The Iron Bowl is a time honored tradition in the southeast and widely recognized as one of college football’s greatest rivalries. Named after the former steel industry in Birmingham, the contest between and has been played 87 times and frequently features the eventual Southeastern Conference representative from the West division.
Last year, the Iron Bowl served as a bit of a scare for No. 3 Alabama where Heisman quarterback Bryce Young and a team that would go on to play in the national championship needed four overtime periods to eventually defeat the unranked Tigers.
Young had no interest in making the game so suspenseful in his third and final Iron Bowl.
The top quarterback prospect for the upcoming 2023 NFL draft completed 20 of 30 passes for 343 yards, three touchdowns and a garbage-time interception to lead the Crimson Tide to a 49-27 victory over the Tigers. Young added five carries for 48 yards and an additional touchdown on the ground in a game that highlighted everything he’ll look to bring at the next level.
Bryce Young makes quarterback play just look so easy, he scores on plays like that while Stroud sticks his head in the sand trying to find the perfect pass
Slam dunk selection for Houston #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) November 26, 2022
Earlier that Saturday afternoon, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled to find rhythm and showed a relative hesitancy, if not complete inability, to produce out of structure, Young did the opposite. He was a consistent spark plug for the Alabama offense that consistently made the right play whether on the ground or through the air. The Crimson Tide only had nine third down opportunities in the game and they converted on six of them.
For Young, the game featured the pocket presence and accuracy that have NFL scouts perplexed on if his caliber of play can truly outweigh the diminutive frame he’s likely to bring to the league. His composure in the pocket, play extension and stability continue to highlight a player who looks likely to succeed in today’s NFL.
Many NFL mock drafts currently have general manager Nick Caserio selecting the quarterback with his first overall selection and using their additional 11 draft selections to bolster the roster around the new signal caller. It would appear that Young has finally separated from the pack.
Even ESPN’s lead draft analyst Todd McShay commented during the night on what separates Young and current-Heisman trophy front-runner Caleb Williams from the other quarterbacks in college football right now.
The difference between Caleb/Bryce and everyone else is poise under conflict. They know they can escape most car crashes, so why panic? It opens up some possibilities that most most QBs can’t imagine. Bryce should be QB1 in the 2023 draft and Caleb should be QB1 in 2024
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) November 27, 2022
The USC signal caller is not eligible until the 2024 NFL draft and is likely to set off a tanking marathon with many teams interested in securing the young quarterback’s services. Houston appears to be in a very luck situation where they likely won’t need to participate having already secured the services of the most talented quarterback of the Nick Saban era.
Young and his teammates will have to sit at home this weekend and likely watch LSU be stomped by Georgia during the SEC Championship Game. A New Year’s Six Bowl is definitively still in play, but they’ll need help if there’s any hope of making the College Football Playoff.
In the meantime, Houston fans can watch closely to see if Young or his teammate Will Anderson decide to sit out bowl season and prepare for the upcoming draft. There’s a good chance the two of them will dominate the offseason storylines.
