Started By
Message
Nick Saban's Tenure in Review: Season #12 - 2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:14 pm
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:14 pm
If I could sit Saban down and have a drink with him, this season might be the first one I ask him about. When you look back at this team and see how dominant they were in the regular season, it's very jarring to see how they fell apart down the stretch. The second to last game against The Citadel should have been a warning sign of the things to come, but our thorough domination of Auburn kind of masked that performance. However, as we all know, things fell apart in the national championship game against Clemson. Josh Pate has alluded to tension in the locker room down the stretch. I really want to hear exactly what that tension was and how that affected this team as it entered the final phase of the season.
2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 14 wins, 1 loss
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses
AP Poll Finish: #2
Coaches Poll Finish: #2
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Locksley/Josh Gattis
Defensive Coordinator(s): Tosh Lupoi/Pete Golding
Permanent Captains: Damien Harris, Hale Hentges, Christian Miller, and Ross Pierschbacher
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
1st Team All-SEC: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Ross Pierschbacher (C), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
Heisman Trophy: Tua Tagovailoa (FINALIST - #2); Quinnen Williams (CANDIDATE - #8)
Total Offense: 522.0 YPG (#6)
Total Defense: 319.5 YPG (#16)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Louisville (W) 51-14 [Orlando, FL]
vs. Arkansas State (W) 57-7
@ Ole Miss (W) 62-7
vs. #22 Texas A&M (W) 45-23
vs. Louisiana (W) 56-14
@ Arkansas (W) 65-30
vs. Missouri (W) 39-10 [Homecoming]
@ Tennessee (W) 58-21
@ #3 LSU (W) 29-0
vs. #16 Mississippi State (W) 24-0
vs. The Citadel (W) 50-17
vs. Auburn (W) 52-21 [Senior Day]
vs. #4 Georgia (W) 35-28 [SEC Championship Game]
vs. #4 Oklahoma (W) 45-34 [2018 Orange Bowl]
vs. #2 Clemson (L) 16-44 [2019 CFP National Championship Game]
Passing Leader
Tua Tagovailoa
245-355 69.0 Pct 3,966 Yds 43 TDs 6 INTs
Rushing Leader
Damien Harris
150 Att 876 Yds 5.8 Avg 9 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jerry Jeudy
68 Rec 1,315 Yds 19.3 Avg 14 TDs
2018 Alabama Crimson Tide
Overall Record: 14 wins, 1 loss
SEC Record: 8 wins, 0 losses
AP Poll Finish: #2
Coaches Poll Finish: #2
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Locksley/Josh Gattis
Defensive Coordinator(s): Tosh Lupoi/Pete Golding
Permanent Captains: Damien Harris, Hale Hentges, Christian Miller, and Ross Pierschbacher
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
1st Team All-SEC: Tua Tagovailoa (QB), Jerry Jeudy (WR), Ross Pierschbacher (C), Jonah Williams (T), Quinnen Williams (DT), and Deionte Thompson (S)
Heisman Trophy: Tua Tagovailoa (FINALIST - #2); Quinnen Williams (CANDIDATE - #8)
Total Offense: 522.0 YPG (#6)
Total Defense: 319.5 YPG (#16)
Average Talent Ranking on Roster: 2.75 (Per Rivals)
Schedule
vs. Louisville (W) 51-14 [Orlando, FL]
vs. Arkansas State (W) 57-7
@ Ole Miss (W) 62-7
vs. #22 Texas A&M (W) 45-23
vs. Louisiana (W) 56-14
@ Arkansas (W) 65-30
vs. Missouri (W) 39-10 [Homecoming]
@ Tennessee (W) 58-21
@ #3 LSU (W) 29-0
vs. #16 Mississippi State (W) 24-0
vs. The Citadel (W) 50-17
vs. Auburn (W) 52-21 [Senior Day]
vs. #4 Georgia (W) 35-28 [SEC Championship Game]
vs. #4 Oklahoma (W) 45-34 [2018 Orange Bowl]
vs. #2 Clemson (L) 16-44 [2019 CFP National Championship Game]
Passing Leader
Tua Tagovailoa
245-355 69.0 Pct 3,966 Yds 43 TDs 6 INTs
Rushing Leader
Damien Harris
150 Att 876 Yds 5.8 Avg 9 TDs
Receiving Leader
Jerry Jeudy
68 Rec 1,315 Yds 19.3 Avg 14 TDs
This post was edited on 5/10/24 at 6:21 pm
6
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:33 pm to RollTide1987
Tua was absolutely robbed of the Hesiman that season.
