To get a sense of how dramatically the complexion of Alabama's offense has changed, all one had to do was hang around the lectern inside Bryant-Denny Stadium's media room following the Crimson Tide's 45-23 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday.

It's here where Nick Saban pondered whether his team's passing game was the best ever during his tenure as coach, a tight end reflected on his two touchdown catches and a star running back explained how Alabama's machine-like ground attack was now merely a component of something bigger, scarier, and in the words of senior Hale Hentges, "unstoppable."

This is the bizarre world Alabama football has entered -- uncharted territory of sorts for a program built on the backs of tough-as-nails defenses and rugged offenses.

It's a strange place where the quarterback, Tua Tagoaviloa, completes 73 percent of this pass attempts, throws for 387 yards and contributes five touchdowns as he did against the Aggies on Saturday. It's a universe where the Tide reaches the end zone on its first offensive play, tight end Hale Hentges scores twice before halftime and eight players catch the ball.

"There are a million guys on this offense that can have a 70-, 80-yard touchdown in any given moment," said running back Damien Harris.

An exaggeration, but almost believable in the context of what was witnessed Saturday.

After all, Bryant-Denny Stadium was the site of Tagovailoa's latest magical performance. Fifty seconds into the game, he turned a takeaway into a score when he dropped a 30-yard pass into the outstretched arms of DeVonta Smith as the receiver lunged for the ball in the end zone.

He then singed the Aggies over and over again, connecting with his bevy of targets while using Alabama's running game as a convenient decoy by executing one play-action maneuver after another. In one instance, he faked a handoff and strolled across the goal line on a naked bootleg as the Tide seized a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. In another, he feigned a toss to Harris and then unleashed the ball to Hentges for a 23-yard score as Alabama's advantage swelled to 11 points roughly seven minutes before halftime.

"He understands the field extremely well," Hentges said. "He finds people who are open. And if you're not open, he can make you're open....That's something that is God-given natural ability for him. He works really hard at everything. Some people have that crazy innate ability and he's got it. He's got a lot of things, you know."

Everyone is well aware.

The Hawaiian sophomore, who led the Tide to scores on five of its first seven possessions, has helped revolutionize Alabama to the point that even Saban can't completely dismiss that something different -- maybe even special -- is afoot in Tuscaloosa.

Asked if this was the best offense Alabama has seen during his tenure, Saban demurred briefly.

"We may throw it as well as anybody we have," he said in one breath.

"But that's not all there is to it," he added in another.

Yet the mere acknowledgment of the passing game's might was noteworthy. After all, it signified the Tide has entered a brave new world -- one where the tight end is a playmaker, the running back is a sidekick, the quarterback is a hero and the defensive-minded coach is accepting of Alabama being constructed around a highfalutin offense.

"We knew this was the team we were going to have," Saban said.

But it's still strange, isn't it?

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin