My take is that our DBs have been and remain vulnerable (just as every team) vs new wave spread pass-happy teams with QBs that can scramble and capable of operating their offense. Our DBs will always do good against the pro set teams as that is how we are built. Our recruiting is now changing to more versatile athletes on the DLine and backer crew to help them going forward with these types of offenses but I think our problems in the defensive backfield have been more scheme adaptation oriented rather than lack of talent. JMHO, of course.
I'll hold off until after the TAMU game before I feel very comfortable, but I'm not so sure this is the case in 2015.
The sample set is small, but thus far we've played 3 spread teams with 1 supposedly very good (OM) and another (MTSU) decent one. In each case, we've held the opposing team to their lowest completion percentage of the season thus far and in every case but OM we've held them to their lowest yards per attempt thus far.
MTSU v Bama: 23/43 189 53.4% 4.4 ypa
Next lowest - v. Vandy 23/51 286 62.7% 5.6 ypa
ULM v Bama: 20-43 83 46.5% 1.9 ypa
Next lowest - v. Georgia Southern: 21-36 232 58.3% 6.4 ypa
Of note - v UGA: 23-29 206 79.3% 7.1 ypa
And finally,
OM v Bama: 18-33 341 54.5% 10.3 ypa
Next lowest - v. Vandy: 24/42 321 57.1% 7.1 ypa
Of note: v. Florida: 26/40 259 65% 6.4 ypa
The Florida numbers are noteworthy for a couple of reasons. UF clearly dominated OM, and yet Bama held OM to a much worse completion percentage. Going a step further, it is well documented that two OM deep passes shouldn't have happened (one fluke, one badly missed penalty). Remove those, and the OM numbers drop to a 51.6% completion rate 6.5 ypa - virtually the same as OM had vs UF.
To sum it all up, the final verdict won't be rendered until the end of the season but so far this year Alabama's defensive performance against the style of offense that has befuddled them for the last couple of seasons has been fantastic. Even more impressively, they've done it without having to sacrifice performance against traditional pro-style rushing attacks.
If this keeps up, Bama should pay Mel Tucker whatever it takes to keep him around.