Alabama Crimson Tide Football

Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin doesn't believe Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty is over despite the Crimson Tide's tough 2022 campaign.

Kiffin, who worked under Saban as Alabama's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2014 to 2016, said on The Paul Finebaum Show on Friday (h/t ESPN's Brandon Zimmerman) that the Tide aren't showing signs of decline yet.

Alabama entered this year as a national championship contender, but a pair of one-score losses, both on the final play of the game, have dropped the team to 7-2.

A last-second field goal sealed Tennessee's 52-49 home win over Alabama three weeks ago. Last Saturday, a two-point conversion in overtime put LSU over the top, 32-31.

Penalties, turnovers and a lack of takeaways have hurt Alabama, but the Crimson Tide still have superstars at quarterback in Bryce Young and edge-rusher in Will Anderson Jr. Alabama is also sixth in scoring and 14th in points allowed in Division I FBS.

This squad may not be on par with the six championship teams Saban has coached at Alabama since arriving in 2007, but it's a talented unit that could finish the season strong and earn yet another season of double-digit wins.

Also, their College Football Playoff hopes aren't dead yet, although it will be an uphill climb for the Crimson Tide to get there after the LSU loss.

Alabama will look to get back on track with another tough SEC road game against Kiffin's Rebels, who are No. 11 in the CFP rankings.

The Rebels' powerful offense is led by freshman running back Quinshon Judkins, who has 1,107 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.

Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Your eyes may not be deceiving you if you think the Alabama offense is noticeably below the standard it has set in recent years.

ESPN's Matt Miller spoke with an NFL general manager who said Crimson Tide star Bryce Young is "the only player on that offense with a Round 1 grade."

Young was the No. 3 player off the board in Bleacher Report's most recent mock draft. He was the only member of the Alabama offense off the board in the first round.

Fans have grown used to Alabama reloading every year after losing its best players to the NFL. Head coach Nick Saban has been more than willing to dip his toe into the transfer portal as well. Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams made an immediate impact during his lone season in Tuscaloosa in 2021.

Whether it's down to coaching or a relative lack of talent, the 2022 Alabama offense simply lacks its usual explosion.

At times, Young's singular creativity has been the team's saving grace.

His 20-yard run inside the final minute set up Will Reichard's go-ahead field goal in a 20-19 win over Texas. Last Saturday, he somehow evaded the LSU pass rush to find Ja'Corey Brooks for a 41-yard touchdown pass, which gave Alabama a 21-17 lead over LSU in the fourth quarter.

Young's value was evident in the Tide's 24-20 victory over Texas A&M. With the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner sidelined, Jalen Milroe went 12-of-19 for 111 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Saban was questioned about offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien on Monday but declined to offer much insight. Blaming O'Brien for the state of the offense would be a bit harsh because the comment from the NFL GM speaks for itself.

There isn't a wealth of game-breaking talent in the passing game. This isn't 2019, when Alabama had a wideout room that included DeVonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle.

All Saban can do is course correct once the season is over.

When it became clear a run-heavy pro-style offense wasn't cutting it any more, Saban hired Lane Kiffin and watched as Alabama adapted to an uptempo spread style. In this case, it may not be a strategic shift but rather taking a different approach toward recruiting and the transfer portal.

Nick Saban has said in the past that too much positive press for his Alabama team is like "rat poison," but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is afraid the legend is receiving just the opposite of that following the Crimson Tide's 32-31 loss to LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday.

"I texted [Paul] Finebaum on the way over here when I saw his quotes when he normally does and he says the Nick Saban dynasty is over and all that," Kiffin told reporters Monday. "Every time he says this—which I tell him—all he does is, I call it, like, GOAT fuel. The opposite of rat poison. You're just like, giving the GOAT fuel, which for him, that works. He goes and proves them wrong every time.

"So really appreciate you Paul saying that right after the game. I'm sure that was on his desk Sunday morning."

Kiffin doubled down on his comments on Twitter:

The Ole Miss head coach, who previously worked for Saban as an assistant at Alabama, also pointed out the Crimson Tide are "two plays" that "could have went either way" from being either No. 1 or 2 in the country.

Saban's first loss this season came to Tennessee when Will Reichard missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds remaining and gave the Volunteers just enough time to use solid field position to get their own winning field goal.

Then his loss to LSU happened in overtime when the Tigers elected to go for the two-point conversion after pulling within one with a touchdown and converted.

Both were also road games in front of raucous crowds.

The problem for Alabama, though, is its College Football Playoff chances are now in serious jeopardy. It is in third place in the SEC West at 4-2 in the conference, while LSU (5-1) and Ole Miss (4-1) are in better position.

The Tigers also have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Just reaching the SEC Championship Game at this point seems like something of a long shot, and accomplishing that would likely mean a date with powerhouse Georgia. Defeating the Bulldogs and benefiting from losses elsewhere with undefeated Ohio State, Michigan and TCU, plus a number of one-loss teams, all hanging around in the playoff race seems like something of a long shot.

