Greg McElroy: Alabama’s Reputation at Stake Against Ole Miss

By | Niranjan Bhargav 23 Sep, 2023

Alabama hasn’t looked legitimately vulnerable for any reason other than a series of injuries in a long time, and former Crimson Tide quarterback Greg McElroy is concerned.

McElroy made the point on ESPN’s Get Up that Alabama’s “intimidation factor” is in jeopardy if they don’t blast the doors off rival Ole Miss this weekend. He stated that Alabama’s “margin for error” is much narrower than it used to be, owing in large part to the loss of depth through the transfer portal.

“I think perception is a big one,” McElroy remarked, as reported by On3. “Obviously, Bama forever, most of the time, when people stepped on the field before they even kicked it off because Bama had an intimidation factor over pretty much everyone that they played.” That intimidation element is currently in the balance. They still have outstanding players, but the margin for mistakes is much lower than it was previously. Partly because of the portal age, Bama isn’t as deep as it once was, but somewhat because so many other teams, those who were far behind, have suddenly caught up.”

McElroy noted that in previous years, Alabama could easily win even very good teams with their reserves due to their depth. So, a big win over Ole Miss will do a lot to boost their confidence.

“I believe it will have a significant impact on how Bama is perceived in the future.” They can beat everyone on their schedule, but they’ll need to bring their A-game. Back in the day, they could play their B-minus, C-plus game and still win handily against almost everyone.”

Alabama fell to Texas in Week 2 and battled terribly against USF in Week 3. Alabama has dropped all the way out of the top 10 after starting the season rated in the top four.

Alabama will need some huge wins over some strong opponents to climb back into College Football Playoff contention.

Will Alabama restore its fearsome reputation this weekend?

Important points:

Greg McElroy feels that if Alabama loses to Ole Miss, their national reputation will suffer.
Because of heightened competition, Miss Alabama’s intimidation factor is under scrutiny.
To retain their dominance, the Tide will need to bring their A-game.