Nick Saban knows what it takes to win championships at Alabama, so when he praises a player, people listen. When he points out a fatal flaw, everyone should take note of it. On College GameDay, the legendary former coach lauded quarterback Ty Simpson for his outstanding season.
However, he also delivered a blunt warning about the one thing that could wreck the Crimson Tide’s championship hopes against their rivals, LSU: a non-existent running game.
Can Ty Simpson Carry Alabama Without a Ground Game Against LSU’s Elite Secondary?
During his appearance on College GameDay on Friday, Nick Saban did not sugarcoat Alabama’s most significant problem. The legendary former coach highlighted the glaring weakness that could derail the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes when they face LSU.
“Ty Simpson has played outstanding this year,” Saban said. “But the one thing that Alabama really wanted to improve on during this bye week was their ability to run the ball. They’ve been very inconsistent. They haven’t been able to establish the ground game to go with the pass game. You play LSU, who’s got a really good secondary, you don’t want to be one-dimensional.”
Nick Saban on @CollegeGameDay: “Ty Simpson has played outstanding this year. But the one thing that Alabama really wanted to improve on during this bye week was their ability to run the ball. They’ve been very inconsistent. They haven’t been able to establish the ground game to…
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) November 8, 2025
Saban’s analysis is not just based on observation; it is rooted in troubling statistics. Alabama enters the LSU showdown with a 7-1 record and a No. 4 national ranking, but its 89.6 offensive efficiency rating, according to PFSN Offense Impact, masks the serious concerns about its rushing performance that could derail the team’s playoff push.
The numbers fully back up Saban’s concerns. Alabama ranks near the bottom nationally in rushing, averaging just 118.9 yards per game on the ground, and the team is only gaining 3.6 yards per carry. To make matters worse, running back Jam Miller leads the rushing attack with just 308 yards and two touchdowns on 80 carries through eight games, an average of only 3.9 yards per attempt. When compared to the passing game, where Simpson has thrown for 2,184 yards and 20 touchdowns, the imbalance becomes obvious.
Why Is a One-Dimensional Offense So Dangerous Against LSU?
The matchup itself presents a nightmare scenario for an offense that cannot run the ball. The Tigers boast one of the top secondaries in the SEC, featuring cornerback Mansoor Delane, who is a projected 2026 NFL Draft prospect. If Alabama fails to establish a ground threat, LSU will be able to drop extra defenders into pass coverage, forcing Simpson to challenge a stacked secondary on his own.
This is precisely the situation Saban described when he called it a “very scary situation” for his former team. “Their inability to create consistency in the running game makes this a pretty good matchup for LSU, versus their defense versus Alabama’s offense,” he explained.
Ultimately, Alabama sits at 7-1 with a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff. But as its former coach warned, if the offense appears one-dimensional against LSU, the Tigers could easily hand the Crimson Tide a second, damaging loss and shatter those championship aspirations. No matter how well he has played, Ty Simpson cannot do it all by himself.
