it’s needed.’”

Tyler continued to set an example for his teammates even after leaving Connecticut to attend IMG Academy in Florida. Starting at right tackle, Tyler helped lead IMG to a national championship as a sophomore. He made the permanent switch to offense that offseason and though the position changed, the hard work stayed the same. Tyler would take his fellow offensive linemen — including fellow Alabama product JC Latham — and even some defensive linemen to do extra work on Saturdays before the season.

“He was a leader there,” William said. “Guys just gravitate to him because Tyler is committed to this game, committed to winning. And whatever it takes, he’s going to be a leader to make sure everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing to achieve greatness.”

Kiffin though, is maintaining the pragmatic line that I think is perfectly reasonable to adopt. Since you don’t know what these flakes are going to do, there is a positive disincentive to go to Atlanta — especially in light of the Committee not giving a sad, lonely toilet-splasher about quality of opponents.

Coaches already don’t want to play in the game [SECCG]. That’s according to the always trustworthy Lane Kiffin.

“I’ll give you the feeling from some other coaches that they don’t want to be in it,” Ole Miss’ coach said on Monday. “The reward to get a bye versus the risk to get knocked out completely, that’s a really big risk just to get a bye. It’s ended up being a very unique situation of all postseason sports, the way that system is set up. You can go to that and get knocked out and if you don’t go, you’re in.

“I’m not a big gambler, but that’s one of those Vegas poker table things… all in!”

Don’t look now, but ‘Bama’s pass pro has actually been stellar this year, surrendering just 17 sacks all season, and getting better as the season goes along. A lot is credited to Brailsford, sure. But the rest of the unit has gelled around him, and the coaching is undoubtedly better, and the line is getting a bit more athletic too.

Alabama has kept Jalen Milroe’s jersey clean in its last two wins as its offensive line, particularly its pass protection, has improved as the Crimson Tide’s 2024-25 season has progressed.

“It’s definitely gotten better,” said Alabama center Parker Brailsford. “I feel like we’ve kind of meshed better as an O-line, as a unit especially. But even as a team, I feel like we’ve just meshed better, and that’s definitely helped us.

“I trust the guys to my right and my left that they’re gonna have my back just like they trust the guys to their right and left.”

Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) has been better at protecting the quarterback this season, allowing 17 sacks in 10 games. For comparison, the Tide gave up a Saban Era-worst 49 sacks in 2023. UA still has at least three games left on the schedule, but that’s a drastic improvement.

Now, if only we could get them to stop taking penalties. They are by far the most heavily penalized unit on the field. Those pre-snap five-yarders are taking years off my life. Again.

Brailsford’s complete interview below:

It’s not just pass pro. Across the board, an improved Alabama line is evident both in itself and in offensive efficiency.

As of this writing, the Tide is No. 1 in Sagarin ratings against the No. 9 SOS. Analytically, it boasts the No. 2 offensive efficiency, the 5th most explosive, and is first in overall drive efficiency. And it has become more balanced as the season goes along (8th in rushing efficiency, 13th in passing). It leads the SEC in redzone touchdown conversions (77.5%), and is second in yards per play behind only Ole Miss, and their high school schedule.

Well done, fellas.

Yeah, we figured this was going to happen:

The star of Alabama’s incoming men’s basketball freshman class entering this season was five-star forward Derrion Reid, who was projected as recently as last week by ESPN to become a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

But through the first four games of this season, the Tide has another freshman who is earning attention as a potential first round pick in guard Labaron Philon.

Bleacher Report on Tuesday predicted Philon would be the No. 24 overall pick next summer, and Alabama coach Nate Oats referenced that projection Tuesday afternoon when previewing his team’s game Wednesday night against Illinois in Birmingham.

“He’s shooting up draft boards,” Oats said. “Somebody sent me something earlier today, and he’s like — somebody’s got him projected 24th. We’ve got to keep him thinking the right things.”’

If Philon keeps playing well, the NBA will sort itself out. And Coach Oats could probably stand to see about that other freshman, Derrion Reid more minutes on the court. Perhaps even give him a start over the defense-averse Jarin Stevenson, who is also taking years off my life this season.

We discuss that and more in our preview of tonight’s critical CM Newton Classic vs. No. 20 Illinois.

Last night’s CFP Rankings saw the Tide vault three spots to No. 7. It was a necessary correction, though perhaps not quite where it needed to be, seeing as the Committee is still trying to convince us that Penn State has a quality win, that Indiana has even a mediocre win, and that Notre Dame’s loss to a .500 MAC team doesn’t matter. It certainly matters to Alabama, because as-presently constituted, that would send ‘Bama to South Bend for a First Round playoff game instead of hosting in Tuscaloosa.

But the spiciest of controversies dodged the Tide this week, and instead scattered over the ashes of the UGA graveyard, where Georgia finds itself behind a team it beat soundly and the likes of trash-ass Miami. And look at the Vawls, man. SMH. That Arkansas loss is hanging around their necks and penalizing them in ways that have not applied to the likes of Notre Dame.

The loather of injustice in me absolutely cannot fathom a world where about half a dozen of these teams are ranked above the Vols. The Bammer in me hopes they finish the season last-man-out, and positively seethe for the next 10 months. I want children crying for Christmas. Holes punched in trailer walls. And then a loss in the Cotton Bowl to some pissed off Tulane team or something.

