Alabama Football: What Wrinkles Are Left for the Tide to Iron Out?

They may have lost to LSU in overtime but the Crimson Tide are still one of the best teams in the country. Nick Saban's team are ranked third in the country and many people want to see a rematch with the Tigers for the national championship.

However, that doesn’t mean the team is perfect—it would have beaten LSU if it was.

The biggest area for improvement has to be on special teams, but not for the reason some think. The kickers did not have a great game against LSU, but making 40-plus yard field goals are not easy things to do.

Punting is really where Alabama can improve. They rank 72nd in the country in net punting and many close games can be decided by so called “hidden yards.”

The defense is so good that it will force a punt on almost all drives. However, if the offense can’t get things going and the team is going to net a loss of yards, that’s a loss for Alabama and it makes life that much more difficult.

The other major area of improvement is quarterback play. AJ McCarron is a solid quarterback and ranks 34th in passing efficiency. However—after a promising start to the season—he has thrown an interception in three consecutive games, including two performances with less than 200 yards.

A team with quality tacklers and a big defensive line can limit Trent Richardson and the rushing attack to the point where they can outscore Alabama.

Outside of those two things, there really is nothing to complain about with regards to the Tide. They rank in the top third in the country in every other major statistical category, including first in every single defensive statistic.

However, if they don’t get rid of these lingering issues, a team could sneak up on them in the bowl game.