Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from neutral-site takedown of Miami
By Zach Bigalke
Alabama football made short work of top-15 Miami on Saturday. What did we learn about Nick Saban’s well-oiled machine from the victory in Atlanta?
Alabama football has been automatic in neutral-site openers under Nick Saban, dating back to their 2008 rout of Clemson in Atlanta that spelled the beginning of the end of Tommy Bowden’s time in South Carolina. Entering the showdown in Atlanta against No. 14 Miami, the Crimson Tide won 10 straight by an average of 25 points.
That made Saturday’s opener against Miami all the more impressive. The Hurricanes entered the game with a talented, deep roster that featured the most experienced returning offense in the FBS and one of the top dozen returning defenses.
Alabama football came to Atlanta with a green offense and a defense looking to prove itself. There was anticipation that this could be the year where Saban’s team finally trips up out of the gate.
That was certainly not the case at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the first Saturday of September. The Crimson Tide came out firing on all cylinders, crushing the Hurricanes by 32 points to better their average during the Saban tenure.
Already ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 entering the 2021 season, the defending champions look like they are ready to defend their crown. Here are three critical things to take away about the Tide after their Week 1 demolition of Miami.