#FUT. I cannot emphasize enough, with my whole chest, how much I despise Tennessee. Every day, in every sport, at a molecular level and with an incandescent fury.

And Kirby, who has taken up Saban’s mantle as the outspoken DGAF dean of SEC coaches, pointedly said what many coaches have been to afraid to: It’s the SEC, man. It’s another world down here week-to-week:

“I don’t know what they’re looking for, I really don’t,” Smart said after Georgia beat the Tennessee Volunteers, 31–17, in a make-or-break game for the Dawgs from a playoff perspective. “I wish they could really define the criteria. I wish they could do the eyeball test where you come down here and look at the people we’re playing against. You can’t see that stuff on TV. … They’re not in that environment. They’re not at Ole Miss playing against that defense.”

Smart continued: “We’re trying to be a really good quality team that’s not on this emotional roller coaster that’s controlled by people in a room somewhere that may not understand football like we do as coaches. … It’s different in our league.”

So, who’s catching the strays this week? Indiana, who has not beaten a team with a winning record, and Miami, who should have about four losses but-for the ACC officials doing their damnedest to engineer some of that sweet playoff money.

The Hurricanes are behind both SMU, which remains undefeated in ACC play, and Clemson. Can you guess where the Mustangs and Tigers landed in this weeks rankings release? (Hint: not ahead of Miami). It’s also hard to find a real quality win on the Hurricanes’ schedule. They were lucky to escape against the likes of Virginia Tech and California and it just lost to Georgia Tech. Are we really giving them this big of a boost for beating… Louisville? Florida? The quality wins just aren’t there to justify Miami staying in the top 10 after a bad loss.

But if you’re looking for a justification as to why Alabama is three spots ahead of a team it beat, don’t look for sense out of Warde Manuel’s mouth. It just happened to work to ‘Bama’s benefit this week:

“We have to look at Alabama the last three games,” Manuel said. “Particularly the two before they played Mercer. They won in dominant fashion, and we were really impressed with their win at LSU two weeks ago. So it is close. It’s a lot of conversations, and we’ll continue to monitor the performance of all of these teams as the season progresses.”

We are not valuing that win over South Carolina enough methinks, fellas. That could be the game that tilts everything in ‘Bama’s favor…especially when they absolutely blast Clemson at home next weekend.

Brent covered Wommack’s emphasis on turnovers yesterday, but AL.com follows up on that with more nitty-gritty details on how the Tide forces teams to gack up the ball so much:

In 2022, Alabama averaged 1.1 takeaways per game. In 2021, 1.3. Even in 2020, the most recent national championship season, the defense averaged fewer takeaways: 1.7 per game.

There are six different drills. Each one has a different point of emphasis. One might be interceptions. Another, punching the ball out. Another, raking at the quarterback. If there’s a way to take the ball away from the offense, Alabama’s defense is practicing it.

“What happens is, all of a sudden, you do those drills day in and day out, and then you go to scout-team periods and you say, ‘OK, this period right here, we’re not going to work on tackling, we’re going to work on punching the ball out. I don’t want to see any wrap-ups,” Wommack said. “All I want to see is you punching the ball out.‘”

If Alabama players aren’t doing it enough, Wommack will let them know. Loudly. That goes for interceptions, too.

“If we’re dropping too many picks at practice, he’ll get onto us for that too just because it’s money we’re leaving on the floor,” safety Malachi Moore said.

Great stuff here for the Tide, who is 4th nationally in turnover margin (1.30), and third in overall takeaways forced (24).

If you’ve noticed today, I’ve really emphasized old school football: the trenches. And that is where Alabama is going to live or die on Saturday. That’s a contest for toughness, and it will test ‘Bama, no matter how putrid the Sooners have been at the skills positions.

And that segues into this:

If you’ve not checked it out yet, BT posted his Oklahoma offensive preview today. SPOILER: They’re very, very bad.

One thing ‘Bama will need to bring is defense. There’s no way you can let these guys back on the plane if they surrender more than 10-13 points against an offense only out-stank’d by Kentucky.

What’s the sports adage? Defense travels?

This week Alabama takes it defense to Oklahoma where the Crimson Tide (8-2 overall, 4-2 in Southeastern Conference play) takes on the Sooners (5-5, 1-5) at 6:30 p.m. CST Saturday (ABC televising).

After the rough start to the season the Bama defense is still down at 10^th in yards allowed but fourth in scoring defense, giving up 16.9 points per game. Rushing defense is still in the bottom half of the league but pass defense efficiency is second and passing yards allowed fifth.

In takeaways, the Tide is second in interceptions (14) and interception return yards (237), tied for second in fumble recoveries (10) and first in return yards (74). Which leads to that reliable barometer of success, turnover margin. Alabama leads the league with takeaways, 10 fumble recoveries, 14 pass interceptions, and is fifth in fewest turnovers at 11 (5 fumbles lost, 6 passes intercepted) for a plus margin of 13, far-and-away the best.

And, finally… I leave you with the inimitable Jerry Wayne and his Truck Astrology

Huge game tonight for ‘Bama hoops. It’s a late one on SEC Network, so we’ll see you then. For now, have a great day and Roll Tide.