Where is Nick Saban’s dominant Alabama defense at?

Alabama used to be a defensive-oriented football team but in recent years the defense has disappeared as the offense has become the dominant unit.

Ole Miss football had no issues moving the sticks on Alabama football in the first half.

Even though it was a road game, this was one the Alabama Crimson Tide was expected to win. They are the No. 2 team in the nation and head coach Nick Saban never loses to one of his former assistants ever. Yet, Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels gave defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s defense all it could handle on the ground in the first half. That’s why the game was tied after two.

Alabama may still win, but this defense is far from championship-caliber.

Quarterback Matt Corral and the Rebels offense has no problems moving the chains on the Crimson Tide. He completed 11-of-16 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. However, where Alabama was especially vulnerable was in run defense. Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy led the way for Ole Miss on the ground, as the Rebels had 24 carries for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Ole Miss averaged 6.7 yards per rushing attempt in the first half. How can a defense consider itself good if it gives up a first down every two times the opposition decides to run the football? To make matters even worse for Golding’s side of the ball, Corral averaged an impressive 9.3 yards per passing attempt. It was the needed offensive balance to put Alabama on upset alert at the half.

While the Rebels are certainly trending in the right direction under Kiffin’s watch, they shouldn’t be able to dictate terms in the trenches offensively against a supposedly stout defense like Alabama. Though Ole Miss has upset Alabama before in recent memory, that was back when Hugh Freeze was their head coach and Kiffin was Saban’s highly-touted offensive coordinator.

If Ole Miss continues to run through Alabama like s**t through a tin horn, the Rebels may win.

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