When No. 3 Alabama took a 16-13 lead against No. 11 Texas on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton on a deep corner route with 14 seconds left in the third quarter, it would have been easy to write the rest.
Alabama had won 21 straight home games and 57 consecutive non-conference games. The Longhorns looked on the way to another better-luck-next-year-loss on the big stage. So you probably didn't expect to hear this in the ESPN postgame.
"I didn't want to tell the guys they were 52-1 in their last 53 games here," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I guess they're 52-2 now."
This looked like what could have happened last year had Quinn Ewers stayed healthy. Texas scored 21 points in 11 plays in a shocking fourth quarter that gave the Longhorns a most unexpected 34-24 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Texas and Alabama scored FOUR total touchdowns in 4:06 of game time 😳
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) September 10, 2023
3rd, 0:14 - TD Alabama
4th, 14:05 - TD Texas
4th, 13:50 - TD Texas
4th, 11:08 - TD Alabama pic.twitter.com/qNvwDtUN4Q
Now, the Crimson Tide is left to pick up the pieces, and that's going to leave major questions in Tuscaloosa that typically aren't asked in September. A look at the fallout
Will Alabama change quarterbacks?
Alabama suffered its sixth loss at home since 2009 – and half of those losses were to Heisman Trophy winners in Auburn's Cam Newton (2010), Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (2012) and LSU's Joe Burrow (2019).
Will Quinn Ewers be next? After that go-ahead touchdown, Ewers responded with a 50-yard pass to Ja'Tavion Sanders and a six-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell.
Jalen Milroe's next pass was intercepted by Jerrion Thompson, and Jonathan Brooks scored on the next play. Milroe threw a 39-yard TD pass to Amari Niblack on the next possession, and the two-point conversion made it 27-24 with 11:08 left in the third quarter.
Ewers, however, answered with a 39-yard TD pass to Mitchell. Ewers had 349 passing yards and was 3 of 5 for 115 yards for two TDs on passes of 20 yards or more.
The best teams in college football have an answer at quarterback that Alabama cannot provide right now with Milroe – who finished 14 of 27 passes for 255 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. Milroe added 15 carries for 44 yards, but he could not break contain consistently against the Texas defense.
Milroe also missed Jase McCellan on a potential TD pass on a wheel route in the third quarter, a potential momentum changer in the moment that will get lost in the shuffle.
Will that prompt Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to turn to Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner or sophomore Ty Simpson until Julian Sayin arrives in 2024? That's a hot topic for Alabama radio this week.
Alabama's problems from 2022 resurface
Alabama escaped Texas with a 20-19 victory on Sept. 10, 2022 despite 15 penalties for 100 yards.
Those habits have not gone away. The Crimson Tide had 10 penalties for 90 yards. The secondary – which looked to be improved under new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele in the opener – still gave up too many chunk plays in the passing game, especially in the fourth quarter. Xavier Worthy dropped a first-quarter touchdown, too. The Crimson Tide lacked a game-changer like Will Anderson up front, and it showed.
The Longhorns also were more efficient on third down. Texas converted 7 of 18 on third down, while Alabama was limited to 5 of 14.
Milroe is a threat in the running game, but Alabama wasn't good enough running the football. McCellan, Roydell Williams and Jam Miller combined for 20 carries for 63 yards, and freshman Justice Haynes did not get a carry. The ground-and-pound theory did not work – not against Texas' explosive passing game.
Will Alabama make the College Football Playoff?
Alabama has not lost a non-conference regular-season game since a 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 17, 2007. That was Saban's first season at Alabama, which ended with a 7-6 record.
The loss to Texas forces the Crimson Tide into unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory. In simple terms, Alabama's best bet to make the College Football Playoff is to win out knowing that no two-loss team has made the four-team playoff. What makes that worse is Alabama is behind Texas in the pecking order should the Longhorns win the Big 12 with one loss or less.
That's not all. No. 4 Florida State looks like a playoff-caliber team in the ACC. One of No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State is getting in. Even No. 6 USC and a much-improved Pac-12 is in the mix. The two-SEC playoff seems like a fantasy two weeks into the season.
No. 14 LSU and No. 23 Texas A&M also have non-conference losses, which makes the SEC West race a touch less dramatic. No. 20 Ole Miss and No. 9 Tennessee are the other ranked teams on the schedule – and both come to Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Right now, Alabama cannot entertain what might happen if they would face No. 1 Georgia. It's a long road to get to the SEC championship, and that will be the challenge for the Crimson Tide with Saban moving forward.
