TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- There is a way to gouge this Alabama defense. It happened this year and it remains damn embarrassing if you ask the unit's best player.

"I never felt unable to stop a team," defensive end Jonathan Allen recalled. "It was to the point we were praying that our offense could score. We didn't know if we could stop them. We were tired. We didn't prepare like we should have."

You may have forgotten, but Allen hasn't. It's not fair to say there are lingering effects of January's national championship shootout against Clemson. The returners from the defense that survived the highest scoring title game in history -- 45-40 over Clemson -- can more than look themselves in the mirror these days.

To the point, it's OK to begin speculating who among the College Football Playoff hopefuls could move the ball consistently against the nation's No. 1 defense?

"When Deshaun Watson is playing like that, who can stop him?" Allen said. "Making incredible passes, smart decisions. I can remember only two bad plays in the game ... He was just plain unworldly at that time."

Nick Saban will be glad to know his soon-to-be All-American wasn't looking ahead, just saying it's possible. It's even recent. In the third game of the season, Bama came back from a 24-3 deficit to win a similar shootout over Ole Miss, 48-43.

Florida is not likely to be that next scare as the Crimson Tide head to the SEC Championship Game on Saturday in Atlanta. The Gators are 24-point underdogs. Their quarterback, Austin Appleby, is a graduate transfer from Purdue. Luke Del Rio, who started the season, is a former Alabama walk-on.

A dozen players -- nine of them regular starters -- are injured. At least seven of those starters -- six on defense -- and one reserve will be out for the game.

Allen has started injecting action verbs for the Alabama defense like "crush", "dominate" and "suffocate" into the conversation.

That defense has given up all of six field goals in the last six weeks. In the last 24 quarters, the opposition has run one goal-to-go play against Alabama's defense. The last touchdown scored against it came on Oct. 22. That's the day against Texas A&M unofficially launched Allen's candidacy for the Heisman Trophy.

Allen's "Superman" sack of Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight went viral. So did a scoop and score of a fumble where the 290-pound defender outran the Aggies' skill players.

"I feel like that game was my Heisman party, I guess you could say," Allen said.

The player admits an invitation to New York as a finalist is a long shot. Those invites go out next week. Allen is the thinking man's candidate. A large section of Heisman voters don't know his name, much less his game, which includes 24.5 career sacks.

They're simply not savvy enough to evaluate a defender worthy of the game's highest honor.

"Honestly, I don't think so," Allen said getting a Heisman invite. "I'm probably not going to get to it. That doesn't bother me at all. I enjoyed it, but at the end of the day, I know how things work out."

That begins to explain why -- in a way -- it's never worked out for a dominant defensive player at Alabama. The program of Derrick Thomas, Cornelius Bennett and Antonio Langham has never had a national defensive player of the year.

"I heard that last week," Allen said. "I'm actually surprised about that."

Who isn't? That's like saying the Yankees never had an MVP. Or the Montreal Canadiens never won a Stanley Cup.

The Bednarik Trophy and Nagurski Award each go to the nation's best defensive player. Allen is a finalist for both this year. Linebacker Reuben Foster is also a finalist for Nagurski. Both honors have been around for more than 20 years.

The problem is similar to past years in high times for Alabama defenders: overkill. This defense includes at least five projected high draft choices.

Who do ya like?

Allen is projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Junior defensive end Tim Williams and his 20 career sacks is expected to leave after this season. Foster leads in tackles (83). Linebacker Ryan Anderson is tops in tackles for loss (16.5). Defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick leads the SEC in interception return yardage.

All that a year after the defense lost four players to the draft, all in the first two rounds.

"I feel like a lot of times, at Alabama, the players we have playing with each other hurt each other in a way," Allen said.

"Think about how many sacks I've taken away from Tim and Ryan. Think how many sacks they've taken away from me. Tim could easily have 15 sacks already right now. We have so many pass rushers, it kind of just takes away how many sacks he can get."

Put it another way: Think of a Heisman race where a top receiver splits the vote with his quarterback. Or think of Derrick Thomas. He set the NCAA record with 27 sacks in 1988. Thomas finished 10th in the Heisman voting.

Allen is considered a precious draft commodity -- a versatile defensive end that can slide inside and collapse an offensive line.

"We joke around about it," Allen said. "At the end of the day, I'm happy when Tim gets a sack. When Tim gets it, it still counts toward Alabama.

"If Alabama defense plays good, it helps all of our draft stocks."

Allen considered the draft last year but didn't think he'd make much of a combine splash after shoulder surgery. His draft projection was second or third round.

"Coach Saban, if he truly believes that there's nothing left for you to gain [by staying in school], he'll tell you," Allen said.

In this case, Allen has become one of the most unblockable forces in the game. The award nominations alone suggest he's going to be at least somebody's national defensive of the year.

That honor would go nicely with defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who was named a Broyles Award finalist (best assistant coach) on Monday.

Allen talks openly about the transition from Kirby Smart to Pruitt. Smart, he said, was more conservative. Pruitt "releases hell."

"I never forget the first time I talked to Coach Pruitt," Allen said. "He was like, 'If we feel like we have better athletes in the game, we'll have a simple game plan. We're going to go in there with five or six calls and play technique and let our athletes just let loose.'"

That about describes any given Saturday for Alabama.

It should be mentioned that staying in school allowed Allen a possible rematch with Clemson in the CFP. A chance for those Watsonian nightmares to be expunged.

For now, it also allowed Allen an emotional senior day last week. Fifty friends and relatives reveled in one of the most remarkable Alabama defensive careers on record.

If only more folks would notice.

"I do think a defensive player should be considered for the Heisman," Allen said. "But it's an offensive award in my opinion. Of course, as a defensive player, I feel like we should get more recognition."