After coming off one of the worst outings for an Alabama football team in the Nick Saban era, the now No. 12 Crimson Tide came back on Saturday with a victory over SEC West rival Ole Miss. Though Alabama was the favorite coming into the game, pundits (myself included) still wondered what exactly this Alabama team was going to be like the rest of the season. Would they somehow lose another game at home this season? And better yet, to former Alabama assistant Lane Kiffin of all people?

Luckily for fans of the Crimson Tide, they didn't have to worry about this. It was yet another successful Saturday in Tuscaloosa at Bryan-Denny Stadium. But did this sort of victory keep the season alive for Alabama? It certainly didn't hurt.

Alabama football saved their season with a win over Ole Miss

The sky would have definitely fallen if Alabama would have lost to Ole Miss. Not only would the Crimson Tide have fallen to 2-2 on the season, but it would have been an opening SEC loss to a former Saban assistant at home in just Week 4 of the young season. Any SEC championship, much less national championship, aspirations for Alabama football would have been completely diminished if Ole Miss had won. Those kinds of results are heresy from Saban-led teams.

Since Saban joined Alabama, the national championship, in some form or another, has had to go through his teams every year. It wouldn't have been impossible, but percentages definitely go way down to make the College Football Playoff with two losses. Alabama doesn't lose twice at home; they don't lose to former assistants; they don't miss out on the playoff very often. The season is still very much intact for this team for now.

Jalen Milroe will be good enough to get Alabama to the SEC Championship

We know now that Jalen Milroe gives Alabama the best chance to win. We also know that Milroe isn't Bryce Young, the former Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. That's more than likely part of his perceived problem, at least coming from Alabama fans. The fanbase is so used to great quarterback play over the last several seasons that what Milroe has brought to the table thus far is unacceptable.

While it's probably fair to say that Alabama knows what they have with Milroe by now given that Saban has named him the full-time starter, there's some evidence to believe he could get better with the more starts he gets. Against Ole Miss, he had his best statistical day to date, completing 17-of-21 passes for 225 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Perhaps one of Milroe's greatest weaknesses is not necessarily of his own doing but that of his offensive line. The Crimson Tide offensive line gave up another four sacks to Ole Miss on Saturday, making their total for the year 16. If Milroe stays healthy, he's good enough to get his team back to the SEC Championship.

The rest of Alabama's games are all easily winnable

I wouldn't say that this year's Alabama football team has blown anyone away with their performances. They still have, from a talent standpoint, one of the best rosters in all of college football. That's most likely what has helped them stay in games to this point. This year's team doesn't control games like those in years past have. But look at the rest of their schedule for a definite loss. There isn't one.

This is not to say that Alabama won't have more competitive games this season, ones in which they struggle. They will most likely be in some back-and-forth matchups against Texas A&M, Tennessee, and LSU, just to name a few. But they should also be favored in their remaining games as well, outside of maybe LSU depending on where both teams are by November 4. The concerning part for Alabama's schedule, however, is that outside of Chattanooga, their remaining games are all against SEC opponents with four out of seven of those being on the road, going to Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Auburn. They do have Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU at home, though.

Tennessee and LSU at home are really crucial for the Tide. Both the Volunteers and Tigers were surprising and major losses for Alabama last season, and they were both on the road in tough environments. This year, Alabama plays host to both, and neither look nearly as dominant as most thought they were going to be heading into the season.