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Joel Klatt Compares 2024 Alabama To Lincoln Riley-era Oklahoma Teams

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Joel Klatt Compares 2024 Alabama To Lincoln Riley-era Oklahoma Teams


The post-Nick Saban era at Alabama has already created a remarkable high and an astonishing low. And college football commentator Joel Klatt thinks those types of results are likely to be much more common moving forward.

Appearing on The Next Round Live show, Klatt talked about how Alabama’s defensive struggles and offensive prowess remind him of the Oklahoma Sooners teams under Lincoln Riley. Instead of Saban’s suffocating defenses, the new Crimson Tide model will have to be outscoring their opposition.

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“This Bama team is just another version of the Lincoln Riley OU teams,” Klatt said. “Incredible explosive offense, and they’re gonna be in shootouts the rest of the way. I told you that after the South Florida game and that’s what they are.

“We’ve had four straight games of this. To think, all of a sudden, it’s going to get better — Alabama, right now, is just a Big 12 team from 2017. Bama is gonna have to score 45 PPG in conference to win the rest of their games.”

Alabama Crimson Tide Exemplify The New SEC

Klatt has a point; Alabama’s defense has taken a step, if not several steps, backward in 2024. Per ESPN’s SP+ metric ranking system, the Crimson Tide are 13th in defensive efficiency, and No. 1 in offensive efficiency. Some of that defensive ranking, though, incorporates preseason projections. 

Riley’s Oklahoma teams rarely came close to reaching the top 15 in defensive efficiency. The 2017 Sooners team that finished 12-2 was first in SP+ offense, but 43rd in defense. Alabama’s rankings may adjust further downward as the season progresses and preseason expectations are given less and less weight. But they’re hardly an exception in the modern SEC.

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The conference’s reputation was built on the toughest defenses in the country, and for good reason. This year, however, the shift toward offense is obvious.

Per SP+ again, this is where the conference’s top teams rank in offensive efficiency:

  • 1) Alabama
  • 2) Texas
  • 3) LSU
  • 6) Georgia
  • 7) Ole Miss
  • 10) Florida
  • 13) Tennessee
  • 15) Missouri

The top three offenses are all in the SEC, six in the top 10, and eight in the top 15. It’s an offense-first league these days. 

There’s also a reason Nick Saban is the best college coach in the sport’s history. It’s virtually impossible to fill his shoes or replicate his success. What he was able to do, especially in the latter half of his career, was marrying modern offensive concepts with exceptional defensive coaching, talent evaluation and play calling. The question for Alabama now becomes, will it be the new Riley-era Oklahoma, or can the Tide fix their defensive issues on the fly in the middle of the season. 

With elite offenses like Tennessee, Missouri and LSU, as well as tough matchups against Oklahoma and Auburn on the schedule, they, and we, are going to get the answer quickly.





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YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort

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YMCA of South Alabama holds Healthy Kids Day in Spanish Fort


SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) – The YMCA of South Alabama held a Healthy Kids Day at Spanish Fort Town Center Park.

Saturday’s event featured games and demonstrations, along with interactive activities featuring police and fire vehicles.

“I think just seeing so many organizations come together that serve kids, and just seeing kids have fun,” said Gwen Summer, CEO of the YMCA of South Alabama.

Marissa Rennaker, director of development for the YMCA of South Alabama, said the event exposed children to new activities.

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“I think it’s been seeing all the kids laugh and try different things that they probably haven’t tried before,” Rennaker said. “There was a big group doing pickleball and yoga. We had ballet earlier, so just getting them out and exposed to things, I think it’s been great.”

The event was designed to kick off a healthy, active summer.

The YMCA of South Alabama is located at 27080 Pollard Road in Daphne.

Copyright 2026 WALA. All rights reserved.



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Former Alabama superstar signs massive extension with NFL team

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Former Alabama superstar signs massive extension with NFL team


Former Alabama star Will Anderson Jr. has reportedly signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Houston Texans, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

Anderson instantly solidified himself as one of the top defensive players in football throughout his rookie campaign in 2023. The star defensive end was named as the Rookie of the Year in 2023, as Anderson’s extension will officially keep him in Houston long-term, as well as make him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Anderson recorded an impressive 12 sacks on the Texans’ defensive line in 2025, as the former Alabama star has made history following his head turning extension with Houston. 

Anderson was nothing short of a superstar throughout his time at Alabama.  Houston drafted the talented lineman with the third overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, as Anderson was widely regarded as one of the top overall selections from his class. 

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The former Crimson Tide superstar has officially inked a massive extension with the Texans, as Anderson will undoubtedly continue playing a critical role on Houston’s defensive line over the coming seasons. 

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





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Alabama Baseball Strikes Out 17 Times in Noncompetitive Loss to Texas

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Alabama Baseball Strikes Out 17 Times in Noncompetitive Loss to Texas


Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn said that No. 4 Texas would be “hungry” against the No. 11Crimson Tide coming off its first series loss of the season to Texas A&M.

The Longhorns certainly were, as they pounced all over Vaughn’s team, striking out 17 Alabama batters en route to a 10-2 win.

“The story of the game was they just kind of kicked our tail in every phase tonight,” Vaughn said.

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Alabama starter Tyler Fay had been elite over his past four starts, dating back to his complete-game no-hitter against Florida, allowing just six earned runs over the 26.0 innings pitched in those games. That changed instantly on Friday evening, as leadoff batter Aiden Robbins opened the game with a double and catcher Carson Tinney took him deep for a two-run blast moments later.

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Texas added a third run in the first off an Ethan Mendoza RBI double, setting the tone for a dominant day. Alabama did not record a hit until the fourth inning as Longhorn ace Dylan Volantis tore through batters, striking out 12 over six innings.

Fay ended up going 5.1 innings, just the second time he did not make it through the sixth. The other, against Auburn, was only due to Vaughn wanting to keep his pitch count down in the wake of the no-hitter. He allowed season-highs of seven earned runs and 12 hits in the loss.

The Longhorns added a run each in the third and the fifth, before Alabama put the slightest amount of pressure on Texas in the top of the sixth. Bryce Fowler and Justin Lebron scored on the basepaths off an error and a wild pitch, respectively, to cut the Texas lead to three runs.

“You’ve got to find ways to score,” Vaughn said. “Those two guys just created two runs for us, and did a great job creating those runs and we crawl back in at 5-2, and it’s like, ‘Let’s go back to work…’ So thought we had that chance in those middle innings.”

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The Longhorns effectively put the game to bed in the next frame, responding with three runs as Fay was relieved by Connor Lehman. Texas would add two more runs on the day, with the only silver lining coming in the fact that Alabama avoided a run-rule.

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The Crimson Tide has now lost four straight SEC games after winning three consecutive series. Zane Adams takes the mound with the series on the line on Saturday, in a game that has been moved up to 12 p.m. CT due to anticipated rain in Austin.

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