Crimson Tide Rising

Week after week, I stand awestruck as I watch the Crimson Tide roll over opponent after opponent. The season started rough for the Tide, with a heartbreaking loss to the struggling Florida State Seminoles (now 3-3), but since that loss, the Tide has flipped the script, rolling over their last five opponents, making them 5-1. Based on their recent play, this could be the year for the Tide, with their deep receiving corps, elite quarterback play, relentless mentality, and a certified ability to win big games. 

Under Head Coach Kalen Deboer, Alabama boasts a top-15 passing offense with a 71% completion rate (ESPN). That puts Alabama in elite company with only three teams, maintaining a better completion percentage than them while having more passing yards. Also important to note, Alabama is a historically run-heavy offense. These stats, although incredible, undermine the depth of Alabama’s expansive receiving room. On Saturday, during Alabama’s recent victory over No.14 Missouri, quarterback Ty Simpson threw passes to eight different receivers, most of whom were not starters (REAL), underscoring the impressive depth of this receiving corps. 

Without the Heisman-level quarterback Ty Simpson, this would be impossible. As of October 15th, he stands tied for the lead in the Heisman race. With 1678 yards, 16 touchdowns, one interception, and a QB rating of 81.5 (ESPN), he has been efficient and seemingly allergic to turning the ball over. This is most likely due to his patience, waiting three years before gaining a chance to start, his head coach dad, and Nick Saban, who initially recruited him. 

The initial loss to FSU lit a fire under Alabama. They have not settled for anything less than perfection after a decisive win over Missouri. Ty Simpson “ripped our a**,” offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor posted via Instagram. When was the last time we saw an Alabama quarterback win a game and still rip on his team for imperfections? AJ McCarron in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. Alabama had the game secured late in the fourth quarter, but there was some miscommunication between AJ and his center, Barrett Jones. At this point in the game, this usually would not be a big deal, but it was to AJ. The fact that, in less than ten minutes, they would be National Champions did not matter to him because they were built on a standard, and when they did not play at that standard, the team’s leader would step in and fix it. This is recurring with Alabama National Championship quality teams: look at Tua Tagovailoa after their historic 2019 win over South Carolina (Iacobelli), AJ McCarron during the 2013 National Championship Game (SEC), and Jalen Milroe after beating South Carolina in 2024 (BamaCentral). Great quarterbacks lead the team and hold their teammates to the standard that a coach sets, and based on Alabama’s record over the last five games, it has been evident that they have a relentless mentality and will not settle for simply being good.

Speaking of not being good. The Tide leads the CFB this year in ranked games won. In fact, there are only 26 teams with a win over a top-25 opponent, and only five with more than one, with Alabama being the only team in the country to beat more than two ranked opponents (BetIQ). We can only expect this stat to go up as they face three more ranked teams on this stacked schedule, but if anyone in the country is up to the challenge, it is the Tide.

The stars have aligned for the Tide this year with incredible leadership and quarterback play from Ty Simpson, a relentless mentality, a deep receiving corps, and a proven ability to win big games on big stages, and that is why Alabama looks destined to go the distance this year.

Works Cited

“College Football Win-Loss Records Vs. Ranked Opponents | BetIQ.” BetIQ, https://betiq.teamrankings.com/college-football/betting-trends/win-loss-records-vs-ranked-opponent/. Accessed 15 October 2025.

Iacobelli, Pete. “Tagovailoa has career day in No. 2 Alabama’s 47-23 victory.” AP, 14 September 2019, https://apnews.com/ap-top-25-college-football-poll-2272ba87039642309ff802c85503e618.

“NCAAF Player Stat Leaders, 2025 Regular Season.” ESPN, https://www.espn.com/college-football/stats. Accessed 14 October 2025.

Proctor, Kadyn. Quote. Post from Kadyn Proctor. October 2025. Instagram, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/.

Real. “Real.” Sports Statistics App. College Football, 11 October 2025. App, Real, https://realsports.io/.

“Simpson shines as Alabama edges Missouri for 5th straight win.” ESPN, 11 October 2025, https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/46563545/simpson-shines-alabama-edges-missouri-5th-straight-win. Accessed 14 October 2025.

YouTube, and BamaCentral. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe after South Carolina win. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JvXXhUPJQs.

YouTube, and SEC. AJ McCarron & Barrett Jones - Shove Then Hug in BCS Title Game. 2013. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=582un3oOUbk.