Tennessee Vols quarterback just exposed Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack after infuriating Crimson Tide loss
The Alabama Crimson Tide’s offense took most of the heat after the loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, but the Vols’ quarterback had plenty to say about the other side of the ball, and it wasn’t flattering.
The Alabama Crimson Tide’s offense took a lot of criticism after the loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, and rightfully so. But Alabama’s defense and Kane Wommack deserve their share of the blame, and the loudest critique didn’t come from the Crimson Tide fan base or the media in Tuscaloosa.
It came from the opposing quarterback.
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre dropped a quote after the game that should sting for Wommack and this Alabama defense. Here is what MacIntyre said after the game, via a post from Mike Rodak:
“Bama, we knew they were going to play really soft on the outside. By soft, I mean like deep. Not letting any shots over the top. I felt like their game plan was just to keep having us snap it again, snap it again, and make us sustain drives. And I feel like, especially in the second half, that’s what we did.”
MacIntyre is right. On top of that, this isn’t a one-week problem. We’ve seen it far too often from Alabama under Wommack.
Even Nick Saban saw this coming
This issue isn’t new, and it isn’t a secret. Nick Saban hinted at it earlier in the year when he talked about his conversation with Womack.
Saban said he met with Wommack and talked about Alabama running more man coverage instead of some of the zone that is a staple in Womack’s 4-2-5 swarm.
So the advice was there. And yet, what do we see time and time again?
Look no further than the play that essentially sealed the deal for the Vols and shut down any comeback chances Alabama had on Saturday. Cornerback Dijon Lee lined up seven to 10 yards off the wide receiver. Tennessee threw a smoke screen, and Lee came downhill to make the tackle. He missed it; the receiver got vertical, and Tennessee put the game away.
That’s not a one-off mistake by a corner. That’s what happens when the scheme asks your defensive backs to give up that much cushion every snap. Eventually, the offense takes the free yards, and one missed tackle turns a short completion into a back-breaking gain.
Why this matters more than the offensive struggles
We can talk about the offensive struggles, Ryan Grubb, Keelon Russell, and Kalen DeBoer, and I get all of that. We’ve covered it ad nauseam in the postgame coverage. That isn’t what this is about.
This is about why Tennessee, a team in flux at the quarterback position and one that wants to run the ball at will, was able to rise up and play pitch and catch against the Crimson Tide. In my opinion, the answer is simple. Alabama’s corners, Lee and Carmelo O’Neal, with Zabien Brown going out, were playing seven to 10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
I just don’t understand it. The Vols didn’t need to beat Alabama over the top. They didn’t even have to try. Wommack’s defense handed them the underneath throws, and MacIntyre happily took them all the way down the field.
The fact that it took a Tennessee quarterback to come out and expose Wommack and his defense makes it even worse. Opposing coordinators already had this on film. Now the Vols’ quarterback has said it out loud for everyone to hear.
Tennessee offensive stats vs. Alabama
- 347 total yards
- 150 rushing yards
- 72 total plays
- +11 mins in time of possession.
Alabama’s margin for error is gone
Alabama has to fix this if it wants any shot at making the College Football Playoff. After back-to-back losses, the Crimson Tide’s margin for error has dropped to zero.
Alabama officially cannot lose again if it wants to play meaningful games in the postseason. That means Wommack can’t keep asking his corners to sit seven to 10 yards off and hope opposing offenses get impatient. Tennessee didn’t, and the next team on the schedule won’t either.
