USC vs Alabama recap: 3 things we learned
These are things we learned from Alabama’s destruction of USC.
The Alabama Crimson Tide might have found the next big thing in college football. On Saturday night, quarterback Jalen Hurts took over for Blake Barnett and the legend began. He threw for multiple touchdowns and he also ran for multiple touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback could not be stopped.
On the other side of the coin, USC looked great for the first 15 minutes or so on defense, until the wheels fell off in all facets of the game. Max Browne looked rattled, the defense fell at the feet of Hurts and Jabari Ruffin was ejected for kicking Minkah Fitzpatrick in the groin. From there, Alabama would roll them over and it would become ugly.
Now, the Crimson Tide have to feel good about their quarterback position and probably can’t wait to see what else Hurts can do. USC meanwhile has to regroup and get a win next week before they go to play Stanford. With an ugly game in the books, here are three things learned from the game.
1. A star is born in Dallas
Jalen Hurts is the real deal for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He has the size, speed and arm of a great quarterback. He looked like he had played several games before this one and didn’t look like a quarterback making his debut. He worked well with his skill players and once he learns to find Calvin Ridley a little more, then he will really take off.
2. Juju Smith-Schuster was shut down
Juju Smith-Schuster is seen by many as the best wide receiver in the country. On Saturday night, he was held to one catch for nine yards. That catch didn’t come until late in the game during garbage times. Yes, he was going against the best in the nation, but if Smith-Schuster wants to be known as the best and a top pick in the draft, he needs to show up better. However, it’s hard to do anything when his quarterback is getting pressure in his face every play.
3. The Pac-12 could quickly be out of a playoff spot
Saturday was not a good day for two heavyweights in the Pac-12. UCLA lost to Texas A&M in overtime and USC got demolished. Those two teams were the favorites in the Pac-12 South. Now, they already have a loss tacked onto them. When it comes to making the playoff, the Pac-12 will need a representative to be perfect.
That means that it’s looking like Stanford is going to have to be the team that goes perfect. However, they didn’t exactly stand out at home against Kansas State. The Pac-12 will be pinning their hopes to a team in the North yet again.