Alabama choked away a game against arch-rival Auburn Saturday, and with it, a shot at another national championship.
The Crimson Tide fell 48-45 to the Tigers thanks to dumb penalties, poor defense, and poor coaching. The game ended fittingly when Alabama put 12 men on the field on fourth and four when they were about to get the ball back with a shot to win.
Before that, Alabama kicker Joseph Bulovas missed a chip shot field goal that would have tied the game. It was an absolutely crushing loss for Alabama fans, players, and coaches. (RELATED: The Morning After: Alabama Suffers Heartbreaking Loss To LSU)
THE KICK IS NO GOOD ????
No. 15 Auburn escaped No. 5 Alabama in a down-to-the-wire Iron Bowl finish, 48-45.
From B/R x @BassProShops pic.twitter.com/iivIfs6rpm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2019
Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones played like a champ filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, and absolutely deserved that win. I feel terrible for him. Jones deserved a much better outcome after such a gutsy performance in his first career road start.
Mac Jones delivers under pressure. pic.twitter.com/ns2CwMVbt4
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 30, 2019
Now, it’s up to Nick Saban to make some changes. The Crimson Tide are still a very good team, but Alabama’s dynasty was built on a defensive mentality that the program has simply moved too far away from. It’s great that we have a such a dynamic offense now, but you can’t win a championship if you can’t tackle.
Saban must immediately replace defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who has simply not been able to get the job done in Tuscaloosa. Saban must focus on building up a coaching staff with coaches that aren’t just good recruiters, but actual good coaches.
Nick Saban has nothing to prove. If Saban stepped down tomorrow, he’d go down as the greatest coach in college football history. But, if he wants to win another championship, he needs to make some major changes and instill some discipline in a program that has lost its way.