"That opening loss to Florida State felt like confirmation of every preseason doubt. Seventeen points, eight penalties, no rhythm. But since then, Alabama has rebuilt itself piece by piece into something sharper and steadier. Quarterback Ty Simpson has gone from cautious to commanding, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt over his past four games against solid competition. The offense is balanced, explosive and efficient and has found its rhythm, buoyed by a run game that has caught up enough to sustain drives."
"Defensively, the Tide have cleaned up everything that went wrong early. The front seven is not vintage Alabama, but the coverage unit has locked in, keeping opponents under 7 yards per pass since Week 1. They are winning third downs, forcing turnovers and staying composed in pressure spots. The biggest shift, however, is in discipline. Penalties dropped, turnovers disappeared, and time of possession flipped from barely 29 minutes in the opener to nearly 36 through October. That is the sign of a mature football team."
Alabama overcame early protection issues, lack of run identity and road inconsistency to become a sharper, steadier team. Quarterback Ty Simpson progressed from cautious to commanding, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt over recent games. The offense achieved balance, explosiveness and efficiency while the run game began sustaining drives. The defense improved coverage, holding opponents under seven yards per pass since Week 1, and generated third-down stops and turnovers despite an imperfect front seven. Penalties and turnovers declined and time of possession increased substantially. At 6-1, Alabama now projects as an SEC title favorite and playoff contender.
Read at ESPN.com
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