Itās only Monday, and Ole Miss week has already featured plenty of drama. No. 13 Alabama will open up SEC play Saturday as it hosts Lane Kiffinās No. 15 Ole Miss at 2:30 p.m. CT inside Bryant Denny Stadium.
Sunday, Kiffin started the week by stirring the pot, stating that he thought Alabamaās defense was being called by defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson rather than defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Along with dispelling that rumor Monday, Nick Saban put an end to Alabamaās quarterback speculation, naming Jalen Milroe as his starter moving forward.
Hereās a full transcript of what Saban had to say during his Monday press conference as well as my takes on his comments.
Opening statement
āSo, after watching the film, what I said after the game really kind of goes. We had a lot of players that really competed hard in this game, played hard, competed well. We didn't always execute the way we want to execute. And I think everybody can look to something that they can improve on, and that's certainly going to be the focus that we have this week.
āThere's a responsibility that goes with that for the player but also for the coaches, so that we're doing things that players can do, so they can go on the field and play fast and know exactly what they're supposed to do and go out there and execute it. And I think that's going to be important for all of us this week so that when our guys get out there they can play fast.
āWe're looking forward to SEC opener. We've had three games to kind of evaluate our team in a lot of different areas. Ole Miss is a really, really good team. Lane has done a great job with the program. This is one of the best offensive teams in the country in terms of things that they do, multiples that they have, the way their players are coached and how they execute.
āThey're playing better on defense. This is a really, really good team. We're going to have to play our best and we need to improve to be able to do that.ā
Tonyās take: As he did after the game, Saban is going to take a supportive stance regarding his playersā performance following a sloppy win at South Florida. Thereās already a dark cloud of doubt hanging over this yearās team. While Sabanās message might be different inside the locker room, I donāt expect him to condemn his players much publicly until the team gets more settled.
Saban names Jalen Milroe Alabamaās starting QB
āFrom a quarterback standpoint ā this is all I'm going to say about this ā you know, Jalen really showed the leadership that I was looking for during the game in terms of supporting his teammates and doing the things he needed to do. He's had the opportunity to play. So have the other guys. Jalen played the best of all those guys, so I think he's earned the opportunity to be the quarterback.ā
Tonyās take: First, woah! Second, why now? Iāve been covering Alabama professionally since 2016, and this is the first time I can remember Saban formally naming a starting quarterback.
I agree with Saban that Milroe has performed the best of Alabamaās three quarterbacks so far this season. I also feel heās best suited to lead the offense based on where things stand right now. However, itās a bit puzzling why the head coach elected to announce the move on Monday.
Instead of preparing for three quarterbacks, Ole Miss can now focus its attention on Milroe this week. Holding off on the announcement would have at least given the Rebels something extra to think about heading into the matchup.
Perhaps Saban felt he needed to express more confidence in Milroe, considering the redshirt sophomore did not take a snap over the weekend. Regardless, this was an overall strange move from the head coach.
On rumors surrounding Kevin Steele
"This other thing that I hear floating around out there ā I'm sure you've seen the same reports that I've seen ā is Kevin Steele is the defensive coordinator. He has all the defensive coordinator responsibilities. The only thing that we tried to improve on from an administrative standpoint was gameday administration of getting the signals in quicker. That's the only thing that we worked on together as a staff. The whole staff made a contribution to it, and I think it was a lot better in this game than it was in the Texas game."
Tonyās take: While Saban took away a potential distraction for Ole Miss by naming a starting quarterback, Kiffin added one for Alabama by speculating that Steeleās role had diminished.
Saban made sure to snuff that out early. However, Kiffinās ultimate goal of making his former head coachās job just a little bit harder was achieved.
On the offensive lineās play at USF
āI donāt think when you give up five sacks and ā I think that our players were, they made a lot of blitzes, a lot of looks, nothing that we really ā only one thing that they did that weād not worked on. But I think the players were not communicating well and not on the same page sometimes, and I think that created issues and problems. I thought that the offensive line played like our offensive line needs to play in the last 6:29 of the game, and thatās something that we wanna build on.ā
Tonyās take: It seemed like Saban was about to begin criticizing the offensive line and then decided to hit the brakes. As stated above, it appears the head coach is taking a softer approach to criticism at the moment. Still, Alabamaās recent pass protection isnāt going to cut it. I expect Saban has got that message across in a different fashion behind closed doors.
