Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from the Tide’s win over Colorado State

2. Nick Saban has proven he will adapt

Let’s keep this conversation about adapting going. What Nick Saban has really proven is that since the Johnny Manziel game where Texas A&M upset Alabama (see: below) using a spread offense with a mobile quarterback and a deep passing game, he has adapted his way of thinking on both offense and defense.

Bama had to get more versatile on defense able to adjust from their heavier 3-4 sets to stop the SEC power run game of the early 2000s to be able to stop the ever-changing offenses that were going to the passing game as their focus.

The change came with the Aggies and Kevin Sumlin, but there’s also West Virginia’s Air Raid, The Big 12 offenses in genral, Clemson under Dabo Swinney and Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer. Bama had to adapt and Saban proved he will. He’s keeping true to his 3-4 defense that usually employs a four man “line” and gets a pass rush with quarters coverage behind it.

Saban’s defense struggled to slow down Deshaun Watson but he’s now the Houston Texans’ starter after leading Clemson to their first national title since the 1980s. Clemson was and is putting up major points on just about everyone they face. Stevens flashed his abilities against the Tide but Alabama shut down the Rams until they added 13 garbage points in the fourth quarter.