Colin Cowherd took a swipe at Alabama’s crowd size on Saturday night, and Tide fans wasted no time firing back.
After the conversation around USC’s Week 0 opener against San Jose State included plenty of attention on the Trojans’ attendance, Cowherd flipped the spotlight to Bryant-Denny Stadium following Alabama’s game against East Carolina. From his X account, the FOX host posted a photo showing a thin-looking crowd and wrote, “Alabama attendance is disgraceful. Not a real college football town.”
That was enough to set off a fast wave of responses from fans in Tuscaloosa. One replied, “Do they just pay this guy to lie at this point?”
Another pushed back by pointing to the conditions inside the stadium: “As a in person attendee today, the temperature was ridiculously hot,” the user wrote. “A lot of people were sitting in the shade near the concession stands throughout the game to escape the sun.”
Kevin Scarbinsky also jumped in with a sharp shot of his own: “Charter member of the clown car of national commentators who remain clueless about college football,” he replied.
More reactions kept rolling in from Alabama supporters. “Tell me you haven’t came to Alabama in September without telling me,” one person wrote.
Another noted the game state itself, posting, “It was 38-10 in the third quarter goofy.” And one user summed up the whole exchange bluntly: “Surely this is rage bait,”
The back-and-forth came with no shortage of irony for Alabama fans, who remain fiercely loyal to the program even as Kalen DeBoer works under heavy pressure to improve despite going 20-8 in two years at Alabama.
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Alabama opened the 2026 season with a win over East Carolina, giving Kalen DeBoer a clean start to his third year on the sideline, but the game still offered an early read on where this team stands. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell made his first career start and looked composed enough to settle things down, using his athleticism to help keep the offense moving, while Ryan Coleman-Williams provided a real vertical threat with more than 100 receiving yards.
Even so, the Tide left with a few reminders that September can be revealing in ways a final score does not fully show. The defense looked more ready for SEC-level football than the offense did, and the issues up front on the offensive line were hard to miss as Alabama tried to sort out protection and consistency. Coleman-Williams big day also came with some costly drops, leaving the passing game with both promise and proof that there is still cleanup work to do before the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's Young Offense Has One More Thing To Prove In Second Half
At halftime, Alabama has more than enough cushion against East Carolina, but the game has still offered a useful snapshot of where this young offense is growing and where it still needs work. The ground game has carried the day, the offensive line has given freshman quarterback Keelon Russell a clean pocket, and the defense has mostly done its job against the run while helping the Tide build a 38-7 lead.
The next step is a familiar one for Alabamas offense: making life easier on Russell by creating more separation on the outside and turning good protection into cleaner, quicker answers downfield. The defense has been sturdy in the trenches, but it has also shown a willingness to give up explosive plays when communication slips, which is the sort of detail that can matter more against better competition than it has in a lopsided first half here. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Familiar Worry With Its Most Explosive Receiver
The opening game of the season brought an old concern back into view for Alabama, as Ryan Coleman-Williams had another rough day at the catch point. The explosive receiver has been central to what the Crimson Tide want to do offensively, and his ability to turn chances into chunk plays remains a key part of Alabamas hopes heading into the rest of the year.
Coleman-Williams did spend the offseason trying to clean up the issue, making changes aimed at improving his hands and sharpening his reliability. Even so, the early signs were a reminder that Alabamas passing attack may have to keep living with a little volatility from one of its most dangerous weapons, which is not exactly the kind of tradeoff a contender wants to carry for long. [Read more 🡒]