Bad Defense or Changing Game?

[NorthernTide]

Haven't seen a thread on this , though I'm sure it's archived somewhere on here, so sorry if this is redundant and long.
I keep seeing many complaining about our defense, and while there are always going to be areas of concern ( especially as a retired Coach), I think in reality, we are seeing how the game has changed.
I was (un)fortunate to see the transformation start to happen in HS in the early 2000s. I was coaching in the NE and happened to spend a spring training week at the University of New Hampshire and learn from the OC there at the time, Chip Kelly. The Gus Bus and Chad were doing their thing in Arkansas HS scene and lots of others across the country. It changed HS football , as almost everyone were going to the hurry-up // spread, then the RPO was added. The reason I went to it, was to try and allow my under-sized players to be able to compete with much bigger, more talented teams.
Since that's what everyone was running, that's the players colleges had to recruit and as they did and adapted their games to it, it took over them and now the NFL. This offense is no different than up tempo basketball - how excited are we about what Coach Oats is doing for our BB program?
Much to most of us "old-timers" dismay, the game changed. The days of 9-6 games is gone. There will be exceptions and blowouts where we just overmatch teams, but as I stated , these type offenses were//are designed to allow less talented teams to score on teams that are much better than they.
It's really not BAD D, just a changed game, for better or worse. Coach Saban even recognized that we had to change just to keep up.
Dang, I do miss the good ole days of the slugfest, but if I live another 20/25 years, the game will change back again.
Can't wait! Roll Tide!

 

[CoachJeff]

It’s bad defense. Giving up 24 (could have been 31 of MM doesn’t pick that ball in the end zone) isn’t normal.

Holding teams to 10 points isn’t going to happen often. However, Missouri and TAMU won’t put up those kinds of points against UGA.

I don’t think Bama will hold AU without a TD like UGA did.

 

[81usaf92]

Could’ve been 31? How about it could’ve been 10 if not for a short field and fluke td. Yet we still would have whining about the defense.

This Georgia fear and envy is starting to get silly.

 

[81usaf92]

Haven't seen a thread on this , though I'm sure it's archived somewhere on here, so sorry if this is redundant and long.
I keep seeing many complaining about our defense, and while there are always going to be areas of concern ( especially as a retired Coach), I think in reality, we are seeing how the game has changed.
I was (un)fortunate to see the transformation start to happen in HS in the early 2000s. I was coaching in the NE and happened to spend a spring training week at the University of New Hampshire and learn from the OC there at the time, Chip Kelly. The Gus Bus and Chad were doing their thing in Arkansas HS scene and lots of others across the country. It changed HS football , as almost everyone were going to the hurry-up // spread, then the RPO was added. The reason I went to it, was to try and allow my under-sized players to be able to compete with much bigger, more talented teams.
Since that's what everyone was running, that's the players colleges had to recruit and as they did and adapted their games to it, it took over them and now the NFL. This offense is no different than up tempo basketball - how excited are we about what Coach Oats is doing for our BB program?
Much to most of us "old-timers" dismay, the game changed. The days of 9-6 games is gone. There will be exceptions and blowouts where we just overmatch teams, but as I stated , these type offenses were//are designed to allow less talented teams to score on teams that are much better than they.
It's really not BAD D, just a changed game, for better or worse. Coach Saban even recognized that we had to change just to keep up.
Dang, I do miss the good ole days of the slugfest, but if I live another 20/25 years, the game will change back again.
Can't wait! Roll Tide!

I think a lot of the rules favoring the offense are to blame also. As @4Q Basket Case has said a lot in the past, the linemen down field rule has a huge effect on the game. I think much of is based around that college football wanted more exciting games instead of boring beat downs or slugfests.

 

[DogPatch]

And under the "Times are a changing heading," an interesting tidbit I just saw online . . .

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1312503499482034176

 

[BamaInBham]

I think some forget the CTE issue that has now receded into the background. It forced the NFL and NCAA to adopt safeguards that both genuinely addressed the issue and provided a façade. They had to look like they were doing something. It has feminized the game, softening the defensive side of the ball primarily.

I actually like some of the changes, though not others - I always despised any type of cheapshot. They are certainly not perfect but IMO they have done a decent job of making and enforcing the new rules but the overall effect has been to make it a less physical game.

 

[BearFoot]

It’s bad defense. Giving up 24 (could have been 31 of MM doesn’t pick that ball in the end zone) isn’t normal.

Holding teams to 10 points isn’t going to happen often. However, Missouri and TAMU won’t put up those kinds of points against UGA.

I don’t think Bama will hold AU without a TD like UGA did.

Bama won’t be facing Auburn without their defensive quarterback either, though. Just an unbiased observation based on reading your posts over multiple years...and with all due respect...the entire board is neither shocked, nor surprised that you hold this opinion. Call it Devil’s advocate, antagonist, realist, pessimist...even SprinkleBama-esque (some may get this inference)...if nothing else, you remain consistent and I respect that.

