Defense Helps Alabama Crimson Tide Take Control of SEC Race
By Tim Letcher
@TimLetcher
John David Mercer, USA TODAY SPORTS
Since taking over as coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, head coach Nick Saban and his teams have consistently won with defense.
The 2014 Crimson Tide haven’t always stuck to that script, but they did on Saturday as Alabama beat the top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs 25-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
While the final statistics may not indicate the dominance of the Tide defense, it was certainly evident throughout the game. Alabama held Heisman Trophy candidate Dak Prescott to 26-of-47 through the air for 286 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Prescott also rushed 22 times for 82 yards.
There were also multiple times in the game when MSU got into the Alabama red zone, only to settle for a field goal or, even worse, throwing an interception.
What was most impressive was that Alabama held the high-powered MSU offense in check. The Bulldogs came into the game averaging 39.8 points per game, which was 12th in the country.
The Tide now have control of their destiny in the SEC and College Football Playoff races. If Alabama can beat the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl in two weeks, the Tide would return to the SEC Championship Game, after missing the contest last season.
As far as the College Football Playoff, this win almost assures Alabama of being in the top four teams when the new rankings are announced on Tuesday. If the Tide can win the rest of their games, they would secure a spot in college football’s first playoff.
And if the Tide defense plays like it did on Saturday, Saban could bring yet another title back to Tuscaloosa.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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