Even though Alabama has not put up wins in every game this year, one thing has proven to be consistent across all three contests: the Alabama passing game has shown promise.
Against Louisiana-Monroe last week and now Wisconsin, it has done more than just show promise; it has delivered.
Ty Simpson led Alabama to another blowout victory over Wisconsin – Alabama’s second such victory over the Badgers in two years – and for the second week in a row the only question was whether Simpson would throw an incomplete pass. A handful of drops from the wide receiver group ensured that it happened, but it didn’t matter. Simpson was surgical in his precision, and there’s now a real question as to whether Alabama has the conference’s best quarterback so far in 2025.
A much bigger development, though, was the continued improvement of a defense that already had few true believers in the preseason, then lost most of whatever faithful had assembled on its side after the opening-week loss at Florida State. But after pitching a shutout against ULM, the defense actually performed better this week against a better opponent, giving up a single touchdown (the kick return unit was responsible for Wisconsin’s other score) and holding the Badger offense to around 200 total yards.
Whether Alabama can turn the same trick against Georgia in two weeks remains to be seen. The game will be in Athens, and Georgia’s offense looked suddenly potent in an overtime win over Tennessee in Knoxville today. Alabama has struggled on the road the last couple of seasons, and Georgia is a lot closer to Florida State in terms of program strength than it is to an overmatched Wisconsin team or a tomato can like ULM.
However, that doesn’t mean the current win can’t be celebrated. Wisconsin has been riddled with injuries at important spots, not the least of which is quarterback and center, but the Badgers are still likely to make the postseason out of a Power 5 conference. Alabama needed to show that it could open a lead and then keep its foot on the gas until the game was out of reach for the Badgers, and the Crimson Tide did just that.
Conversely, the Alabama defense needed to contribute; this couldn’t just be another offensive explosion leaning into a scoring fest on the part of the Bama offense. In the end, Alabama’s defense played just as much a part in the win as the offense did, turning the Badgers over twice, getting some much-needed quarterback pressure from the players up front, and keeping the Wisconsin offense from ever finding something it could lean upon.
This is beginning to feel not completely unlike the 2024 season, when Alabama parlayed a solid performance on the road against Wisconsin into a mind-blowing victory over Georgia the following game. The difference, of course, is not just in the locations of those two games, but the fact that this Alabama team already has a loss on its record. The margins to get into the College Football Playoff are already slim for this team and a loss to Georgia would burn the last possible wild card in Bama’s deck.
Whatever happens in two weeks, there’s no doubt Alabama has answered the bell following the horrific effort in the FSU opener. Alabama has appeared prepared, focused and determined in its wins over ULM and Wisconsin, and you can’t find a bigger wave in the whole ocean than the one Ty Simpson is riding right now.
Here’s the Five-Point Breakdown for Alabama-Wisconsin.
1. This is the offense Bama fans saw when watching Washington in 2023, and it goes back to QB play. Kalen DeBoer clearly likes wide-open concepts and an offense that passes to set up the run. Whether that’s possible within the culture of Alabama football is one thing; the way the offense is put together is completely dependent on effective quarterback play, and Alabama has it in 2025. Even against Florida State, Ty Simpson took care of the football and scrambled to escape pressure. In games against ULM and Wisconsin, when Simpson wasn’t picking himself up off the turf every 30 seconds, he’s been the most significant change in the offense from the transitional 2024 season. It will take a couple of years before historians get their arms around exactly what Alabama was doing – or was forced to do, depending on your perspective – when it built an offense around the asymmetrical skillset of Jalen Milroe. Ty Simpson’s growth as a quarterback, though, makes it possible to dream a bit. DeBoer’s 2023 Washington offense was one of the hardest offenses in the country to handle, despite not running the ball all that effectively – the Huskies ranked in the triple digits in passing offense. We’ll see how far Simpson’s arm can take the Tide, but at this point in the season, we’re not putting any artificial limits on it.
2. Defensive improvement was clear in this game; it started with better line play. We profiled Wisconsin to have the edge in both OL-DL cross-matchups, but we were at least half wrong there. It’s still debatable how well the Alabama offensive line did in all phases of the game, but the Alabama defensive line more than held serve against the Wisconsin offensive line – for that matter, we’d say Alabama won the day there. Alabama held Wisconsin to 209 total yards and only 92 on the ground. Better yet, there was an increased level of pressure up front – four sacks and a disruptive environment that lasted all game. True freshman London Simmons got his first career sack and added a QB hurry. Isaia Faga was also effective with pressure and LB Yhonzae Pierre recorded a hurry and a sack, too. It was good to see a variety of players making a difference up front, even against a depleted Wisconsin offensive line that sorely missed having a healthy Jake Renfro in the middle. We’re hoping that Alabama’s defense will continue to show more looks up front and dial up the pressure as the season goes along, as it did in 2024.
3. Secondary did a solid job shutting down the Wisconsin passing game; S Bray Hubbard back to form. With the exception of a 41-yard touchdown over CB Zabien Brown in a one-on-one situation, Alabama’s secondary did its job very well. Alabama held Wisconsin to 117 yards passing and forced two interceptions, both to S Bray Hubbard, who was clearly stung by criticism over his play against Florida State. Hubbard was a revelation in 2024 after taking over for the then-injured Keon Sabb, but he came under fire for a charge of loafing in the loss to the Seminoles. Since then, he’s played with a mad-on and it really showed up in this win. Alabama was able to create negative situations for Wisconsin using the secondary – Domani Jackson was awarded a QB hurry off corner pressure, among other things – which bodes well for later games on the schedule. Keeping Hubbard upset at himself wouldn’t hurt going forward, either.
4. Return of Ryan Williams added an extra gear to the Bama offense. Not much to say about this one beyond the headline. Having Ryan Williams available makes the offense go from explosive to potentially nuclear. Williams’ second touchdown of the today showed off his superior body control; his first touchdown was a showcase for his speed. Williams’ hands are still a bit nervous, but Bama is certainly better with him than without him. Germie Bernard was already making a case for being the best receiver in the SEC this year; having Williams working opposite of him is almost unfair.
5. Running game is still deficient, and the problem is shared between RB and OL groups. Kevin Riley had a better game than his stat line showed, but going back to our comments about DeBoer’s 2023 Washington offense, that Husky team at least had Dillon Johnson racking up 1,100-plus yards. Alabama is not nearly on pace to have an 1,100-yard rusher on this team, and it’s not necessarily all on the running backs. The offensive line again struggled at times. LT Kadyn Proctor did not have his best game, and guard play continues to need work. We feel Alabama will be better once Jaeden Roberts reclaims his right guard position, but that isn’t the only spot that needs work. Backup RT Michael Carroll again gained notice with his play, but starter Wilkin Formby was himself improved over the past two weeks. As for the running backs, Akylin Dear continues to push from the end of the depth chart, and Dre’lyn Washington had his best game so far for the Crimson Tide. But Alabama ran for only 72 yards on the day and co-starter Richard Young was completely ineffective. We’re not sure when Alabama will get Jam Miller back – it has been hinted that Miller will return for the Georgia game – but Alabama needs to use the off-week to get its offensive line on track.
Follow Jess Nicholas on X at @TideFansJessN