3 Clear Alabama Weaknesses Exposed by Duke in Week 1

The average college football fan might catch a few highlights of the Alabama Crimson Tide's utter destruction of the Duke Blue Devils over the weekend and think it's simply par for the course for Nick Saban's men: beating up against lower-tier teams.

However, the lopsided 42-3 scoreline didn't tell the entire story, as Duke exposed a few of Alabama's weaknesses during the contest. Let's highlight some of those shortcomings, shall we?

3. Woeful Kicking Situation

It would appear that Nick Saban bamboozled us hyping up kicker Will Reichard all offseason. The undisputed No. 1 leg in the 2019 rankings missed his only two field-goal attempts against Duke. Sure, they weren't chip shots (48 and 49 yards), but Reichard was drilling 50-yarders in the preseason. At some point, Alabama's kicking woes are going to maim them when it matters most.

2. Offense Needs Everybody On the Field

Three of the Crimson's Tide imposing offensive weapons -- Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, and Brian Robinson -- were all on the sidelines for the first quarter due to a suspension stemming from missing a team function. To say that Tua Tagovailoa and the gang missed their presence wouldn't even begin to describe their missed impact -- the offense put up a ZERO in the first quarter. It really is no coincidence that 'Bama scored on the first drive after the trio was inserted. They finished with two touchdowns and 129 yards on 27 touches. Saban and Co. had better hope Harris, Smith, and Robinson shape up because any future moratorium could spell big time trouble.

1. Struggling Offensive Line

A potential flaw heading into the season was evidently personified against the Blue Devils, as Alabama running backs finished with only 145 yards on 42 carries (good for a 3.45 YPC), 54 of which came in the fourth quarter when the game wasn't a game anymore. Tua Tagovailoa wasn't necessarily running for his life as he was only sacked once, but he had to evade Duke pressure much more than we anticipated.