ALABAMA PASS OFFENSE vs TEXAS PASS DEFENSE
The question … what version of Jalen Milroe will show up on Saturday night? Milroe struggled some last year but he didn’t really show any weaknesses in week one of this year. Last season, his receivers weren’t getting a lot of separation and Milroe was up and down with his accuracy. Both of those things were corrected in the opener against Middle Tennessee State. The receivers were open and Milroe was extremely accurate downfield. MTSU did have one DB ejected early on for targeting and they were probably overmatched to begin with. Wide receiver Jermaine Burton started off slowly last year after transferring from Georgia, but he’s taken off the last several games and is playing like a number one receiver. Isaiah Bond is a fast guy out of the slot that can stretch the field. He led the team in catches and yards last week. Bama will rotate some other guys in the slot. Malik Benson, a JUCO transfer, is supposed to be really good but he was quiet in the opener. The Texas secondary is deep and talented, and this will be a much better test than what UT faced last week.
Edge – Texas **
ALABAMA RUN OFFENSE vs TEXAS RUN DEFENSE
Alabama cycles out running backs a ton and has a lot of depth, but that might keep any one back from putting up big numbers this year. Milroe is obviously a huge part of Bama’s ground game, both on called runs and improvised plays where he can turn broken plays into huge gains. Jase McClellan, who hurt Texas last year with a huge run, is the starter. McClellan and Roydell Williams are the top two. Jam Miller and Justice Haynes are both very talented as well. Bama is still figuring out how the touches will go but it’s sort of a strength in numbers so far with Milroe being a big part of the equation.
Edge – Bama *
ALABAMA OFFENSIVE LINE vs TEXAS DEFENSIVE LINE
For the first time since 2014, Bama has a true freshman at left tackle in Kadyn Proctor, a five-star prospect from last year. Left guard Tyler Booker had only one start last year, but he played a bunch with the first team so is basically a returning starter. Seth McLaughlin is a returning starter at center. Right tackle JC Latham is the best of the bunch and will be a high NFL Draft pick. Bama was great in short yardage opportunities last week. The Texas defensive line was fantastic last weekend but the task gets much tougher this week.
Edge – Texas *
TEXAS PASS OFFENSE vs ALABAMA PASS DEFENSE
Bama is a bit banged up in the secondary but there’s some thought early in the week that the injuries aren’t too serious. Starting STAR Malachi Moore got hurt while playing on special teams. Free safety Jaylen Key also got hurt. Bama replaced Key with Kristian Story, who is a senior. Terrion Arnold moved to STAR and could start in Moore’s place if Moore is out this week. Bama insiders feel losing Moore this week would be a key blow if he’s unable to go. The secondary has two new starters so there is some inexperience, even if they are very talented. Texas obviously has a lot of weapons on offense but it needs to have a much better start than what we saw last week.
Edge – Texas *
TEXAS RUN OFFENSE vs ALABAMA RUN DEFENSE
Alabama’s run defense is supposed to be pretty good, although it wasn’t really tested last week. Linebacker Deontae Lawson can go sideline to sideline, is very athletic and a good tackler. He had a good stat line in week one with 7 tackles, 1 sack and 2 tackles for loss. Georgia transfer Trezmen Marshall starts at middle linebacker. Bama does have some bigger DBs that will also help in the run game. Texas is still finding its way with its ground game to some degree.
Edge – Alabama **
TEXAS OFFENSIVE LINE vs ALABAMA DEFENSIVE LINE
If we’re counting Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell as defensive linemen, this is a dominant group that can get to the quarterback in a hurry and cause some real problems. Defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis was an all-SEC freshman selection so he’s talented. Bama rotates in some other guys as well, including defensive end Justin Eboigbe and nose tackle Tim Keenan. The Texas offensive line needs to step up its game from last week.
Edge – Alabama **
SPECIAL TEAMS
This is regarded as one of the best special teams units Bama has ever had. Will Reichard is possibly the best placekicker in program history. Aussie punter James Burnip has gotten a lot better. Kool-Aid McKinstry is a weapon as a returner and finished second in the nation in punt returns last year.
Edge – Alabama **
