Alabama Football: 3 takeaways from convincing win over Cincinnati

Dec 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) reacts after throwing a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the 2021 Cotton Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

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Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) rolls out of the pocket in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at the 86th Cotton Bowl Classic, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. /

2. Bryce Young passed a huge test

Bryce Young may not see a duo of cornerbacks like Cincinnati had for the rest of his career and he still passed the test. He didn’t have his typical 300-400 yard performance, but he was still effective and didn’t make many mistakes.

The Heisman-winning quarterback was 17-for-28 with 181 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw a pick but it didn’t come back to bite the Tide.

Young was solid all night long and was consistent enough to help lead Alabama past the stingy Cincinnati defense and this was a huge test to pass with a tough defense waiting for him in the national title game. Both Michigan and Georgia have stingy defenses so if he can do what he did against two future NFL cornerbacks in the title game, he’s going to lead the Tide to another championship.

This was a huge test and I think it’s only going to help him in the national championship. We saw that he’s human, but he’s still a monster.

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