The Alabama Crimson Tide fell to the Tennessee Vols on Saturday by a score of 24-17, in what was their worst loss yet.
A sloppy game that lacked fundamentals and discipline all night when looking at the penalties, the final straw came when WR Kendrick Law was flagged for a personal foul that resulted in a 4th and 22 attempt for the Tide.
That play merely encapsulates what all Tide fans know at this point: The team has a discipline problem, and it comes from the top down.
If you watched the Vanderbilt debacle, there was a clear sign of behavior problems with the Tide. An outfit that was once known for being one of the most disciplined and buttoned up teams in the nation looked beside themselves.
Two weeks ago it was their team captain, Malachi Moore who threw a tantrum that should have resulted in severe discipline, and certainly would have under HC Nick Saban.
Then with the game on the line and a fourth and seven approaching on Saturady in Knoxville, a junior WR and one of the key veterans on the roster goes a-wall and decides to lose his composure on a Vols defender, which sets up a 4th and 22.
Losing is one thing. No one at Alabama is going to be happy with that. What is unacceptable, is losing as a heavily penalized, undisciplined, and just outright boneheaded unit.
And to be frank, that is what Coach DeBoer has enabled in his early tenure. That much was clear in his response to the Malachi Moore situation, where he took a soft stance in a situation where he could have set a precedent:
“No, we have handled it,” said DeBoer when asked if Malachi Moore would be suspended. “And I’m just gonna say this about Malachi – what he did, he has gone above and beyond in owning, taking ownership in it. And this is pretty much immediately after the game to this morning, things that are all prompted by him but also part of just our conversations…
“…I just want people to understand also that he’s had my and our back since Day 1, and there comes a point, too, where sometimes, as things play out, you’ve gotta have your guy’s back, as well, and understand that we all make mistakes and we all just gotta own up to it. And we’re doing that, and we will continue to move on.”
After two losses in only seven games, Tide fans all just about ready to move on too, but not in a way that DeBoer would like.