Leave it up to Alex Golesh's South Florida Bulls to stand as a health check as to where your favorite college football program is at these days.
Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide were challenged by the weather and one of the worst teams in the Group of Five down in Tampa on Saturday night. Yes, Alabama proved victorious over the first time head coach's program, but the Crimson Tide are so far away from being the cream of the crop in the SEC. For years, Alabama dominated on both lines of scrimmage. As of Saturday night, there was this...
Saban pretty much said the Bulls' pass rush was as exotic as they come. Alabama has yet to play an SEC game this season. So either Golesh is winning the Group of Five next year at South Florida or Alabama is falling apart before our very eyes. What does this say about their offensive line play then?
Alabama has its massive SEC opener next week vs. Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels back in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama offensive line struggled containing South Florida pass rush
Look, things were vastly different in the college football landscape back in 2007, especially for these two programs of note. While upstart USF was at one point No. 2 in the land in the old Big East, Alabama lost to ULM in Saban's first year on the job. Although both programs have gone in different directions, I think what this game showed us is two-fold: A dying dynasty and real coaching upheaval.
Even if other SEC programs of note have not been otherworldly through three weeks, neither has Alabama. Crimson Tide teams of yesteryear would hang a 50 burger on a hapless team like the Bulls on the reg like it was no one's business. Now they are struggling to move the sticks like Mike Shula is still coaching his alma mater. The dynasty is officially kaput, but there may be one last great moment.
As far as the coaching upheaval component is concerned, you do realize where Golesh worked a season ago? He was Josh Heupel's tight ends coach and star offensive coordinator. While his side of the ball suffered, he clearly saw a lot on tape over the two previous years in Knoxville to help generate some pressure on their inexperienced quarterbacks. Golesh showed us he is definitely a head coach.
Ultimately, Saban has plenty of bulletin board material to play the nobody believes in us card. Believe me, outside of The Yellowhammer State, nobody does. I guess the guys on ESPN's College GameDay look dumber than Desmond Howard picking his College Football Playoff foursome in late August. Either way, Alabama is more likely to lose the Iron Bowl than for the Crimson Tide to make the playoff.
If the offensive line struggled this badly vs. USF, then Alabama is beyond cooked vs. teams like LSU.