Are coaches Saban and Smart outsmarting themselves on defense?

A big Part of our Ds problem was our offense. When we have multiple consecutive 3 and outs the D has no time to rest. I don't know but I am sure osu dominated time of possession. This is where running the ball would have really benefited us and I was expecting this adjustment after halftime.

RollinTider1335 said:

I don't know but I am sure osu dominated time of possession.

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Time of possession - OSU-31:19 ALA-28:41

True & I agree with y'all..I still think the best way to defeat these HUNH offenses is to keep them off the field & on the sidelines watching our running game dominate the LOS & the clock..They can't score as often if they're on the sidelines..

JustNeedMe81 said:

It's hard to do that with the tempo offense we're facing these days... real hard.

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RollinTider1335 said:

A big Part of our Ds problem was our offense. When we have multiple consecutive 3 and outs the D has no time to rest. I don't know but I am sure osu dominated time of possession. This is where running the ball would have really benefited us and I was expecting this adjustment after halftime.

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This was one of the highest scoring, most explosive offenses UA has fielded in years, and the best under Saban so far. Even in the Sugar Bowl, we scored 35 - and lost. The problem with the D was the D - specifically the back 7 (or 8), not just the secondary. This was probably the worst group of pass coverage LBs we've had since Saban has been there, which is one reason the middle was so soft on all those 3rd and longs we saw converted.

It didn't help that the secondary was playing shorthanded a lot this season because Collins was playing run support to cover for a lack of speed at LB. With Evans playing next season we'll be faster at LB but safety still seems to be a bit thin.

All I know is I felt pretty good up 21-6. No way we should have lost but we did.

I think outsmarting themselves would be to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If we fell to losing, or barely winning like Texas then I would say wholesale changes are in order. 12-2 and a conf. championship means we need some more tweeking. Roll Tide!

dvldog said:

All I know is I felt pretty good up 21-6. No way we should have lost but we did.

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Not quite. If we had earned scores then maybe so, but OSU fumbled us the scores. When they quit fumbling they began to score. That is my opinion. I can't remember who turned it over the most but our two loses were by 6 pts each. I am pretty sure they outgained us about 2-1. At one time it was 3-1. With those stats they should have won.

In the last four years we have lost six games. I'm pretty sure that each of those teams that beat us were in the top 10 when they beat us. We lost those games by a combined total of 41 points if memory serves. We had opportunities in the fourth quarter or overtime to win each of them. In each of those games, the opposing team had players who made plays when they had the chance. Some of us blamed each loss on either officiating, lack of motivation, play calls, and/or schematic deficiencies. The fact is that we have symbolized the top of the mountain for several years now, and other teams are even more motivated than normal to beat us. Opposing coaches know that if you beat Bama, you get a raise and an extension. Opposing players know that you get noticed by being on Sportscenter. In each of those six losses there were a few plays that made the difference between winning and losing. The other team made those plays. If we had made one or two more plays, we could be riding three straight national titles with a chance for a fourth. Our guys have made enough plays to win 48 games, two SEC titles, and two national titles over that same four year span. Perhaps we should be happy. You think?

Furthermore, this time last year everyone thought AU and OU were going to take our place and play for a title this year. Where were they in comparison to us? We have been in contention for a national title into November in each of the last seven years, and we've won three of them. It hurts to come close and come up short, but I think we have to be in it to win it, and we've most definitely been in it.

Yep, end of the world in 3 .. 2 .. 1 ...

Redwood Forrest said:

Not quite. If we had earned scores then maybe so, but OSU fumbled us the scores. When they quit fumbling they began to score. That is my opinion. I can't remember who turned it over the most but our two loses were by 6 pts each. I am pretty sure they outgained us about 2-1. At one time it was 3-1. With those stats they should have won.

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^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^


Even when we were up, I did not sense that we were controlling the game, putting together long, clock-eating drives...


We all know what it feels like when our boys have control of a game, and I never had that feeling...

Rush said:

^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^


Even when we were up, I did not sense that we were controlling the game, putting together long, clock-eating drives...


We all know what it feels like when our boys have control of a game, and I never had that feeling...

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Partially because we got away from our run game.

PA Tide Fan said:

Time of possession - OSU-31:19 ALA-28:41

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What was the breakdown in 2nd half? That is where it feels like they dominated.

RollinTider1335 said:

What was the breakdown in 2nd half? That is where it feels like they dominated.