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:35 pm to RollTide1987
This team could never really get a tough yard on a traditional handoff. Had to go wildcat with Josh Jacobs just to consistently make 3rd/4th and shorts. The defense struggled quite a bit all year too but the offense masked the issues.
Not very many teams could hang with Alabama in 2018 but they struggled with the 2 teams that could...got blown off the field by one of them.
I think this was the beginning of Saban's problem with maintaining a coaching staff. This was a supremely talented roster with two bad coordinators. The two years with Sark and Flood masked this somewhat but really this was the point where staff quality began declining and it almost certainly cost Alabama at least 2 national titles if not 3 between 2018-2023.
Not very many teams could hang with Alabama in 2018 but they struggled with the 2 teams that could...got blown off the field by one of them.
I think this was the beginning of Saban's problem with maintaining a coaching staff. This was a supremely talented roster with two bad coordinators. The two years with Sark and Flood masked this somewhat but really this was the point where staff quality began declining and it almost certainly cost Alabama at least 2 national titles if not 3 between 2018-2023.
Posted on 5/4/24 at 9:36 pm to RollTide1987
Tua would have walked away with the Heisman had Alabama not been so dominant.
He basically played half a game every game.
Alabama got the tougher game in the semifinals.
He basically played half a game every game.
Alabama got the tougher game in the semifinals.
This post was edited on 5/4/24 at 9:41 pm
Posted on 5/5/24 at 4:17 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
Quinnen Williams
How bad is that defense without him? He destroyed offenses but was gassed at the end of the year.
Posted on 5/5/24 at 5:33 pm to RollTide1987
Always wish they had started Hurts the first half to get ahead of the defensive scheme and reward him for his contributions.
Easily could have pulled him if it stalled or just saved Tua for the second half to ramp up the pace.
Venables had the Tua playcalls down and had Clemson ready. Thought Hurts from the huddle and RPO could have been a good surprise early.
That and the Utah Sugar Bowl games were the only two I really recall where the team looked like there was simply nothing they could do.
I think Utah was poor prep meets a really good, physical team. Just got whipped. Everytime it looked like Bama could crawl back in, Utah just punched them in the face again.
The Clemson NCG asskicking was talent on talent, familiarity (most certainly some sign stealing), some less than dominant front 7 play, and bad decisions by Tua trying to do top much at critical times.
Still, 2018 was a really fun season to watch.
Easily could have pulled him if it stalled or just saved Tua for the second half to ramp up the pace.
Venables had the Tua playcalls down and had Clemson ready. Thought Hurts from the huddle and RPO could have been a good surprise early.
That and the Utah Sugar Bowl games were the only two I really recall where the team looked like there was simply nothing they could do.
I think Utah was poor prep meets a really good, physical team. Just got whipped. Everytime it looked like Bama could crawl back in, Utah just punched them in the face again.
The Clemson NCG asskicking was talent on talent, familiarity (most certainly some sign stealing), some less than dominant front 7 play, and bad decisions by Tua trying to do top much at critical times.
Still, 2018 was a really fun season to watch.
Posted on 5/8/24 at 1:46 pm to RollTide1987
I know everyone loves what Burrow did the next season, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen QB play look as satisfying and dominant as what Tua did. CFB GOAT QB to me, he was robbed of the Heisman.
Page 1 of 1
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News