Former Alabama football quarterback reveals the most significant shortcoming of the program following the collapse against Florida State
Alabama football is reeling from a season-opening loss to Florida State, and former national championship-winning quarterback Greg McElroy is offering his perspective.
McElroy, who led the Crimson Tide to a national title in 2009, believes that the biggest problem with Alabama's performance in Week 1 can be addressed. He notes that at times, players were not running with full effort to ball carriers, and there were instances where wide receivers were not running their routes at full speed.
The loss has left some longtime Crimson Tide fans calling for the firing of second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. Some have even suggested that DeBoer's dismissal is theoretically possible as the season progresses or at season's end if more losses follow. However, the buyout for DeBoer's dismissal would cost Alabama about $60 million, which is among the highest in the country.
If DeBoer were to be dismissed, it would be the second-highest amount owed to a coach in college football history, only behind Texas A&M, which paid nearly $78 million to oust Jimbo Fisher, the highest amount owed to a coach in college football history.
Seth Davis, a college basketball analyst and host of the podcast 'Always College Football', criticized Alabama's performance after the 31-17 loss to Florida State and described a potential way for improvement. Davis suggested that the players may have been fatigued, tired, or not fully awake during the game.
McElroy echoes Davis' sentiments, believing that there needs to be a better finish from wide receivers and defensive backs moving forward in the season. He thinks that Ty Simpson, the quarterback, may not have been fully focused due to not running at full speed.
Despite the criticism, McElroy is trying to find a positive perspective while delivering it. He believes that with more effort from certain players, specifically wide receivers and defensive backs, Alabama can turn things around.
Alabama hosts Louisiana-Monroe this weekend, and fans will be hoping for a better performance from the team. Only time will tell if McElroy's suggestions will lead to improvement for the Crimson Tide.
