This is an opinion column.

Disgusted?

Disinterest?

Perhaps bored?

The game of translating Nick Saban’s body language every time ESPN cut to his luxury suite became more of a barometer for the Crimson Tide consciousness as Saturday night wore on.

There to have the Bryant-Denny Stadium grass officially dedicated in his honor, Saban’s less-than-celebratory face spoke for practically everyone in crimson.

The 42-16 final score was more deceiving than any political ad — clearly better than what happened in South Bend or Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday — but reason for concern nonetheless.

Lost in the Rammer Jammer was the 21-16 score with 6:45 to play. South Florida held the knife to Alabama’s throat and opted for a field goal instead of the potential tying touchdown, and it all unraveled from there.

Cowardice was punished.

The final scoreboard, a liar.

And Alabama is left with serious questions written all over Saban’s thousand-yard stare.

Like in his last season coaching, South Florida was a September headache that exposed cracks in Alabama’s early momentum.

That opening night 63-0 clinic of Western Kentucky felt like a fever dream most of the following Saturday that started poorly, got worse, and then somehow became a cosmetic blowout.

It’s crazy because there were few things the field’s namesake hated more than playing poorly and winning—especially with a 26-point margin of victory. This created a sense of invincibility that bit Saban teams when false comfort settled into locker rooms.

A year ago, the 17-3 win in Tampa became a rallying cry for a wounded Crimson Tide team that lost by 10 to Texas a week earlier. It looked particularly bleak in 2023 after Jalen Milroe was benched against the Bulls, but his response became the theme of a playoff run.

Kalen DeBoer’s first Alabama team will need something similar after an uninspiring tribute to its retired coach.

Because it was rough.

Two first-half touchdowns were called back for penalties — one of which was a 74-yard scramble from Milroe.

Then there were the fumbles.

Three of them after halftime. One on the goal line when Alabama led just 14-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Sure, 42-16, right.

But this had all the elements of the slow-motion train wreck upsets that dotted the nation this Saturday.

Thirteen penalties for 120 yards. Five offensive holding flags.

Thirteen third downs, five conversions.

Three lost fumbles. Three sacks. Close to a dozen times Milroe was left running for his life?

Just look at the six possessions that followed Alabama’s 11-play, 75-yard touchdown march late in the first half.

• 3 plays, -11 yards
• Fumbled second-half kickoff
• 3 plays, -14 yards
• 2 plays, 14 yards (fumble)
• 3 plays, 3 yards
• 3 plays, 5 yards
• 11 plays, 51 yards (fumble)

Woof.

Frankly stunning for a No. 4-ranked team with a veteran QB getting Heisman hype. This wasn’t an offense going for the throat of a G5 team but clock-watching, hoping to escape.

Credit is due for finishing strong, scoring touchdowns on the final four possessions against a South Florida defense that was gassed from holding the Tide to 189 yards through three quarters.

Alabama more than doubled that in the final 15 minutes with 204 yards. It rushed for 137 in the fourth after netting just 57 on 31 attempts (1.8 average) before that.

That’s not how a top-5 team performs against a team from the AAC.

Show up with offensive line play like that against Georgia in three weeks and see what happens.

While the Crimson Tide defense stood tall in the second half, breakdowns in discipline and technique kept South Florida in the game. The Bulls feasted on a defense that crashed the middle only to see the read option bounce outside for a big gain.

Nothing unfixable, just not where you’d expect an elite program to stand after playing with machine-like efficiency seven days earlier.

Ryan Williams and his Milroe math equation was the fourth-quarter shock to the heart Alabama needed to reverse out of the mud. That 43-yard touchdown made it a two-possession game for the first time all night.

Game over.

Disaster diverted.

That was long after ESPN stopped cutting to its new star of College GameDay sitting uncomfortably in his box.

But anyone conscious during his reign knew what he was thinking.

Alabama both won big and lost its shine on a night a legend was honored and his successor had his first brush with adversity.

DeBoer passed this test but there was red ink everywhere

And fourth-quarter white flags aren’t coming with No. 1 Georgia the next time Alabama hits Saban Field.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.