Question: Will Bama ever return to a physical running game?

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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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.
Because the rest of the group had to sit behind a first round pick and a third round pick along with the expected first stringer this year they are a weak group?
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
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Tide fans since 2014


During 2014: this offense is great

After tOSU: I told you we need a running game

During 2015: we need to ride the beast defense wins championships

After Clemson I: man I knew we needed Lane Kiffin to save our bacon because defense doesn’t win championships anymore

During 2016: defense wins championships

After Clemson II: defense doesn’t win championships

During 2017: defense wins championships

After UGA I: qbs like tua wins championships

During 2018: this offense will compensate for a lack of defense due to the air raid

After Clemson IV: running the ball and defense wins championships

The truth is we need 3 things not counting a kicker. 1) a quick strike ability 2) a running back that can get you the hard yardage and 3) a competent defense. We had 2 last year. For all y’all wanting that ground and pound with a game manager at qb, y’all might look at how many times UGA has gotten blown out in the last 3 years compared to how many times Bama has been blown out in the last 5 years.
 

jjv0004

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I meant no disrespect to Harris or Robinson. I actually love Robinson's running style. And Sanders might be better than them both. I think my point was that those other groups I listed were pretty incredible.
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
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I meant no disrespect to Harris or Robinson. I actually love Robinson's running style. And Sanders might be better than them both. I think my point was that those other groups I listed were pretty incredible.
That they were, but we can't say this "might be the weakest group" without seeing them in action.
 

JustNeedMe81

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Looking at the schedule, I expect us to establish our running game early in the season. South Carolina will present a challenge to where we might have to rely on running game and passing game to balance each other out. TAMU is the game I have it circled to see where we are at against them. Good test for our OL men and how we execute our offense.
 

4Q Basket Case

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Nov 8, 2004
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During 2014: this offense is great

After tOSU: I told you we need a running game

During 2015: we need to ride the beast defense wins championships

After Clemson I: man I knew we needed Lane Kiffin to save our bacon because defense doesn’t win championships anymore

During 2016: defense wins championships

After Clemson II: defense doesn’t win championships

During 2017: defense wins championships

After UGA I: qbs like tua wins championships

During 2018: this offense will compensate for a lack of defense due to the air raid

After Clemson IV: running the ball and defense wins championships

The truth is we need 3 things not counting a kicker. 1) a quick strike ability 2) a running back that can get you the hard yardage and 3) a competent defense. We had 2 last year. For all y’all wanting that ground and pound with a game manager at qb, y’all might look at how many times UGA has gotten blown out in the last 3 years compared to how many times Bama has been blown out in the last 5 years.
The first part of your post reminds me of the old joke about Alabama fans: How many Alabama fans does it take to change a light bulb? Five. One to change the bulb, and four to stand around talking about how good the other one was.

Funny, but stings a bit because it’s a little too true.

Regarding needs, the only change I’d make is about the RB. We have backs that can get short yardage.

What we haven’t had for a while is an OL that could even halfway consistently get the remotest semblance of a hole / push / crease in short yardage against a good team. This despite multiple RBs ending up being early-round draft choices.

We have, and have had, the requisite RBs. To me, OL improvement is far more important than RBs stepping up their game.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
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The first part of your post reminds me of the old joke about Alabama fans: How many Alabama fans does it take to change a light bulb? Five. One to change the bulb, and four to stand around talking about how good the other one was.

Funny, but stings a bit because it’s a little too true.

Regarding needs, the only change I’d make is about the RB. We have backs that can get short yardage.

What we haven’t had for a while is an OL that could even halfway consistently get the remotest semblance of a hole / push / crease in short yardage against a good team. This despite multiple RBs ending up being early-round draft choices.

We have, and have had, the requisite RBs. To me, OL improvement is far more important than RBs stepping up their game.
I agree, I think my overall point is that Alabama fans ( all fans really) take these hard takes after every big moment and will go the opposite way after the next.

Yes we need good running back play and good OL play, but this idea that we have gone too far into the madness of Lane Kiffin offenses and we need to revert back to 2012 is preposterous. Alabama evolved to the modern age while teams like LSU and UGA are still stuck in the wilderness wondering why they are still getting blown out and no double digit lead is safe to sit on. I can agree that we probably rode Tua too far, but then again when you are carrying around the worst defense we have had since 2008 then you have to trust in something to compensate for it.

I think we will be better on both sides of the ball barring injuries. We will probably be more balanced than last year and a little less greedy. But copying UGA’s offense won’t do us any favors.
 
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gtowntide

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Mar 1, 2011
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I love running the ball and imposing your will on the other team as much as anyone. The problem is the offenses teams are running today tend to score quickly and often. If we can play Alabama defense and get a lot of 3 and outs then we have more of a choice.
We have possibly 3 first round receivers and a QB that can get them the ball. I'm ready to run the ball but I sure do like those long throws down the field too.
IMO our success this year will depend on how well we play defense. I'm not worried about our offense at all. We will score often! RTR!
 

BAMAVILLE

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Jan 9, 2014
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CNS has been a coach that has strived for a balanced offense offense, one where we can both run and pass the ball to keep the chains moving. We don't have to be a run-dominant team to be a physically dominant and effective running the ball.

I'm trusting as long as the OL is healthy this year we will see a return to an effect run game that will only compliment the pass game and vice versa. The key to it all is the O line.
 

gamersfuel

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Jan 20, 2008
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doubt it this season. with our WR core and Tua at QB we will utilize our best players. at some point i expect us to have a generational type RB and then i think we will go with a physical running game.
 

editder

All-SEC
Nov 2, 2017
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I love the power run game but think it is a thing of the past. We are recruiting elite QBs, WRs and TEs. They want to see an explosive offense and visualize themselves on the field. That is what the Bama O has developed into and one of the reasons everyone who is anyone being recruited in football trips to T-Town for a looksey.
Let's go back and review for a minute. Like many of you on here I was frustrated in 2017 at the lack of any semblance of a passing game and felt that it was going to ultimately prevent us from winning it all. When Tua stepped in for that second half against UGA after the disastrous first half, I think we were vindicated. But let's not forget, the running game didn't dry up and go away in the second half. In fact it flourished with the balanced attack and was a key part of the victory.

I envisioned that 2018 was going to feature our normal emphasis on the running game but with the added element of Tua's ability to pass the ball when we needed him to. I didn't know we were going to go all pass-happy. I sensed around mid-season when Tua started to be hobbled by nagging injuries that we might be in trouble because too much of our fortune was being put on the shoulders of one guy.

I wish Tua all the best and hope he wins the Heisman Trophy, but I'm not going to lose any sleep if he doesn't. I would much rather get #18 this year than another Heisman Trophy winner. The fortunes of the team should never take a backseat to an individual player's needs. Regardless, barring injury he's still going to the NFL and will become a rich man very soon. But we need to get back to what we do best. Imagine how devastating our offense would be if we develop the solid running game we've had in the past, with the added ability to throw the ball as effectively as Tua can and with the quality of our receivers.

By the way, Tua and receivers in the recruiting class of 2017 all signed after that stellar passing performance in the 2016 NC game.
 

Padreruf

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The advantage to being a running team is twofold:
1. You wear out the opponent and they eventually give up.
2. You play defense with offense -- keeping the ball and controlling the clock and thereby keeping your defense off the field.

Having Tua and the receiving corps is great...but I would rather have 5-6 minute possession drives for 6-7 TD's than 8 TD's with 2 minute possessions. The latter increases the possibility that other team will also score at the same rate -- they give scholarships too.

Will be glad when August gets here...
 

81usaf92

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The advantage to being a running team is twofold:
1. You wear out the opponent and they eventually give up.
2. You play defense with offense -- keeping the ball and controlling the clock and thereby keeping your defense off the field.

Having Tua and the receiving corps is great...but I would rather have 5-6 minute possession drives for 6-7 TD's than 8 TD's with 2 minute possessions. The latter increases the possibility that other team will also score at the same rate -- they give scholarships too.

Will be glad when August gets here...
How has that worked out for UGA and LSU for the past 3 seasons against video game offenses? By my count they have both gotten blown out and lost double digit leads more than they have won.

I think the 2012 team is probably sitting at 0 national championships from 2014-present had they played in any of those years against those offenses
 
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BamaInMo1

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Quote:
How has that worked out for UGA and LSU for the past 3 seasons against video game offenses? By my count they have both gotten blown out and lost double digit leads more than they have won.

Sorry, but
you're comparing apples to oranges, Neither UGA or LSU had a legitimate passing threat to go along with the run game so teams could simply load the box and shut the run down. Some people on here are getting "power run game" and "three yards and a cloud of dust" confused. You can still have a prolific passing game and have a bruising, demoralizing run game, too. There are times when you need to be able to hand the ball off and get a yard or two at will and we have not been able to do that in the past couple of years. We greatly need that part of our offense back.
 

GrayTide

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Quote:
How has that worked out for UGA and LSU for the past 3 seasons against video game offenses? By my count they have both gotten blown out and lost double digit leads more than they have won.

Sorry, but
you're comparing apples to oranges, Neither UGA or LSU had a legitimate passing threat to go along with the run game so teams could simply load the box and shut the run down. Some people on here are getting "power run game" and "three yards and a cloud of dust" confused. You can still have a prolific passing game and have a bruising, demoralizing run game, too. There are times when you need to be able to hand the ball off and get a yard or two at will and we have not been able to do that in the past couple of years. We greatly need that part of our offense back.
I agree with this, we are not talking about a run dominant offense like teams from the Wishbone era, but a run game that can drive the field eat up 7-8 minutes and come away with a touchdown. These type drives would still, at some point, need the passing game to keep the drive alive. But as 4Q said, it all starts with the OL, if they cannot execute then all bets are off.
 

81usaf92

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Apr 26, 2008
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Quote:
How has that worked out for UGA and LSU for the past 3 seasons against video game offenses? By my count they have both gotten blown out and lost double digit leads more than they have won.

Sorry, but
you're comparing apples to oranges, Neither UGA or LSU had a legitimate passing threat to go along with the run game so teams could simply load the box and shut the run down. Some people on here are getting "power run game" and "three yards and a cloud of dust" confused. You can still have a prolific passing game and have a bruising, demoralizing run game, too. There are times when you need to be able to hand the ball off and get a yard or two at will and we have not been able to do that in the past couple of years. We greatly need that part of our offense back.
If you think Fromm isn't a legitimate passing threat with Riley ridley, Hardman, Godwin, and Nauta then you probably didn't watch them carve up defense after defense all year when Kirby was actually pretending to be a Smart coach. Their problem wasnt that they didn't have the pieces it was their strategy. They would get up 2 scores and try to run the clock out like we did from 07-13. That works against USCe, Vandy, and teams that cant fight back, but not against prolific offenses. They should've hung 40 on us in Atlanta last year, but were too concerned about milking the clock instead of going for the kill. That game was more theirs than the NCG the year before.

LSU has tried copying the early saban teams and every way. It just doesn't work with the crap quarterbacks they have had from 2014 to present.
 
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