There really just isn't any carryover in scheme from what GT/GaSouthern does compared to our running attack. Florida is the most similar in scheme to our offense and Georgia really nullified their running game and completely short circuited the passing game with edge pressure all game. Of course, I think Alabama's jimmy and joes on the OL are better than Florida's but the Gators OL is no slouch. I'd argue that Florida's OL is the strength of their offense.
Defensively, I'm still seeing the same problems that nearly cost us the LSU game and ultimately cost us the TAMU game. Auburn was getting square-in type routes over the middle of the field all night but their QB simply couldn't execute. The defensive pressure was non-existent even by "mush rush" contain standards. We're faced with a big problem: rush four and put our secondary in situations where they have to cover longer than you'd like OR rush 5+ and immediately put guys on islands that they can't maintain until the pressure gets there.
This defense is really more like the 2008 unit than the 2010 unit. The 2008 unit didn't really have enough difference makers in the pass rush and consistency in the secondary to stand up to the best teams. They don't have the out-right busts that the 2010 unit experienced, they simply get beat by their man - whether it is a lineman or receiver - too much when playing quality offenses. Like the 2008 unit, they play with passion but they don't seem to have the talent in all the right places to be the defense Saban needs to win titles.
Offensively, we've got yet another team with a group of good edge rushers going against our young LT and an RT that has struggled in protection at times. They came up admirably against LSU's two rushers and TAMU's do-it-all LB/DE Moore, but this is the ultimate test. I think Jarvis Jones is the best individual defender in America...yes, better than Te'o. They're big up front, so Warmack and Jones are just going to seal these guys off with ease either.
To be effective on offense, we need the pass protection we saw in the LSU game but the staff has to create true offensive balance. We can't see offensive possessions that don't involve the running game. I'm a firm believer in being aggressive but too many times in the LSU and TAMU games the insistence on trying to pass led to 3 and outs. In each game, I felt the staff was trying to "shock and awe" the opponent for a quick score instead of establishing the physicality of our offense. Tempering "shock and awe" with "hammer meeting the nail" is a huge problem for this offensive staff. I don't think they've found it yet. With three 1st round caliber linemen, Alabama is doing the opponent a favor when we are telling them to take a step back in pass protection instead of letting these guys pound somebody.
I'm not being a chicken little, but the truthful analysis is that Alabama needs to play well above where they've shown to be able to achieve this season. Some of it is personnel problems (hard to fix at this juncture), some of it is schematic problems (easier to fix in concept but sometimes hard to execute).