Pre-Season AP Top 25 - Alabama’s Streak as #1 Ranked Team Continues...

[UAH]

Same. I’m beginning to come around to Golding, but this year is gonna make or break him IMO.

His news conference raised more questions with me than it answered. I am given to wonder if a technician who apparently believes that a drill can be developed to improve any technique can ever grasp how to put players into a position to utilize their innate athleticism to make the few critical plays that win close games the way Jeremy and yes Kirby did as Defensive Coordinators.

I confess to not having any particular expertise on the topic except a lifetime of observing human nature.

 

[Bama_N_Va]

I do not believe it is possible to have an elite defense and an elite offense on the same team, if elite offense is defined by what we currently run. Which is throwing it down the field and running a good portion of HUNH.

Your defense will continually be placed at a disadvantage in TOP, and they will wear down quicker and start to give up plays they would normally stop. But when you've got a 31 point lead, or the opposing defense has never been able to stop your offense (see Ole Miss) then giving up plays later in the game simply doesn't matter anymore.

I agree we can be better. But I don't see a defense rated in the top 10 of total defense anymore as long as we're running the style of offense we are running.

Maybe what you need is a combination of HUNH drive, score, get a stop, and then a grinding drive. Mix it up and help control the clock...

 

[JayBama_in_PCOLA]

That's just a flowery yet generic sounding excuse imo....


Alabama has averaged 72.63 plays per game in the last 6 years.

From 2015-2017 it was 68 plays per game

From 2018-2021 it was 76 plays per game


Alabama's Defensive Ranking's 2015-2017

Total Defense 3rd, 1st, 1st

Scoring Defense 2nd, 1st, 1st


Alabama's Defensive Rankings 2018-2020

Total Defense 16th, 21st, 32nd (Trending Continuously Downward)

Scoring Defense 12th, 13th, 13th


Sorry but No.....

I'm not buying TWO extra plays per quarter leading to such a drop off in Defensive performance in it of itself with no responsibility being applied to the quality of coaching.

Style of play does mean something though. The style of play has dictated the defense to trend down, all defense. Also, rules have changed to benefit offenses. So yeah, you may have a point there. I rather look at the full context of things than just stats which can be skewed.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

It's not just about rest. It's about exposure.

The more cracks an offense has on an opposing defense, the more vulnerabilities it can find and exploit.

More scoring drives = more drives for the opposing offense.

Yes, we can improve. No, you are not going to see the defenses of the first half of the Nick Saban era again. I don't care who the DC is.

I would be curious to know what the stats are for opposing offenses after we score quickly vs a long sustained drive. Somebody look it up, I am too lazy.

 

[TideEngineer08]

A good point. Another point, though - a great offense doesn't just put pressure on the opposing defense, it also puts pressure on the opposing offense. Alabama played in a few games last year in which the opposing offense started out playing well, but because Alabama scored a TD every time you touched the ball, they felt pressured to make the same kind of plays - to score on every drive. That kind of pressure helps the defense.

You offense last year broke the will of my Buckeyes - the entire team.

Very true. Frankly, that's why Ole Miss, playing at its absolute best possible, still lost to us by two scores.

Nick Saban completely changed his approach after 2013. It was as great a change or maybe greater than what Coach Bryant did by switching to the wishbone offense.

Part of what allowed our defenses to be so great during the first half of his tenure so far was that our offense not only controlled the TOP, but they controlled the amount of possessions per game. I don't know the exact numbers. Maybe the difference has only been a couple of possessions per game. But that's enough, especially as the rules have changed and the offensive creativity has changed.

Anyway... ultimately I just don't it's worth getting bent out of shape over. Not as long as Nick Saban is the head coach.

 

[Nolan]

Sooners too high at #2. I'm thinking 5 or 6.

Idk about that. You guys are going to be much improved on defense and your usual self on offense. OU is legit, just gotta focus and win the games you are supposed to. No slip ups.

 

[scrybe]

Idk about that. You guys are going to be much improved on defense and your usual self on offense. OU is legit, just gotta focus and win the games you are supposed to. No slip ups.

That's the problem, though. We always do have that one slip up (post 2000).

 

[TideEngineer08]

That's the problem, though. We always do have that one slip up (post 2000).

Just don't have it in the playoffs. Unless you're playing Alabama!

 

[scrybe]

Just don't have it in the playoffs. Unless you're playing Alabama!

I'll pass that info along to CLR.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I would be curious to know what the stats are for opposing offenses after we score quickly vs a long sustained drive. Somebody look it up, I am too lazy.

Selma Signal...

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I need parameters.

How long is a quick drive and how long is a sustained drive?
And how many plays?
And how much time?

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I need parameters.

How long is a quick drive and how long is a sustained drive?
And how many plays?
And how much time?

Quick would be 4 plays or less? Time under 2 minutes

 

[Bama_N_Va]

Quick drive: 3m15s
Plays: 6

Sustained: around 6m.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Quick would be 4 plays or less? Time under 2 minutes

Ending in an Alabama score, correct?
Or just touchdowns?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Also - do we make special allowance for an obvious hurry-up situation like the end of a half?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

This'll take me a day or two, but I'll get it.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

OK, so here's the Missouri data:

Missouri

ALABAMA SCORING DRIVES (TOUCHDOWNS)

• 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:01
• 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:13
• 8 plays, 91 yards, 2:25
• 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:22
• 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:07

OPPONENT RESULT (NEXT DRIVE)

• 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:19, turnover on downs
• 5 plays, 13 yards, 2:12, punt
• 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:50, punt
• 5 plays, 1 yard, 1:38, end of half
• 18 plays, 55 yards, 8:35, FIELD GOAL

OPPONENT SCORES (HOW)

• FG – 12 plays, 50 yards, 4:30, after punt
• FG – 18 plays, 55 yards, after TD
• TD – 2 plays, 57 yards, 0:35 after fumble turnover
• TD - 14 plays, 75 yards, 2:05, scored after Tide FG and on last play of game.

1) What do we call a quick drive? The only one TO ME in this list is the 4 play, 66 yard drive in 73 seconds, and it meets DzynKing's parameters.

2) We held them to five plays and 13 yards after the quick strike.

3) I'd call the first (5:01) and fourth (4:22) SUSTAINED TD drives. Missouri got more yards on the first one and the fourth one was the end of the first half, so they were limited.


Based on this one small data point, our defense did better after a QUICK strike than after the long drives, but we obviously cannot extrapolate this.

 

[Bama_N_Va]

The problem with 4 to 5min drives is, its basically two first downs. If you fully run the clock between plays, 3 downs can take you a good 2 mins by the time they spot and you hike the ball.. I'm thinking you got to be over 6 mins for a sustained drive, maybe more like 8min.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Also - do we make special allowance for an obvious hurry-up situation like the end of a half?

Those don't count.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Ending in an Alabama score, correct?
Or just touchdowns?

Touchdowns only