Alabama Reminds Us It's CFB's Greatest Talent Assembly Line in Win vs TAMU

To fully appreciate Alabama's methodical domination of Texas A&M, we must first go back. Before we can dissect the 52-24 outcome and why it puts Alabama in a familiar position to compete for a conference and national title once again, a sentence almost on repeat at this point, we must assess how we arrived here.

Nick Saban, of course, would disagree. In fact, the notion of looking backward would turn his face a shade of red similar to that of his team's crimson attire. Always forward. But in this instance, perspective is necessary.

We should be used to this by now. It's become a ritual that's more than a decade old.

Alabama wins a lot of football games each season. Many of those games are won in the way Alabama won on Saturday. Thorough. Explosive. Convincing.

The season usually culminates with a trip to the College Football Playoff. Then, regardless of outcome, many of the players and assistant coaches who made it possible leave for the NFL draft or another coaching opportunity.

It's the greatest assembly line in sports. And in 2020, that assembly line said goodbye to some of the greatest offensive players the program has ever had.

That includes quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the best QB Saban has ever coached. It also includes offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr., who was force in his time during Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy—the best tandem in the nation last year.

All four were selected in top 15 picks of the 2020 NFL Draft, creating what would typically be crater-sized voids at their positions. That is usually the case when great players leave programs—even great programs. But that is not the case here.

That's not to say they aren't missed or their absences aren't felt. But in Tuscaloosa, they are absorbed in a way they aren't anywhere else. In 2020, Alabama sent nine players to the NFL. All nine were taken in the first 87 picks. Over the past three years, Saban has produced 31 NFL draft picks.

Which brings us to Saturday, Alabama's second game of the year and most significant opponent to date. Despite the lopsided victory over Texas A&M, it wasn't a perfect outcome.

The Alabama defense remains a work in progress despite showing flashes. The film study with the defensive backs, a position Saban knows better than any position on the field, will not be pleasant. There's work to be done.

The run game could've been better early on as well, although it wasn't called upon as much as usual largely because of the number of big plays the team generated through the air. And with running back Najee Harris, who still scored two touchdowns and made a tremendous catch that set up a score, this doesn't feel like an area concern. If anything, it'll be a place of great strength.

That was the "negative," if one wishes to call it that, which speaks volumes about everything else. Quarterback Mac Jones, who filled in for Tagovailoa last season after his season ended with a hip injury, threw for 435 yards and four touchdowns in only 27 passes.

For as brilliant as Tagovailoa was and for as much as he meant to this program, only once during his college career did he throw for more yards.

It is early, although it has become clear that Jones is far more than a fill-in. The junior, who has six touchdowns and only one interception through two games, looks like a fitting successor. His greatness will be become clear in time, but the possibilities are there.

His success is made possible by two entities. The offensive line, which despite losing one of the best linemen in the country, has done a brilliant job protecting him thus far. And his wide receivers, which have not skipped a beat despite being without two first-round draft picks.

Still having Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, two potential future first-round picks, feels almost unfair. Smith, who returned for his senior year, caught 14 touchdown passes last season. His touchdown on Saturday showcased the acrobatic brilliance he is capable of.

And Waddle, now a junior, caught five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown against A&M. With the ball in his hands, there might not a bigger offensive threat in all of college football.

It shouldn't be this easy to replace that kind of production. Not after two games. Not after disjointed offseason that left Alabama without spring practice, a place where crucial development takes place. Not with the kind of talent that had to be replaced.

It's not normally not that easy. On a day where Texas lost to TCU and Florida State struggled against FCS giant Jacksonville State for a while, blue blood programs struggling to find their proper footing many years later, it provides context to Alabama's sustained brilliance even more.

A week ago, LSU had its moment. Coming off a national championship that prompted a massive roster exodus and coaching departures, the Tigers fell to Mississippi State—allowing more than 600 yards passing.

That is not meant to be a knock at Ed Orgeron or the Tigers. This is normal. This is what happens, at least typically, when you lose so many great pieces in one year. Rebuilding quickly is difficult. For many, even some of the best programs with the best resources in the country, it can be an unfathomable ask.

It would seem that Alabama has done this. (Again.) It doesn't mean it will culminate with a national title or a spot in the College Football Playoff. But the staggering numbers and production speak volumes to the assembly line that has done this before.

While it can be easy to take these things for granted, it takes a performance like Saturday's to appreciate what is taking place. Nick Saban's record against his former assistant coaches moved to a perfect 20-0.

Two more things happened on Saturday afternoon. Freshman defensive back Malachi Moore intercepted a pass and looked the part of a future star for a defense that will need him to become one. And John Metchie III, Alabama's sophomore wide receiver, broke out with a two-touchdown, 181-yard receiving day. The offense has another weapon to lean on.

The assembly line doesn't stop, and it doesn't look to be stopping here. It never looks back. Always forward.