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Don't know the 2nd half breakdown but from what I saw and felt tOSU dominated the majority of the game overall. Their QB gained confidence when we couldn't get our defense off the field on 3rd down and he didn't allow their turnovers to overwhelm him. Their game plan of making us beat them passing the ball worked because they shut down Coop. They just executed and we didn't.

CrimSonami said:

Don't know the 2nd half breakdown but from what I saw and felt tOSU dominated the majority of the game overall. Their QB gained confidence when we couldn't get our defense off the field on 3rd down and he didn't allow their turnovers to overwhelm him. Their game plan of making us beat them passing the ball worked because they shut down Coop. They just executed and we didn't.

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CNS said as much during the post game press conference. He said that we never really stopped them but that we got turnovers and stopped in the redzone in the first half and that is why we had the lead at halftime. Obviously we didn't stop them in the redzone and didn't get any turnovers during the second half thus the result..

Re: Is coach Saban and Smart outsmarting themselves on defense?

Bamabuzzard said:

I don't think we can point to ONE thing and say "THAT'S IT!!! THAT'S THE PROBLEM!!!". I think it is a combination of things that in totality is causing the problems.

1. The rule changes favoring the offense. So in essence, the game HAS changed and to deny that is being in denial.

2. The game has become less about power and bulk and more about speed and efficiency. (Hence, see #1).

3. Simplicity is being used to defeat complexity (like our defense).

4. In this environment of college football our defense very well maybe too complex. Granted, I'm not going to tell a man who's won 4 national titles, numerous SEC titles and seven straight seasons of double digit wins that. But I do think when we see players like Rueben Foster and his athleticism sitting the bench. I do wonder if he would have went to a school with a less complicated defense would he be riding bench?

The above are general and broad things that if we think about our team and what's caused our team problems and look where we have struggled. We can problem name things that fall specifically into one of these four categories.

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This essentially nails my thoughts on the matter, with a couple of added points: I think that at the high school level these days, the better athletes are being funneled to the offensive side of the ball with increasing frequency, and more high school offenses are trending toward a wide-open style of play. The result is that offensive players are arriving at college more developed and game-ready, and are subsequently being plugged into systems that cater to their abilities. I think defense is getting harder and harder to play effectively and it's not strictly due to schemes and rule changes - I think offensive players in general are just better than they have been.

This is is the direction the game has been headed for the last decade (really before that), and frankly I don't see it changing anytime soon...it puts too many fannies in seats or in front of televisions, and those that refuse to adapt are slowly being left behind. I think our current staff has realized this to an extent, hence the hiring of Kiffin. It will be interesting to see the defensive adjustments and concessions that will be made.

I think the main problem is the defensive backfield players. Outside of Collins they simply have not panned out recently. I was stunned when Sunseri left, and that left a hole in the secondary no one could replace. Collins and Sunseri would have been the best Safety tandem in the country hands down, and would have given some more protection for the CB's. Cyrus has developed well, and I've been proud all year how he has progressed, but we haven't had much behind him, and he isn't the shut down DB that Bama has had during this run. EJ's injury has slowed him as well. Think about Arenas, Kirpatrick, Menzie, and Milner. Those guys took away a section of the field or a top receiver depending on what defense is being played. In '09 Arenas would slide inside to the Star position when Bama went nickel or dime because there were guys like Marquis Johnson that were true CB's that could play the outside some. Bama mostly has extra safeties in the nickel and dime packages instead of true CB's like in years past. Hopefully help is one the way with Brown and Humphrey and a fully healed EJ. Think about the difference in Hightower the first year back from his knee injury compared to the second. The guy was like a different player. Let's hope Eddie does the same thing.

I just don't think there is a scheme issue. There is a player issue. We have had great DB players that have grasped and implemented CNS's defense. Maybe the guys currently in the program aren't as sharp or as talented as some of the past guys, but I refuse to believe it is a coaching issue. There has been too much evidence of this staff doing incredible work. They didn't forget how to coach. There have been some guys that have not progressed in the program for whatever reason. I'm not at practice so I have no idea and won't speculate on individual players. I think the thing we have to hope for is that guys get it and perform.

We just need to stop making mediocre QBs look like All-Americans.

Re: Is coach Saban and Smart outsmarting themselves on defense?

I think this is/ has been the problem for the last two years. Its two prong problem.

1. corners blow coverages.

2. Saban's philosophy (he has said it many times) is that if guys (dbs) can't get it right with two high safeties, he does not feel comfortable blitzing to apply extra pressure to the qb.

This means bad CB play means less pressures and blitzes, which in turn means the qb is more comfortable in the pocket and can pick apart the bad CB play.