Blowout loss shows Alabama may not be enough against elite offenses

The Alabama Crimson Tide suffered a thrashing at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, and the 117-95 score in front of a national audience was more than just embarrassing. It could signal real trouble for a team hoping to make a splash next month.

The game featured two elite scoring units, and the Tide offense played well. The issues arose where they have for much of the season, as the already suspect defense validated the worst fears of the fanbase with a historically bad performance. In fact, those 117 points are the most Kentucky, one of the most storied programs in the sport, has ever put up against a ranked opponent. 

To make matters worse, it wasn't as if Alabama didn't show up ready to play. The Tide was very much in the game for the first 10 minutes, trading lead changes and looking every bit the team that sat atop the SEC standings. 

A 29-28 lead quickly became an insurmountable 48-31 deficit for the Tide, and a solo spot atop the conference is now shared with Tennessee, which already beat down the Tide once this year.

All it took was one cold stretch against a strong offensive team and the rout was on. To this point in the year, Alabama has shown it can overcome poor three-point shooting, but the defense just isn't good enough to keep the Tide in games against the sport's top offenses.

Joe Gaither of Sports Illustrated's BamaCentral noted the teams that have beaten Alabama all have something in common.