Some Bama fans and national pundits are saying that the Tide gave the game away with a pair of fourth quarter interceptions. But that fails to give credit to the Rebel defense -- particularly Nkemdiche and Haynes -- for forcing the issue.
In modern football, the teams that win are the teams that can throw the ball and pressure opposing quarterbacks. It's not quite that simple in a micro-level, but averages suggest the teams that can do those things well will win. In fact, NFL analyst Bucky Brooks has quarterback and pass rusher as his two most important positions to NFL teams.