Welcome to Alabama's Bye Week: Takeaways, Depth and Discipline on Fernandez & Friends

Alabama survived the Aggies. It wasn't the prettiest of games, but the Crimson Tide's 31-20 win over Texas A&M keeps the season alive and builds some confidence heading into the bye week. Today's episode of Fernandez & Friends opens with Theo Fernandez and Laura Vale reacting to the team's performance.

Talk then shifted to Alabama's sloppiness. The Crimson Tide has been plagued by everything from dropped passes to pre-snap penalties to missed tackles, and it has to change after the bye if the team is going to reach its ceiling.

The next topic was AK Dear. The sophomore running back did not see the field against Texas A&M in a game where EJ Crowell was out, and Alabama averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. Kalen DeBoer's statements about Dear in Birmingham on Monday do not paint a promising picture of this changing over the rest of the season.

The final Alabama-centered topic of the show was the suspension of defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. DeBoer stated that he is not with the program, marking the second straight season he has been suspended for disciplinary issues.

The show ends with a conversation about scheduling. The nine-game SEC slate has proven to be an absolute gauntlet, not just for Alabama but for the entire conference. We speculate on how teams should try to arrange their nonconference games as today's episode concludes.

Fernandez & Friends is Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's bi-weekly program. The show is hosted by beat writer Theo Fernandez, who has spent the past two years as the cohost of the Joe Gaither Show, the site's other podcast.

The show will offer fresh, fast-paced content every Tuesday and Thursday morning, as Fernandez reacts to news, analyzes and previews games, and talks about everything relevant in the Alabama sports landscape. There will also be an emphasis placed on interviewing Crimson Tide recruits across sports, giving the fanbase an early look at some of the players they will be watching in Tuscaloosa over the coming years.

Call (205) 462-7340 Extension 800 to leave your thoughts in a voicemail, and you'll be featured on the show. This is the same number used for the Joe Gaither Show, so be sure to specify which program you are calling in for. You can also join us live in the comment sections on all of BamaCentral's social media platforms on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:15 a.m. CT.

The show can be seen on the BamaCentral YouTube channel. Keep up with each show on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Shows can also be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google