Meh, TOP was pretty even (OM 31:15, Bama 28:45), so I don't buy that as an excuse.
State of Alabama defense
- Thread starter gymcoach
- Start date
That does make sense & I didn't realize the TOP was that close..It felt like Ole Miss had dominated the TOP & danged if it wasn't nearly equal..We simply couldn't stop them..Hats off to Kiffin for the great job of calling his offensive plays..
One point I haven't seen touched on is how the game has changed in terms of longevity or seniority.
Saban's defensive schemes are some of the most difficult to learn and execute. We used to have mostly Jr and Sr starters and some of those were redshirts. Sure, there were underclassmen sprinkled here and there, but it was mostly a very experienced defense. Even at linebacker we had a few early starters, but most were role players until they were upperclassmen. It takes years to learn Saban's schemes. This is especially true for the LB's, who call the plays on defense.
Add to that the fast pace of the hurry up offense, which makes getting plays and adjustments from the sidelines much more difficult or impossible (along with changing substitutions), and you have a perfect storm against Saban's preferred ways of operating the defense. No longer can the D line up and wait for adjustments from the sideline. It does not work consistently in today's game.
Several of us have been saying for several years that the defense has to be simplified playing with today's rulebook.
IOW, part of the problem with the defense is Saban's scheme - and he has stubbornly refused to change a good portion that still needs to be changed.
He changed body types and skill sets in recruiting. He's made changes in conditioning. He's made several other changes but always he has stubbornly held onto complicated schemes that take years to learn in an environment where many players are gone in three years. What was once 2 or 3 players leaving as true juniors - at most - seems more like a revolving door of youth now.
I'm not saying the whole scheme has to go, but it sure needs "tweaking".
Saban's defensive schemes are some of the most difficult to learn and execute. We used to have mostly Jr and Sr starters and some of those were redshirts. Sure, there were underclassmen sprinkled here and there, but it was mostly a very experienced defense. Even at linebacker we had a few early starters, but most were role players until they were upperclassmen. It takes years to learn Saban's schemes. This is especially true for the LB's, who call the plays on defense.
Add to that the fast pace of the hurry up offense, which makes getting plays and adjustments from the sidelines much more difficult or impossible (along with changing substitutions), and you have a perfect storm against Saban's preferred ways of operating the defense. No longer can the D line up and wait for adjustments from the sideline. It does not work consistently in today's game.
Several of us have been saying for several years that the defense has to be simplified playing with today's rulebook.
IOW, part of the problem with the defense is Saban's scheme - and he has stubbornly refused to change a good portion that still needs to be changed.
He changed body types and skill sets in recruiting. He's made changes in conditioning. He's made several other changes but always he has stubbornly held onto complicated schemes that take years to learn in an environment where many players are gone in three years. What was once 2 or 3 players leaving as true juniors - at most - seems more like a revolving door of youth now.
I'm not saying the whole scheme has to go, but it sure needs "tweaking".
Ole Miss ran 86 play and Alabama only ran 71, yet the TOP was almost even.
Ole Miss ran the ball 57 times last night. Yes - 57 times. Let that sink in. Alabama's failure to stop the run led to that. Even with Corral throwing dimes, they just kept running the ball.
57 times
Well, this is the scheme he has used from the get go, with LSU and now Alabama (and MSU before that). If the scheme is so hard to learn, why were those other players for two decades able to learn it?
If there is a problem with the scheme, it is that offensive coaches have figured out how to beat it. It is not that it is too difficult for the players to learn.
And gained 268 yards - any team allowing 4.7 ypc is going to struggle to win.
Yup.. I've never seen a team simply run the ball down our throats & we couldn't stop them from doing it.. Kiffin's play calling was a perfect combination that kept our D off balance & on it's heels until the end of the game..Our D was sucking wind at the end of the 3rd.. Actually sooner that..
You're wrong on the last part, given the game is now played largely by underclassmen now compared with upperclassmen previously.
Mind you - I am not saying this is the entire issue with this defense. It is not the only issue. Not by a long shot.
TBH, that has been my real deep fear. Saban has always been upfront about his defense, particularly the secondary, being hard to learn. With so many talented players leaving early and more and more freshmen and sophomores playing, I'm afraid they're playing with the schemes half-learned. I saw Coach Bryant retire because he wouldn't change his offensive schemes, when it had been thoroughly answered. He was also upfront about not wanting to teach pass blocking again (or watch someone else do it). Coach Saban has so much of himself invested in that complicated scheme, IDK if he can/will let go of it. Perhaps that plus the unending emphasis on rule changes to help the offense will be what makes him walk away. I've read a couple of writers this morning call our game some variation of "highly entertaining." Maybe for them...
You don't change a scheme that is the best in college football (and it was for 2 decades) because the players are leaving after 3 years instead of 4. You only change it if offenses have figured it out.
It is very possible that your defensive coaches right now just are not as good as those who worked for Saban in the past. Pruitt did amazing things in this defense. He was also working in an environment in which the players were leaving as juniors.
Agree to disagree with a caveat: Good offensive minds have figured it out while some don't have the talent to exploit the weaknesses.
They say that you cannot get an alcoholic to change, unless they want to do it on their own. And that only happens once they realize they have hit rock bottom, and know it is time for a drastic change.
Don't know any alcoholics, but whining the other guy may have you defensive signals tells me they still have that bottle in their hand.
Don't know any alcoholics, but whining the other guy may have you defensive signals tells me they still have that bottle in their hand.
Yeah and that same defense put up just as many yards vs Joe Burrows last year as we did. It is an overinflated puppy that looks great against inferior opponents, but is the same Kirby Smart defense that couldn’t stop a dynamic quarterback to save its life from 2013-2015. Yes I concede it’s better than what we have got, but if we are being honest OUR defense is in Knoxville not Athens.
Let me preface this by saying Nick Saban is undoubtedly a top 5 football coach all-time at any level. The thing with Saban though is he was a master at stopping pro-style offenses. He has never shown the ability to consistently shut down the modern spread offense and variations of it. It can be stopped because other coaches do. But he’s never shown that he can. I’m not saying the game has passed him by. He’s definitely smart enough to learn and adapt. I just don’t get the feeling he really wants to. Realistically how many more years is he going to coach?
The key to slowing down one of these offenses is for the defensive fronts to get consistent pressure with no blitzing. We can’t do it. We’re a mess all across the board on defense.
The key to slowing down one of these offenses is for the defensive fronts to get consistent pressure with no blitzing. We can’t do it. We’re a mess all across the board on defense.
I’ve heard people call him stubborn.......... I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but even he can see things aren’t working the way they should, and fixing it should be the first order of the day
This to me is the problem and even though OM wasn’t doing fastball constantly they were doing it inside the red zone and also after big plays. The rules have changed where if the offense doesn’t sub the defense can’t but there were times last night when OM did and we did but no ref stood over the ball until both were set.
Like it or not fastball has changed the game and the only way to beat it is to score more points than the opponent which sounds simplistic because that is the name of the game anyhow. But the days of winning games like we did in the past are over unless the team your playing is so low in talent you overpower them. The only answer is to end fastball and as much as I want to see it the PTB will never let that happen.
Loyal to coaches (and players) is one thing...stubborn is another. CNS was loyal to JHurts even when it hurt the team...he may be too loyal to CPG. Obviously, something is not working...
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