1. A few weeks ago, right in this here space, I wrote about Joe Milton and Jalen Milroe, specifically about how frustrating it was to watch the two of them play so inconsistently when they are both so clearly talented. And while I don’t think one game of evidence is enough to completely change my opinion, Jalen Milroe looked pretty incredible on Saturday night against LSU under the lights in Tuscaloosa.
In Alabama’s impressive 42-28 win over LSU, Milroe passed for 219 yards with no interceptions, and also ran for 155 yards and 4 TDs. Every time the Tide needed a big play, Milroe made it. It seemed like all those times earlier this season where the pocket collapsed around Milroe and he got sacked, this time he managed to use his legs to escape and make something positive happen.
While Joe Milton may just be who he is at this point—he’s 23 years old and playing his sixth season of college football—it’s probably worth considering that Milroe is a redshirt sophomore who had all of one start heading into this season.
Milroe may be a work in progress, but it feels like this Alabama team is as well. The Tide may have caught that unfortunate loss to Texas in week two, but they’ve won seven straight since then, and don’t play another ranked team the rest of the way. They seem primed to catch someone (UGA?) in the SEC title game, with that being their best shot at making the College Football Playoff. And with one of college football’s best politicians (Coach Saban) making their case to the committee and the media.
Development isn’t a straight line, but there’s something to be said for trending at the right time. And Alabama seems to be getting to the right place, right on time.
2. I guess things couldn’t get worse? If you’re USC coach Lincoln Riley, that must be the thinking in firing defensive coordinator Alex Grinch on Sunday, less than a day after losing to Washington, 52-42. Why get rid of the coordinator you imported with you from Oklahoma with two games left in your season?
Well, why not? Since Lincoln Riley showed up, USC has been incredible on offense, and deflating on defense. Giving up 46 to Tulane in a bowl game? Letting Notre Dame go for 48? Heck, giving up 52 to Washington this weekend in prime time? Just this season, since the Colorado game they’ve allowed an average of 37.5 points per game.
As dominant as their offense has been, their defense has seemed to almost actively work to undermine them. I’m no defensive genius, but I believe it would be difficult to allow, say, 572 yards to a team, like the Trojans did against Washington on Saturday night. Heck, just playing prevent defense seems like you could at least make them work to score a bit.
Certainly it isn’t only their scheme. Personnel matters, but USC supposedly added a bunch of recruits and transfers that were set to help this season. And I get it that it isn’t easy to keep the defense fresh when the offense scores so quickly. But again, surely there was something, anything, you could do to be at least a token defense?
It might be tough for the Trojans to make a change in the middle of a season, but at this point, why not try something else? And I also wonder if this is Riley buying himself either time or credibility with the boosters? Either way, I like this for USC. Like I said, it’s not like things could get worse?
3. We’re officially at the halfway point of the NFL season, so let’s return to our occasional exercise and rank the NFL teams by tiers:
PERHAPS GREAT: Chiefs, Eagles, Ravens, Lions, Dolphins, Bengals
NOT TERRIBLE: Jaguars, 49ers, Saints, Steelers, Seahawks, Browns, Cowboys, Bills, Texans, Vikings
NOT GREAT: Commanders, Jets, Colts, Raiders, Chargers, Titans, Falcons, Buccaneers, Packers, Rams
TERRIBLE: Giants, Bears, Broncos, Patriots, Panthers, Cardinals