For now, Saban's attention is surely on the upcoming contest with Kiffin's Ole Miss team, which gives the Crimson Tide a chance to earn a head-to-head tiebreaker with another SEC West contender.

The macro discussions about the potential end to the Alabama dynasty could be a motivating factor heading into that game, and Kiffin recognized the last thing he needs is an even more daunting matchup with the Crimson Tide.

The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide were upset by the No. 10 LSU Tigers 32-31 in overtime on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, and the loss dropped Nick Saban's squad to 7-2 on the season.

Quarterback Bryce Young completed 25-of-51 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown against one interception in the loss. He also had four carries for 10 yards.

Jahmyr Gibbs led all running backs with 15 carries for 99 yards. He also caught eight passes for 64 yards. Ja'Corey Brooks, meanwhile, led all receivers with seven catches for 97 yards and one score.

The Alabama offense put together a respectable evening, but the team's defense could have been much better as it allowed 367 yards of total offense and essentially fell apart in overtime.

This is the earliest a Saban-led team has put up two losses in a season since 2007, and his team will likely not be making an appearance in the College Football Playoff this year, which sparked shock among those on Twitter:

If Alabama doesn't make the College Football Playoff, it will make an appearance in a bowl game.

The Crimson Tide will face No. 11 Ole Miss next weekend before closing out the season against Austin Peay and Auburn.

Will Levis has been a controversial NFL draft prospect for fans who have seen his inconsistent play for Kentucky, but ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is undeterred because of the senior quarterback's tantalizing physical traits.

In his latest big board update, Kiper has Levis ranked as the No. 2 quarterback prospect and No. 4 overall player in the 2023 class, one spot ahead of Alabama's Bryce Young.

When 2023 draft rankings began rolling out, Levis' name being included among the top-10 players caught many off guard.

ESPN's Todd McShay projected Levis to go No. 8 overall in his way-too-early mock draft released in May.

"Levis needs to find more consistency, but he has a live arm and a big 6'3", 232-pound frame," McShay wrote. "He has thrived in the quick game at Kentucky, with a lot of run-pass options and screen-type stuff, but there are some Josh Allen-like traits here for new Giants coach Brian Daboll.

Even though McShay threw out the Josh Allen comparison, Kiper actually cited Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as a projection for Levis.

The main difference in evaluation between Levis and Young appears to be size. Levis is listed at 6'3" and 232 pounds on Kentucky's athletic website. Young comes in at 6'0" and 194 pounds, according to RollTide.com.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted NFL scouts expect Young's measurements will be closer to 5'10" and 190 pounds, and only two quarterbacks drafted in the past 25 years have been under six feet tall and 200 pounds (Seneca Wallace and Joe Hamilton).

Kiper wrote Young's arm strength is "more than good enough for him to be a great signal-caller at the next level."

Young is easier for casual draft observers to get a feel for because Alabama is on national television every week. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner also plays with a higher level of talent than Levis ever has in his college career.

Levis had a chance to elevate himself last week when Kentucky took on Tennessee in Knoxville. He turned in his worst performance of the season with just 98 yards passing, no touchdowns and three interceptions in a 44-6 loss.

No one will argue the Wildcats are on the same level as Tennessee as far as talent, but it would be nice to see a prospect who has a lot of questions about his ability to lead an NFL offense at least put up a strong fight under the national spotlight.

Julian Sayin, a 5-star quarterback in the class of 2024, has committed to play at Alabama.

"There's a lot to like about Alabama," Sayin said Wednesday, per Hank South of BamaOnLine, adding:

"I would say Bama is the standard for college football. When you go on Saturdays and turn on the TV and see that crimson, you think of Alabama. Coach Saban, being the greatest coach of all time, how could you not want to play for a guy like that? And then just the ability to produce NFL talent they have there. Their track record for quarterbacks is second to none."

Per 247Sports, Sayin received 24 offers, including ones from Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and USC. He is the second overall quarterback on the 247Sports composite list and the 14th-ranked prospect overall.

The 6'1", 185-pound signal-caller out of Carlsbad (California) High School joins a Crimson Tide class of 2024 that already included a trio of 4-star prospects in cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe, athlete Martavious Collins and wide receiver Perry Thompson.

It follows a class of 2023 listed first overall in the nation thanks in part to five 5-star prospects, including safety Caleb Downs.

Sayin gives Alabama the chance to have yet another stellar signal-caller. Mac Jones led Alabama to an undefeated championship-winning season in 2020, and Bryce Young has starred for the Crimson Tide each of the past two years.

Although Young is expected to head for the NFL draft in 2023, Sayin could be the next man up when he arrives in Tuscaloosa in 2024. It's a huge win for Alabama and a tough loss for SEC rivals Georgia and LSU, who were the other two finalists for Sayin.

The future Alabama product has enjoyed a great season for the Carlsbad Lancers, who are 9-1. He's completed 131 of 192 passes for 2,032 yards with 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions.