The Coleman Coliseum did not sound like it housed over 13 thousand in audience on Wednesday. The Crimson Tide had managed to bring down the cheers to quite mumbles by the time the buzzer sounded. “We’re going to have to figure it out,” Nate Oats uttered as Bama suffered a 4th loss in 6 games— a position far from being the no.1 team in the country that was a possibility just weeks ago. Is he still holding out hopes? A definite yes. Are the odds in his favor? You’ll find out.

Nearing a regular season end, Alabama hasn’t been the team they started the season with. Or shall we blame it on the gruelling 7-game stretch against ranked opponents? Either way, not a good picture for the Crimson Tide who were in SEC’s first-ever no.1 vs no.2 clash last month. Their latest upset? A frustrating 99-94 loss to Florida at home, where Alabama got bullied on the boards and struggled to get stops when it mattered most. Now, with Auburn up next, things aren’t getting any easier.

ESPN’s Rece Davis is starting to sound the alarm.

“It just seems like they haven’t quite found their rhythm, and the guys haven’t quite played to their capabilities, consistently enough,” Davis said, summing up what many Alabama fans have been thinking. The Crimson Tide have talent, but something feels off.

That was clear against Florida, where Alabama got worked on the glass.

The Gators dominated the boards, out-rebounding Alabama 50-35 and grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. Alabama struggled to contain Florida’s interior attack, allowing 52 in the paint, and Oats isn’t too thrilled about the 22 fast break points either. The rebounding struggles aren’t new, but they’ve become glaring.

Jarin Stevenson, expected to be a steady inside presence, hasn’t lived up to that role, and so is the case with Grant Nelson. Not only could they manage just 2 and 4 rebounds, respectively, in the last game, but the freshman has only ever exploded once for a 20-point performance. Moreover, Alabama’s offense is too dependent on the three-ball. When the shots fall, they look unstoppable. When they don’t, they look lost.

That trend continued in their first matchup against Auburn. 

The top-ranked Tigers took down No. 2 Alabama, 94-85, at Coleman Coliseum, handing the Crimson Tide their 4th loss of the season. Fresh off an explosive 100-point outing, Alabama’s shooting went ice-cold. Auburn’s defense would hold down the team to just 19% from beyond the arc. Falling behind by as many as 14, Alabama fought back to tie the game at 65 with eight minutes left, but they never managed to take the lead. It was the first time in the Nate Oats era that his team failed to grab at least a momentary advantage in a game.

Still a number no.1 ranked team in the country, Nate Oats isn’t going to have it easy against the Tigers on Saturday. Davis agrees too. “It remains to be seen whether they can get things fixed. Certainly Saturday won’t be the place,” he added.

The recent games have given Oats a good taste of their flaws. Transition, rebounding, and energy– the HC has clicked a picture. If only he could use it to end the regular season on a winning note.

Nate Oats is searching for answers

Oats didn’t sugarcoat things after their loss to Florida either. “It doesn’t matter what your game plan is if you don’t get back on defense and you can’t get a rebound,” he said. Against Auburn, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.

The Tigers continue to prove why they deserve the number spot in the country. They have torn through the toughest schedule in college basketball, racking up 16 Quad 1 wins—more than anyone else. They cruised to an SEC title and are sitting in the same statistical stratosphere as ‘99 Duke and ‘12 Kentucky. “I had no expectations that this team would be this good,” Bruce Pearl admitted.

So what’s Alabama supposed to do? Mark Sears has to take over. The defense has to lock in. The energy has to match Auburn’s. And after the Tigers snatched away the regular season title, he is all the more determined to set on his revenge mission. The head coach is gonna need that intensity as he tries to decode their opponents.

“We’re going to have to figure it out before we go to Auburn. We’ve got to go to the No. 1 team in the country to their place. It’s going to be a tough game for us there. We’re playing for SEC and NCAA Tournament seeding,” Oats admitted.

Right now, Auburn is the standard. Oats and Alabama are still searching for a way to catch up.