Alabama QB Keelon Russell is Getting Betrayed by His Own Teammates

Anyone who watched the Alabama Crimson Tide's loss to the Tennessee Volunteers last Saturday remembers Keelon Russell running for his life throughout the contest.

Russell had virtually zero time to throw at any point in the game, which was why he had what was probably his worst performance of the season.

The sophomore went 19-for-29 with 147 yards, a couple of interceptions and a fumble, and to be quite frank, it was a miracle he even completed 19 passes.

Alabama's offensive line was overwhelmed by the Volunteers' defensive front from the jump, and it didn't get any better at any point in the game.

The Crimson Tide have now surrendered 21 sacks through seven games, which is the second-worst mark in the SEC. They also rank 131st nationally in that category.

Alabama has been awful in the trenches, and it showed in particular over the last couple of weeks against a pair of really tough defenses in Georgia and Tennessee.

I've seen some people argue that Russell held on to the ball too long on Saturday, but I'm not sure that argument holds too much weight. Did you not see how quickly those Tennessee defenders got into Alabama's backfield?

The Crimson Tide will be facing a must-win game against the Texas A&M Aggies this weekend, and their offensive line needs to make Russell trust them again.

Because right now, Russell should be fearful of his own teammates.

The problem? Top wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams will be out for the second straight week, so Russell will have to improvise even more. That puts even further pressure on the offensive line to provide adequate protection, and that has been a problem.

On the bright side, Texas A&M is not Tennessee. While the Vols have racked up 30 sacks on the year to lead the SEC, the Aggies have accumulated a grand total of five, which ranks last in the conference and is only better than three teams in the country.

So, Alabama's offensive line should be able to do a better job this weekend by default. It should also help to hopefully get center Racin Delgatty back.

All of that being said, Russell has had a tremendous debut campaign for 'Bama thus far, especially given the circumstances.

But at this point, it seems like the five guys in front of him are doing their best to sabotage it. We'll see if Alabama can more appropriately protect Russell this Saturday.