Alabama playing at a different level after halftime of Tennessee game
What began as a rough season for the Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, 8-0 SEC) has blossomed into a series of big wins and a matchup with the top-ranked and undefeated Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.
Back in September, even finishing with only one loss seemed daunting after losing at home to Texas and nearly falling to USF.
What changed most notably was quarterback Jalen Milroe, who has drastically raised his level of play, including throwing a last-minute touchdown to beat rival Auburn.
He now finds himself as a possible Heisman candidate, something he noted in the moments after the emotional comeback win.
But Milroe's ascension was not a matter of steady improvement over the course of the season. If Alabama fans had to pick a turning point, it's likely halftime of the Tennessee game on Oct. 21.
One year after a devastating loss in Knoxville, Alabama was down two scores to the Volunteers in Tuscaloosa at halftime. Perhaps most frustrating for Bama fans, Milroe had thrown a red zone interception just a few minutes before the mid-game break.
As On3 analyst Clint Lamb noted, that was Milroe's ninth turnover in six-and-a-half games against Power Five opponents.
But a switch must have flipped for the signal-caller, because in the three-and-a-half Power Five games since then, he's only turned the ball over once.
Taking care of the football has certainly helped Milroe and, by extension, the team, and he's rightfully garnered plenty of headlines for his performance.
But as any good star player knows, you always need to remember to credit your offensive line, and Milroe definitely should, as the numbers of sacks he's taken have fallen dramatically since that Tennessee game.
The Volunteers were the last team to get to Milroe more than twice, as compared to regularly being sacked four, five and six times per game earlier in the year.
If those trends continue on Saturday with Milroe protecting the football and the offensive line keeping his jersey clean, the Tide can likely give the Bulldogs a competitive game.
And if Alabama does pull off the upset, Georgia fans can thank their neighbors in Tennessee for helping a struggling quarterback find his footing and blossom into a star before our eyes.
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