Joel Klatt: Alabama’s defense is not good enough to win a national championship
Alabama has seen their defense be devastated over the last two games. Joel Klatt has been calling it too from what he has seen from that unit’s tape in Tuscaloosa.
Klatt spoke about ‘Bama’s defense during his show on Monday. Simply put, they’re only good on one side of the football and it isn’t that one whatsoever. That’s especially so as their last six quarters are actually showing him that they’re regressing from the concerns that he already had from their first three games.
“They’re a team that is elite on offense and the defense is not very good. Not even like not playing well. The defense is just not very good,” said Klatt. “We’re starting to see that come to fruition.”
“Look at what they’ve done defensively, or not done I guess more accurately, in the last six quarters. They’ve given up 67 points and 784 yards in the last six quarters of football. Alarm bells! Alabama’s defense is not getting better!” Klatt stated. “Here’s the thing. The same things that were happening on the film against South Florida and then on the field at Wisconsin are happening still. They happened in the second half against Georgia. They happened in the entire game against Vanderbilt. This is not a one-off.”
Over the first trio of outings, Alabama allowed 8.7 points and 248 yards per game. However, over the last two, the Tide have given up 37 ppg. with 468.5 yards. While having a top-rated offense throughout, their defense is now dropping down to start conference play.
With that, Klatt suggests that they keep scoring at their present pace if they want to try and avoid another loss.
“I told you that the problem in question for Alabama was on the defensive side,” said Klatt. “I said all the way back then that, listen, this team is going to be in some shootouts that are going to be surprising. That’s going to happen during the course of the season. I didn’t expect it against Vanderbilt but that’s exactly what’s happened this season for Alabama.”
“Tide fans? Like, I’m telling you right now. This team is going to be in several more shootouts. Good thing you have Jalen Milroe, good thing you have Ryan Williams,” Klatt said. ‘That offense is spectacular. Guess what? There’s only been one game that they haven’t scored 41 or more points and they lost.”
As for a comparison, Klatt thinks they remind him of a certain program in recent memory that had similar issues. However, that correlation is one that could end up taking their title hopes in the end.
“I went back and watched some of this film, specifically on the defensive side. You know what it reminded me of? You know what this team reminds me of? This team is the Lincoln Riley–Oklahoma teams,” said Klatt.
“This reminds me so much of those OU teams…They always had to outscore people and that’s the direction that this Alabama team is going,” said Klatt. “They remind me of those Oklahoma teams. Guess what? Those Oklahoma teams, if you remember? They would get to the playoff, first of all, and then we would all say the same thing. They don’t have a good enough defense to win the national championship. Guess what? At this point, that’s the truth about Alabama.”
With what’s to come, Alabama has to lock down and lock it down soon. If not, more of what Klatt has seen could continue as they get further and further into the season and the SEC.
“When you turn on the film? Like, it’s troubling for the ‘Bama defense,” said Klatt.
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