Alabama lineman relays his coach's blunt verdict: the Tennessee loss was an embarrassment

Alabama's offensive line got the message loud and clear after the 26-10 loss at Tennessee. Sophomore guard Michael Carroll said position coach Adrian Klemm told the unit its performance against the Volunteers was an embarrassment, and that the group has to come together and make sure it never happens again.

The numbers explain the frustration. Tennessee's pass rush spent the afternoon in Alabama's backfield, sacking quarterback Keelon Russell five times, the most the Crimson Tide have given up in a game this season. The Volunteers controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish in the Week 7 meeting, and Alabama's front never found an answer.

Carroll's comments amount to an admission from inside the Alabama locker room that Tennessee simply won the trenches. The Crimson Tide still have their season goals in front of them, but a second loss leaves little margin, and the issues up front have now followed them for a couple of weeks.

For Tennessee, the remarks are outside confirmation of what the scoreboard already showed. The Vols' defensive front did not just slow Alabama down; it dominated, and that kind of line play is exactly what Tennessee will need to pack for the road trip to South Carolina.