Alabama’s offseason overhaul on the offensive line and in the tight end room was built with one game in mind: the kind of physical showdown Georgia delivered last December.
That 28-7 loss in Atlanta was the kind of night that leaves a mark. Alabama won the regular-season meeting in Athens, but the rematch told a much harsher truth. Georgia controlled the line of scrimmage, Alabama managed just -3 rushing yards, and the Crimson Tide never found any footing on offense.
A month later, Indiana reinforced the same lesson in the Rose Bowl. By then, Kalen DeBoer had already seen enough to know the status quo wasn’t going to work.
So Alabama went to work. DeBoer moved on from OL coach Chris Kapilovic, brought in veteran Adrian Klemm, and hired Louisville OL coach Richard Owens to coach the Tide’s tight ends. Then came the roster reset: 11 new additions to the offensive line room through the Transfer Portal and the high school class, with only five players from last season returning and just one starter back in Michael Carroll.
The Tide also made the tight ends a priority. Josh Ford arrived from Oklahoma State and immediately added the toughness and grit Alabama had been missing. Danny Lewis got healthy, while Kaleb Edwards and Marshall Pritchett continued to develop.
The payoff has been obvious. Alabama is averaging 186.4 rushing yards per game, good for a Top 40 national ranking and more than 80 yards per game better than last season. DeBoer and OC Ryan Grubb have stayed committed to the run, and that stubbornness has given the offense balance it simply didn’t have a year ago.
That balance has also made life easier for Keelon Russell. With Alabama able to run the ball, the pockets have been cleaner and the vertical passing game has opened up. Defenses can’t just sit on the throw because they have to account for the ground game and a backfield that’s been productive with Daniel Hill, Trae'shawn Brown, and EJ Crowell all contributing.
But Saturday night in Tuscaloosa is the real exam.
Georgia comes in allowing just 69 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranks No. 5 nationally, and the Bulldogs’ front is built to stress exactly the part of Alabama’s offense that has changed the most since December. The same team that bullied the Tide in Atlanta now walks into Bryant-Denny Stadium as the measuring stick.
“This would be our greatest test when it comes to running the football that we’ve had, but we’ve built up that confidence, and the guys, again, have had a nice week of practice," DeBoer said during his weekly radio show on Wednesday night. "Last week was, from start to finish, running the ball was consistent.
We’ve had some times where we’ve had a great second half or a great quarter here and there; we’ve been pretty good in the second half, honestly, running the football. But we came out and established that early in the game.”
Alabama doesn’t need a 200-yard night to prove the point. It probably doesn’t need 150, either. But if the Tide can get into triple digits and stay balanced enough to keep Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann from pinning their ears back on Russell the way they did against Ty Simpson, that may be enough to keep this game on Alabama’s terms.
The point of the offseason changes was never to look good against Mississippi State. It was to stand up to teams like Georgia and Indiana.
Now Alabama gets its answer.
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