Henderson: Monday Morning Quarterback on Alabama Football

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Saban Presser | Jalen Hurts | Damien Harris

Today Kyle Henderson of BamaInsider.com provides his five takeaways from the Alabama/Arkansas game, looks at the CFB playoff picture, notable stats, and recruiting.

1. Arkansas was terrible and besides Texas A&M, Alabama really hasn't played any impressive teams in my opinion. I think Florida State was good for the first half.

Here is a look at Alabama's opponent's records to date

Week 1: Florida State 2-3

Week 2: Fresno State 4-2

Week 3: Colorado State 5-2

Week 4: Vanderbilt 3-4

Week 5: Ole Miss 3-3

Week 6: Texas A&M 5-2

Week 7: Arkansas 2-4

Week 8: Tennessee 3-3

Week 9: Open

Week 10 LSU 5-2

Week 11: @ Miss. State 4-2

Week 12: Mercer 4-3

Week 13: Auburn 5-2

2. The defense will lead this team as far as they want to go. Currently, the Alabama defense is allowing just 66.7 rushing yards per game (1st in the Nation) and has now forced a turnover in 34 consecutive games. Overall, Alabama is allowing 254-yards of offense per game, which is fourth in the Nation behind, No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Washington, and No. 3 Georgia.

3. Alabama's offense does well when sped up. When Alabama is in up-tempo offensive format, they are very tough to stop. Just ask Arkansas. On Saturday evening against the Razorbacks, they scored on drives of 15 seconds, 1:27, 3:03, 3:19, 2:51, and 2:10.

4. Ronnie Harrison a 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior safety continues to improve his draft stock. With tons of NFL Scouts in attendance during the Arkansas game, Harrison played extremely well in the secondary and led the team in tackles with 10, six of those were solo tackles.

5. Here are my Alabama running back rankings right now. Damien Harris > Bo Scarbrough > Josh Jacbobs > Najee Harris > Brian Robinson. This is how I would rank the running backs right now. Jacobs seems like he is just a play away from busting a big run, Najee is just a complete back with tremendous strength and he is the complete package. While I'd like to see more of Damien, having these guys fresh and healthy going into week eight is the most important thing. Scarbrough reeled off a few big runs last night, longest of 21-yards and also had a run of 18-yards.

Season Stats

82 of 130 passing for 1,025-yards (63.1%) with 8 touchdowns and 1 interception.

QB Rating of 148.1 (Last year QB Rating was 139.1)

Has rushed for 558-yards and 6 touchdowns

Total yards: 1,583-yards and 14 touchdowns

Now second on Alabama quarterback career rushing list

Jalen Hurts’ 41 rushing yards against Arkansas tonight moves him into second place on the Alabama quarterback career rushing list with 1,512 yards. The sophomore is now averaging of 68.7 yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry in 22 career games. Harry Gilmer (1944-47) tops the chart with 2,025 yards. Hurts’ total also ranks No. 32 on Alabama’s all-time career rushing list.

Now tied for fourth on UA Career touchdown responsibility list

Jalen Hurts’ two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) against Arkansas tonight moves him into a tie for fourth place with Shaun Alexander (1996-99) on the Alabama career touchdown responsibility list with 50. Hurts was tied with Mark Ingram (2008-10) entering the A&M game. Harry Gilmer (1944-47) is third with 52. Hurts has thrown 31 career touchdown passes and rushed for 19 career scores.

No. 1 Alabama will host Tennessee this weekend at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game which is a 2:30 p.m. CT kick on CBS features Alabama at 7-0 against the Volunteers who are 3-3 and who have lost their last two games under Head Coach Butch Jones.

Tennessee vs. Alabama dubbed the “Third Saturday in October” is one of the Southeast’s biggest rivalry games, but for Alabama, the game as of late has not been much of a game with Alabama winning the last 10 meetings dating back to 2007. Last season, Alabama dropped the hammer on Tennessee in Knoxville winning 49-10.

Here is how I have the College Football Playoffs as of October 16, 2017.

1. Alabama (7-0)

2. Penn State (6-0)

3. Georgia (7-0)

4. TCU (6-0)

Looking at the remaining schedule of each team

Alabama 7-0

Tennessee

LSU (Will be tough because it's LSU)

@ MS State (trap game)

Mercer

@ Auburn (Throw out record game)

Penn State 6-0

Michigan (Could likely lose)

@ Ohio State (Tough to win on the road, especially after Michigan)

@ Michigan State (Makes for a tough three-game stretch. Yikes)

Rutgers

Nebraska

@ Maryland

Georgia 7-0

Florida (Tough game)

South Carolina (Could be close)

@ Auburn (Will be close)

Kentucky (Trap game)

@ Georgia Tech (Rivalry game)

TCU 6-0

Kansas

@ Iowa State

Texas (Tough game)

@ Oklahoma (Likely to lose here)

@ Texas Tech (If undefeated, trap game)

Baylor

Wisconsin 6-0

Maryland

@ Illinois

@ Indiana

Iowa

Michigan (Tough game)

@ Minnesota

Ohio State 6-1

Penn State (Tough game)

@ Iowa (Sometimes Iowa is tough to beat)

Michigan State (Tough game)

Illinois

@ Michigan (Throw out records)

Total Offense: Alabama rankings 15th averaging 484.9-yards per game

Total Passing: Alabama is ranked 101 averaging 182.3-yards per game

Total Rushing: Alabama is ranked 7th averaging 302.6-yards per game

Total Defense: Alabama is ranked 4th allowing 254.3-yards per game

Total Passing Defense: Alabama is ranked 25th allowing 187.6-yards per game

Total Rushing Defense: Alabama is ranked 1st allowing 66.7-yards per game

Turnover Margin: Alabama is ranked 5th with a TO margin of +11 (1.57 per game)

The Crimson Tide has 11 commitments as we enter week eight of the College Football season. Time to panic? That is the question many recruiting fans have been asking themselves, over the weekend Alabama hosted some major targets.

Rivals100 DE Tyreke Smith is headed back home from his official visit to Tuscaloosa tomorrow and we'll have a full update with him then. In the meantime, though, he dropped me a note tonight and said:

"It's going great! They are showing me nothing but love. I'm glad I took this visit because I definitely got a better feel for the coaches and I improved our relationship." Continue reading here

From Rivals.com Analyst Josh Helmholdt

On Brenton Cox

"All of the coaches talked to me before and after the game and they are making me feel like a big priority for them," said Cox. "They talked to me more than anything about the playing time I could get if I go there.

"The main reason I am still looking at Alabama is just the way that they dominate people. I liked the way they played and dominated Arkansas Saturday.

Continue Reading Here

From Rivals.com's Chad Simmons

Luke Ford, Rivals100 tight end from Carterville High School in Illinois, returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time this season to see Alabama defeat Arkansas 41-9. Ford, a former Arkansas commitment, enjoyed the return trip.

"The visit was amazing," Ford said. "I got to talk with Coach Saban in his office before the game and talked to him after. They treated my mom, my friend and I like gold. Coach Saban talked about the depth chart and how I am needed. Continue Reading Here

From BamaInsider.com's Andrew Bone

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