Re: Jalen Hurts has ankle surgery.
I think one of the big x-factors in Alabama/LSU is whether Alabama feels comfortable running the QB. If they don’t, then it’s realistic—though hardly guaranteed—to think that LSU can really contain the Alabama running game. That alone *might* keep the game competitive.
This would allow LSU to at least reduce the game to a handful of individual matchups ... always the primary goal for an underdog. However, if Alabama does feel comfortable running the QB then it’s hard to see how LSU can even begin to dictate Alabama’s offensive approach.
I take a different tact in thinking about the New England Patriots where the QB is very accurate and how they use the tight end and their running backs isolated on LB or corner and practically never run the QB.
Alabama has all of the tools in Jacobs and Irv Smith along with the receiving group to attack underneath to control the ball and force one on one match ups on the outside.
As you said IPO's, particularly with QB's with knee and ankle issues, tend to limit run blocking effectiveness and don't appear to a positive in the passing game.
Insightful comment. To add to the conversation I was just scanning Ben Litvin's Twitter feed and he comments:The problem with an RPO is that the offensive line does not know what whether it will be pass or run on any given play. On pure run plays, the offensive linemen fire off of the LOS. It is much easier to block effectively for a pure run play than it is to block effectively for a rush on an RPO play. It is also much easier to block effectively for a pure pass play than it is to pass block for an RPO pass play.
You have the athletes to just line up and beat them. The RPO is for teams that need to trick the opponent. It actually hurts teams as powerful as Alabama, IMO.
I think one of the big x-factors in Alabama/LSU is whether Alabama feels comfortable running the QB. If they don’t, then it’s realistic—though hardly guaranteed—to think that LSU can really contain the Alabama running game. That alone *might* keep the game competitive.
This would allow LSU to at least reduce the game to a handful of individual matchups ... always the primary goal for an underdog. However, if Alabama does feel comfortable running the QB then it’s hard to see how LSU can even begin to dictate Alabama’s offensive approach.
I take a different tact in thinking about the New England Patriots where the QB is very accurate and how they use the tight end and their running backs isolated on LB or corner and practically never run the QB.
Alabama has all of the tools in Jacobs and Irv Smith along with the receiving group to attack underneath to control the ball and force one on one match ups on the outside.
As you said IPO's, particularly with QB's with knee and ankle issues, tend to limit run blocking effectiveness and don't appear to a positive in the passing game.