Hopefully this year and the next few. We've recruited the position really well. When Tua is gone we are going to need it a heck of a lot more too.
Yup.... with a QB as talented as Tua I think it's a terrible waste of talent to try and pound our opponents to death.
North Dakota State still does it at the FCS level and is the primary reason they've been dominant. They develop big physical linemen on both sides so they have had a dominant defense to go with it. They've also been fortunate to only have 3 QBs in the last 8 years and all could run as well. Ironically the least successful statistically just signed a nice contract extension with the Eagles. They have a redshirt freshman potentially starting this fall so they could have another 4 years with the same guy.The real question is will football at any level ever return to power running, not likely. Too easy to play and teach "go deep and I'ii hit you".
It is hard to have a dominating running game when for the last several years we've had at least one player who consistently struggled with busted assignments in the running game.
I think Burton Burns retirement has had an effect we don't realize. He had those backs running a different way. Some of them talked about how he made them re-learn the RB position.It is obvious we are blessed with players in the passing game but I do miss the “impose your will running attack.”
Amen, brother. Full banjeaux for that.If 2013 and 2018 teach us one thing it should be the offense has to be able to pick up the tough yards in the running game when it has to do so.
This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.If 2013 and 2018 teach us one thing it should be the offense has to be able to pick up the tough yards in the running game when it has to do so.
That has been my thought observing Tua mania. It always seemed to me that Coach Bryant had the attitude that if we can't line up and run the ball in the red zone then we are not tough enough to beat good football teams. I believe that is as true today as ever.This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.
I believe you need to wait and see what happens this year. That's a fair analysis of what happened last year - and I was amazed as anyone that CNS didn't fix it before the playoffs - but I really think fixing this problem is what CNS is referring to by saying we need to get back to the "Alabama factor."This is exactly why I am afraid of the "Tua for Heisman" syndrome. I like Tua, think he is a fine young man, and certainly a great QB, but he has become our default offense. When all else fails, throw it deep. We have gone away from our identity, defense first, running game second, and pass when they are not expecting it. Old school thinking, yes. Defense still wins NC.
The running back is obviously a key to a physical running game and you mention some great ones from the past. It certainly helps to have a bruising running back to carry the load and while Damien Harris played well for us I never thought he had quite the power of a Derrick Henry or an Eddie Lacy who could just run over people and drag defenders. Najee Harris doesn't quite have the power of those two either. If we could recruit another powerful RB like Henry or Lacy again then we could really get physical and punish the opponent.I know as a fan I miss the days where Bama would run all over the opponent. After you do that for a while, the defense starts to feel pretty demoralized. Just think, we had Ingram/Richardson, Yeldon/Lacey, Yeldon/Henry/Drake and most recently Harris/Jacobs/Harris. I really like this team but it might be the weakest group of running backs since 2009.
This might be were Brian Robinson shows his worth next year.The running back is obviously a key to a physical running game and you mention some great ones from the past. It certainly helps to have a bruising running back to carry the load and while Damien Harris played well for us I never thought he had quite the power of a Derrick Henry or an Eddie Lacy who could just run over people and drag defenders. Najee Harris doesn't quite have the power of those two either. If we could recruit another powerful RB like Henry or Lacy again then we could really get physical and punish the opponent.
I think you may be surprised by Harris/Robinson...I know as a fan I miss the days where Bama would run all over the opponent. After you do that for a while, the defense starts to feel pretty demoralized. Just think, we had Ingram/Richardson, Yeldon/Lacey, Yeldon/Henry/Drake and most recently Harris/Jacobs/Harris. I really like this team but it might be the weakest group of running backs since 2009.