On the togetherness of the team
āIāve been pleased with it. I think this was the first game where I saw some guys a little frustrated, and I think the frustration came maybe because we werenāt as focused as we needed to be, which is my responsibility. So players go out and make some mistakes and things donāt go well, and they get frustrated. And as a competitor, you never wanna get frustrated, you always wanna play the next play. But I think we talked about how everybody needs to buy into doing the things they need to do to make their contribution to the team to play winning football. And I think as time goes on and the season goes on, everybodyās role gets a little more clearly defined. Some guys may be disappointed in their role, but they have to buy into that if they wanna make a contribution to the team in a positive way, whether itās on special teams or being a player that gets an opportunity because somebodyās down, whatever that might be.ā
Tonyās take: Earlier Monday, Alabama left guard told The Next Round that the team helds a players-only meeting on Sunday with a big point of emphasis on togetherness.
Given how the Crimson Tide has performed the past two weeks, it isnāt surprising that tempers might begin to flair. This is also the time of year when players with lesser roles begin to realize they might not get as much playing time as they would have hoped. Itās important Alabama relieves some of that tension heading into SEC play as things arenāt going to get any easier moving forward.
On if he needed to see Jalen Milroe be a leader
āNo, I made the comment, and thatās the comment. So heās played the best of the quarterbacks, and thatās the way it is right now.ā
Tonyās take: Iām still confused with how Alabamaās quarterback battle has played out. However, one thing appears clear: Milroe is the starter moving forward.
On if seven-man protection makes it difficult for three players to get open
āI think you have to have a combination of both. Obviously, a lot of play-action passes are supposed to complement the running game, and you donāt get five guys out in the pattern. So sometimes you wanna secure the protection and hopefully the play-action passes allow some vertical routes down the field to be effective. Weāve hit some explosive plays on those kinds of plays this year. Six-man protection, the back gets out late. When you get all guys out, youāve got five guys to block five guys, so that puts the most stress on the offensive line. I think youāve gotta have a combination of all three of those things to have an effective offensive team.ā
Tonyās take: Given Alabamaās struggles on the offensive line, it might make sense to use tight ends and running backs to help with the blocking efforts. However, thereās obviously a trade-off to that as it puts more pressure on the remaining receivers to get open. Play-action is one way to open up the offense. Short passes and screens are another. I expect to see both of those against Ole Miss this week.
On Malachi Mooreās leadership
"Yeah, Malachi has been the leader of that group. He's the best communicator. He makes lots of checks, lots of calls. He gets everybody on the same page. I think it helps the other players play with a lot of confidence, and he has played very, very well. Puts a lot into it, does everything that we ask of him in terms of effort, toughness, not making mental mistakes. Doing things the way we'd like for him to do it. I'm very pleased with the way he's playing."
Tonyās take: Malachi Moore turned in another solid performance against USF, recording an interception to go with eight tackles. The senior has doubled his tackles in each of the past three weeks and has done a good job of keeping the secondary organized from the STAR position. His veteran presence will be crucial in stopping a fast-moving Ole Miss offense this weekend.
On Lane Kiffin
"I think they're outstanding. Obviously they are fourth in the country in something, total offense and scoring 52 points a game and 526 yards. This is ā and Lane is offensive guy, did a great job when he was here, and he's done a great job there. The players do a great job of executing it, which is always a good sign of a well-coached team. I think he's done a fantastic job there."
Tonyās take: Saban and Kiffin might not mesh from a personality standpoint, but both coaches have always held great respect for one another.
On Roydell Williams
"Roydell played a great second half. He had over 100 yards rushing in the second half. We were very pleased. We've always had a lot of confidence in Roydell, so him and Jase both have been very productive so far this year."
Tonyās take: Williams is coming off a career-best performance against South Florida in which he carried the ball 17 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. The senior gained all but 5 of those yards in the second half, including 74 of them on Alabamaās final possession.
On outside noise
"Look, I like the team. I've got confidence in our team. I really do. We've had some tough stretches before and players have bounced back, but I think everybody has got to make a commitment to doing that. It's not easy. We've got really tough competition coming up, but everybody has got to challenge themselves, I think, to be their best as a player, be their best as a team guy, be their best as a leader. I've liked this group so far. I just think our execution has got to get a little more consistent."
Tonyās take: Once again, Saban is going to keep things positive when it comes to talking about his players.
On Pete Goldingās defense at Ole Miss
"There's some few things that are a little different. Quite a bit of it is the same. I'm sure it has something to do with personnel. But I think they're playing better. And that makes them a better team."
Tonyās take: It didnāt seem like Saban wanted to talk much about Golding, but he did give his former defensive coordinator credit for the job heās done so far at Ole Miss. The Rebels currently rank No. 38 nationally, allowing 16.7 points per game. They sit at No. 69 in total defense, giving up 350.3 total yards per game.
