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The fatal flaw with every College Football Playoff Top 10 team after first rankings

By Josh Yourish

Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates a touchdown during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. /
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Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) scrambles out of the packet against the Texas Longhorns during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) scrambles out of the packet against the Texas Longhorns during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 8 Alabama – The O-Line

It’s easy to pin all of Alabama’s offensive problems on the quarterback, but since being benched against USF, Jalen Milroe has been pretty solid for Nick Saban. Milroe is a lot like a young Jalen Hurts at Alabama, he struggles to string together completions but can move the chains with his legs and has five rushing touchdowns, and his biggest strength is deep passing.

Milroe is averaging 10.6 yards per attempt despite only completing 64.5% of his passes. He is third among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks with an average depth of target of 14.3. Jermaine Burton has emerged as his favorite target and he’s starting to excel. Still, Alabama’s offense is 81st in the country, only averaging 5.9 yards per play which ranks 59th, and is 78th in passing yards per game.

That’s due in large part to the struggles of this offensive line. Bama has an oversized line that struggles to pass block, allowing pressure on 39.1% of Milroe’s dropbacks. That line is built to run block, but it can’t do that either. Bama ranks 78th in rushing offense and 98th in yards per rush.

Milroe even survives against pressure and is first in the country in yards per attempt against pressure among quarterbacks with at least 30 pressured dropbacks, a sample size of 158 QBs, but that group will be this team’s undoing.

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