Alabama gets more bad news with another starter injured

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide are ready to get back in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot. They will start by tryin go produce a solid performance on the road against the Florida State Seminoles. 

The Tide feel they have the roster to win decisively, but they continue to run into roadblocks.

A few weeks ago, starting running back Jam Miller suffered an upper body injury that will force him to miss a few games. Now, the Tide have encountered another key injury, this time on the defensive side of the ball. 

On Wednesday, On3’s Brett McMurphy reported that redshirt senior nose tackle Tim Keenan III suffered an ankle injury the day before and will require tight rope surgery. While he won’t be out for the season, he will reportedly miss a handful of games. 

The defense is going to be a big reason why the Tide are legitimate playoff contenders. Several returners helped made Alabama’s defense one of the most feared units in the country this season, and Kennan was among them.

Last season, Kennan accounted for 40 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup. He has accumulated 78 total tackles, 33 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups in two seasons as the starting nose tackle. 

He often finds a way to disrupt the play in the backfield of the opposing offense, whether by making a tackle, forcing a runner to change direction or harassing a quarterback into a scramble. 

Keenan is one of the biggest and most consistent interior defensive linemen in the country. The Tide will likely have redshirt freshman Jeremiah Beaman step up as the temporary starter, or shift junior defensive tackle James Smith more inside and have senior LT Overton play the three-technique defensive linemen. 

Keenan is the second major returning starter to be out for a handful of games due to an injury, raising concerns for the Tide’s durability. Last year wasn’t the smoothest transition for head coach Kalen DeBoer at his new program, and the hope is to quickly put the disappointing campaign behind them and prove that Alabama is still among the most elite programs in the country. This season can get ugly fast if the Tide can’t overcome injury problems in the first four games.

Alabama takes on a reinvigorated Florida State team that won’t play the same way it did last season when it went 2-10. Two weeks later, the Tide host a tough Wisconsin Badgers team. 

If Keenan and/or Miller aren’t ready or the team hasn't developed capable starters by Sept. 27, when they go on the road to face No. 5 Georgia, then the Tide will have huge problems.