But when you choose to see the glass as half-empty...I’m more than happy to see it as half full. Life’s too short for all the negative.

...anyway...respect, peace and a big Roll Tide to ya

 

[TideEngineer08]

It’s both.

We’ve got issues on defense. I’m not sure how correctable they are. Not sure I believe in Golding. Yet, the rules changes, which allowed the offensive changes to flourish, have definitely made it far less likely to have a defense that averaged giving up 250 yds and 10 points per game.

People mention Georgia; Georgia’s offense is also decidedly ancient for today’s game. They are more ball control oriented, which by the way, aids there defense by keeping them off the field. When we went to the modern style of offense a few years ago, it had a detrimental effect on the defense. Heck, A&M had 1/3 more plays than we did. It adds up. But when you can put up 21 points in matter of a few minutes, that tends to overwhelm teams.

 

[81usaf92]

It’s both.


People mention Georgia; Georgia’s offense is also decidedly ancient for today’s game. They are more ball control oriented, which by the way, aids there defense by keeping them off the field. When we went to the modern style of offense a few years ago, it had a detrimental effect on the defense. Heck, A&M had 1/3 more plays than we did. It adds up. But when you can put up 21 points in matter of a few minutes, that tends to overwhelm teams.

The danger teams like Georgia really run into is when a team like Alabama who can spread them out and score 3/4ths of drives. If Georgia has to settle for field goals and punts then they are toast because that defense isnt going to stop a dynamic offense forever.

 

[VirginiaTide57]

is poor tackling a sign of the times?

 

[GrayTide]

I was thinking about this after the game this past weekend, and I tend to agree with TideEngineer08 and Northern Tide. Our defense, in most cases, has been nowhere near as dominating as it was during the 2009-2016 seasons. The defense has struggled the past few years despite bringing in a ton of 4 and 5 star players. Of course we lose a lot of talent every year to the NFL which takes talent and maybe more important, experience with it. It will be interesting to re-visit this thread after the Ole Miss game. I do think that with the abundance of talent throughout the SEC and the reliance on more pass oriented offenses will result in higher scores than most of us are comfortable with.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

UGA will not be able to score enough points to keep up with Bama, not with there old style offense. UGA’s defense will probably keep us in the high 30s, maybe low 40s but, that’s plenty to take them down. I’m not scared of their offense. Some people are acting like Auburn is some juggernaut that UGA was able to contain but, AU’s offense is weak and their defense is not as good as it was in years past. Auburn only lead Kentucky by 2 into the fourth quarter before Kentucky imploded, Auburn is not as good as they are being portrayed by some. I think UT is going to give UGA fits this weekend.

 

[Nolan]

Who cares really? The days of consistently holding our opponents to 10 ppg are gone, over, never coming back. Offenses have evolved man.

So UGA held Auburn to 6 points? Good for them. It was also the second game of the year. We will get the tiggers at season’s end when they are much more polished on offense. Further, the dawgs scored 27...and I would bet a crisp $20 we hang nearly double that on the aubs.

Look, our offense has averaged, what, over 40-something ppg the last few years? If our scoring defense can be in the 17-23 ppg range that’s still a huge margin.

We are fine.

 

[NorthernTide]

Great point BamaInBham, i didn't think about the "new" tackling rules. That definitely effects the defense , as I see players now "thinking" about tackling as opposed to "blowing" them up. Missed tackles have proliferated in college football . Again, our defense, as with everyone else , can always improve, but it's not the dumpster fire some would have us believe. As per the barn // dog game, the barn's OL was a train wreck, which is fine by me! Hope it continues. As per the dogs, not sure, as others have said, that they can "keep up" with our O. They have real QB issues! Roll Tide!

 

[AlexanderFan]

The relaxing of Holding calls changed the game. Bigger running lanes and more time to throw.

Pass interference rules changed the game. The fact no offensive player gets called, combined with the idea that stopping for an under thrown ball constitutes potential interference. The rules favor the offense.

Our biggest issue is communication on the back end. The only time you see people wide open is when the guys haven’t learned to communicate with each other on switching coverage.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Look, our offense has averaged, what, over 40-something ppg the last few years? If our scoring defense can be in the 17-23 ppg range that’s still a huge margin.

We are fine.

Agreed.

FTR, since the beginning of the 2018 season, Alabama football has averaged scoring at least 45 ppg. Sure, you have to play defense, but no one is stopping this offense cold.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Plus, is UGA really a deep ball threat? If that is our biggest weakness, I'm not sure UGA is built to fully exploit it.

 

[davefrat]

i think we have a good defense and a great offense.

i'd rather have a great defense and a good offense because I still believe that more often then not when a team with a great defense and good offense faces a team with a great offense and a good defense, the team with the great defense prevails.

 

[Down4ttown]

The point is we have a “good defense” that can’t finish because it never has to. The past couple of years we relied on the offense and forgot how to spell defense when it came time to need it.

 

[Leeroy]

There is no doubt offenses have gotten more explosive. And imo, there is no doubt our defensive play calling, and execution has drifted backwards.