Casagrande: What it means to beat Alabama

This is an opinion column.

The streak is alive.

That’s the ultimate takeaway from Alabama’s third straight poor performance. The number is 9.

Beating the Crimson Tide is still worth a field storm and a $100,000 fine, Tennessee fans decided Saturday night. It was the ninth consecutive time fans took the field after Alabama lost a road game – a streak that began with the 2013 Iron Bowl.

The real question is how long this feat justifies the emotional relaxation after the game.

While we may have called for a recalibration of perspective when considering the 2024 Crimson Tide, there are limits to understanding.

Realistically, you can look at what happened in Knoxville on Saturday in a few different ways.

Alabama lost a game 24-17 to its arch-rival Tennessee, causing Knoxville to suffer its second straight loss. However, this one was nothing like the 52-49 shootout from two years ago.

This was more medieval.

There was an old-fashioned, undisciplined and understandably frustrating fan base that took this team to the sauna. They’re sweating out the toxins of expectations built not only from the generational run of this program, but also from the first half of the Georgia game three weeks ago.

It’s not just about losing a game.

This is about the recurring problems that have plagued this team since the impressive 28-0 lead over the Bulldogs. These appear to be issues entrenched in this team’s transition – not necessarily unique to 2024, but a cause for legitimate concern.

Take, for example, the question of punishment.

Alabama threatened to break a school record on Saturday after registering 10 violations in the first half. While it fell two points shy of the mark set in the same stadium two years ago, the Tide nearly doubled its weekly average of 7.8, which already ranked 112th among 134 FBS teams. It’s the third double-digit penalty day in seven games.

Or the way Tennessee bullied Alabama on the ground in the second half. The Vols had just 44 rushing yards in the first half – with leading rusher Dylan Sampson gaining 20 of his 35 yards on one play. Well, the Vols came out of the break running 29 times for 170 yards.

Sampson finished the game with 139 yards on 26 carries while the Vols averaged 5.0 yards per carry. That’s a season-high for a Tide defense that gave up 3.07 yards per attempt in the previous loss to Vanderbilt.

Then there’s the third-down problem.

Tennessee converted 5 of 9 goals conceded in the second half after being shut out in the first 30 minutes for the third week in a row. The Tide defense couldn’t take the blame for the first two quarters as it held the Vols to 143 yards and committed three turnovers.

But the dam broke on Tennessee’s second drive of the third quarter. A sudden seven-play, 91-yard drive looked easy. The decisive factor was a 36-yard run by Sampson and then a 27-yard scramble by Nico Iamaleava.

The Vols never managed a third down on their first touchdown drive. The second included a 55-yard pass on third-and-six from the Vols’ 42-yard line.

Tennessee then took the lead for good on third-and-5 from the Tide 16 when Iamaleava hit Chris Brazzell for a touchdown.

The quarterback play wasn’t as efficient for Alabama. Jalen Milroe had his second straight two-interception game by averaging 5.4 yards per attempt in the second half. The senior targeted freshman Ryan Williams 18 times – 12 more than the next highest total – completing eight times for 73 yards and a touchdown.

The running game was also missing for Milroe. After racking up 117 rushing yards against Georgia, the QB has recorded just 58 ground yards on 39 attempts in the three games since.

Bottom line: Alabama has looked average at best since building that big lead against Georgia.

They seem normal, unspectacular and clearly beatable.

Two losses before November for the first time since Saban’s first season is a sobering reality given everything that has happened since.

They have flaws, but are still in the hunt for a playoff bid that would have been impossible before the 12-team field was introduced this season.

But there is no margin for error now and few rightly believe this team can get through the next five games flawless.

No. 19 Missouri is next in Tuscaloosa, but the real test awaits Nov. 9 at LSU. A win there coupled with September’s win over a Georgia team that had just beaten No. 1 Texas would give the Tide an ironclad case with two losses.

But a loss would be an eliminator.

And a test of The streak.

A 2010 Alabama loss in Baton Rouge was the last road loss without a field rush.

Would another be enough for LSU fans to bother leaving their seats?

Or will the streak die?

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or further Facebook.

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