Sam Pittman reveals what makes Alabama's defense even better than last season

Sam Pittman had high praise for the Alabama defense ahead of Arkansas preparing for a showdown on Saturday.

While the Crimson Tide defense was something to write home about last season, evidently the Razorbacks leader believes the group is even better in 2022.

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“I think they’re better on the defensive line,” began Pittman, during a press conference earlier this week. “[Henry] To’oTo’o is playing, I think the best ball I’ve ever seen him play. There’s not any type of a weakness in their defense, and the thing that sticks out the most is they just don’t miss tackles. You think, ‘Man, this is going to go for 12 yards, 10 yards.’ Whatever it is. It’s a one-yard game. They’re one of the best tackling teams I’ve seen, and I think that’s what makes them so good. 

“They’ve got the size, the speed on the defensive line. Obviously Will Anderson’s down there. Then the second level with To’oTo’o and the guys around him. They’re just a really, really good defense.”

It’s easy to see why Sam Pittman believes the Alabama defense is top tier, they have some of the best talent and coaching in the country. Still, Arkansas won’t back down from them on Saturday.

Sam Pittman has ‘nothing but wonderful things to say’ about Alabama coach Nick Saban

Moreover, Sam Pittman and Nick Saban’s squads are headlining college football’s Week 5 slate, and ahead of No. 20 Arkansas‘ huge SEC matchup against No. 2 Alabama, Pittman raved about Saban and what he’s been able to accomplish with the program.

“I think he’s fantastic. He’s been so kind, so good to me,” Pittman said Monday. “I sit right next to him at the SEC head coaches meetings. I ask him questions and he’s been kind enough to answer them. He’s treated me outstanding and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about him. He’s the greatest coach of all time in college football, in my opinion. I kind of just wonder when he’s going to retire, too, but I don’t know when that’s gonna come.”

When Pittman arrived in Fayetteville in late 2019, Saban approached the Razorbacks headman for a position on his staff. While the majority of people would likely tell Pittman that when the GOAT calls, you answer, but he would ultimately decline the offer.

“I had just been here about four or five weeks and, I had talked to my players about loyalty, and this, that and the other, and I mean, I can’t be hypocritical,” Pittman said. “And my mother told me she didn’t raise a son who would do that, so that was the end of the conversation.”

The decision to turn down Saban has worked out in Pittman’s favor, who has turned Arkansas from a SEC West bottom-feeder into a top-25 program in a matter of three seasons is an impressive feat to say the least. With an Outback Bowl to his credit, Pittman has ended the Razorbacks’ gridiron woes and has proved his worth as a head coach in the NCAA’s toughest division.

Since taking over as Arkansas head coach, Pittman is 0-2 vs. the Crimson Tide. After getting drubbed 52-3 at home in 2020, the Razorbacks bounced back last season and gave Saban and company a run for their money, but ultimately fell 42-35 in Tuscaloosa.