Alabama Loads Up On 'GOAT Fuel' In Second Half To Defeat Ole Miss, Handing SEC West Title To LSU

All Alabama needed was a little 'GOAT Fuel' in the second half to run past Ole Miss, while Lane Kiffin could only watch his team's SEC West title hopes vanish. Thanks to their defense and Bryce Young, Alabama defeated the Rebels 30-24, granting LSU an SEC title game appearance.

Alabama wouldn't be denied in the fourth quarter, even with Jahmyr Gibbs not getting a touch in the second half. All of the talk this week of the Tide having its dynasty come to an end or talk of the program going in the opposite direction were put to bed.

The conversation about Nick Saban and whether his team could respond after the loss to LSU was 'GOAT fuel' to the fire in Tuscaloosa. Whether they admit it or not, talk of Alabama's early demise were greatly exaggerated, considering this team lost two games that came down to the final possession.

Turns out, Alabama would finally end up winning a game that came down to the final possession, as the Tide kept Ole Miss out of the end zone on the final play.

The Bryce Young Effect

It did not matter that Alabama was struggling in the first quarter to establish any type of offense, they had Bryce Young to get them going. Letting the Tide establish a running game or giving them a short field was the downfall for the Rebels.

If there was ever a time for Bryce Young to leave his stamp on the game, it came when he scrambled for the first down at the 5:05 mark, leaving the Oxford crowd speechless.

"Our guys really competed in this game, I mean they really played hard in the second half," Saban said after the game. "We stubbed our toes a lot in the first half, but we just kept playing the next play. That's the kind of identity we really wanted to reestablish in the program.

"I am so proud of these players for what they did tonight," he added. "That was great, Ole Miss played a really good game."

Also, it was the Alabama defense that stepped up in the second half, only allowing 22 yards rushing in the third quarter from Ole Miss. This came after the Rebels rushed for 89 yards in the first quarter.

Dallas Turner of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Deontae Lawson celebrate after a play against Ole Miss. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

All week, the talk of this game centered around how Ole Miss could keep itself in contention for the SEC West, while Alabama was salivating at the opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong.

Alabama Win Guarantees LSU The SEC West Title

Thanks to the Alabama win, LSU will now head to Atlanta to represent the west division. After beating Arkansas earlier in the day, the Tigers needed Nick Saban and the Tide to deliver the final punch to the Rebels' chances of an SEC West title. Now, LSU can focus on winning out, which includes games against UAB and Texas A&M.

For the second year in a row, Lane Kiffin was denied the opportunity to coach for an SEC Championship, after going 11-1 in the 2021 regular season.

For all the talk of Saban falling off after two losses this season, his team showed they still had enough fight left in them for the road win. The seventh-straight win over Ole Miss couldn't have come at a better time for Alabama, with this squad needing to show it wasn't folding up the chairs for the season.

Now, Alabama will still be sitting at home on the first weekend of December, but I imagine preventing Ole Miss from being there is a nice consolation prize.