I have several subjects I want to discuss and vent a little about, and this is the first one. I consume alot of college football. I watch from coast to coast all day long. Sometimes I have two games going at once, one on the television and one on the ipad. The evolution of the college offense at all levels over the last 5 years is absolutely astounding. What we are watching today is closer to arena football than the sport Bear Bryant coached. QB's and WR's are coming in to college having run spread passing attacks since middle school. The best athletes overall on the field are the WR's and it isn't close. DB's and LB's are overmatched physically with only a few exceptions, and the rules are slanted in the favor of the offense almost exclusively. The three yard lineman rule being the most obvious example. So what is a defense to do?
I think Jess's article was spot on after the game. Bama's defensive linemen didn't impact this game at all. They aren't bad players, but they aren't the game changers Bama needs. He was also right that you can't include Lewis and Jennings in the equation from yesterday, and I do think that overall they both played well in the pass rush. Burrow is a tough guy to bring down. He is a good athlete, and hats off to him for it, but the issue is the guys that are putting their hands in the dirt weren't quite up to the task, and it's not because of a lack of effort. They give it their all, and I appreciate the hard work they put in, but to slow down these modern offenses, because you can't stop them, you have to have 5 difference makers in DL group. Big Q, Dareus, Allen, Payne level talent that can affect the QB and contain the run all on their own. Clemson had this last year, and the results speak for themselves. The problem is it is really hard to get that level of talent especially when you don't have a shot to keep them but 3 years. The NFL will pay top dollar for impact DL and you can't blame them for taking the money. I would take it too, but it has left defenses without an answer.
Another way to attack offenses could be a range of hybrid types. Jennings, Lewis, Christian Miller, and Tim Williams are examples that Bama has had. You can line them up all over the place. Guys like Xavier Williams, Mark Barron, Collins and HaHa are also hybrid type players. The first group are LB's that can play standing up and come from anywhere or play with their hands in the dirt. They can come from anywhere at any moment. The latter group could be Safety/LB hybrid type players that can come up close to the line or be back as a traditional DB. This could allow you more flexibility to attack the offense. Confusing the offense with no knowledge of who is coming from where and who is covering who.
The other thing to think about is does a defense have to have a defined scheme. Most offenses are multiple. They will change formations and personnel constantly. Couldn't the defense do the same thing on the same level? I know you have base, nickel, and dime, but could it go further? Could you run all different kinds of formations. Four down linemen one snap to a 3-3-5 the next to a 2-3-6 the next to a 1-4-6 the next. Substitutions could be problematic, but with the hybrid types their roles could change to accomplish this. I'm by no means an expert, but I can watch what some other teams are doing and find value in it. CNS has radically changed his offensive philosophy why can't he do the same with defense. He already did that to some extent with the way he has recruited so why can't the scheme change as well. The guy is an all time genius of a coach, and I'm interested to see what he takes from this loss. He has changed after previous losses, and I expect him to do the same here. Because this issue with the defense goes deeper than just injuries.
I think Jess's article was spot on after the game. Bama's defensive linemen didn't impact this game at all. They aren't bad players, but they aren't the game changers Bama needs. He was also right that you can't include Lewis and Jennings in the equation from yesterday, and I do think that overall they both played well in the pass rush. Burrow is a tough guy to bring down. He is a good athlete, and hats off to him for it, but the issue is the guys that are putting their hands in the dirt weren't quite up to the task, and it's not because of a lack of effort. They give it their all, and I appreciate the hard work they put in, but to slow down these modern offenses, because you can't stop them, you have to have 5 difference makers in DL group. Big Q, Dareus, Allen, Payne level talent that can affect the QB and contain the run all on their own. Clemson had this last year, and the results speak for themselves. The problem is it is really hard to get that level of talent especially when you don't have a shot to keep them but 3 years. The NFL will pay top dollar for impact DL and you can't blame them for taking the money. I would take it too, but it has left defenses without an answer.
Another way to attack offenses could be a range of hybrid types. Jennings, Lewis, Christian Miller, and Tim Williams are examples that Bama has had. You can line them up all over the place. Guys like Xavier Williams, Mark Barron, Collins and HaHa are also hybrid type players. The first group are LB's that can play standing up and come from anywhere or play with their hands in the dirt. They can come from anywhere at any moment. The latter group could be Safety/LB hybrid type players that can come up close to the line or be back as a traditional DB. This could allow you more flexibility to attack the offense. Confusing the offense with no knowledge of who is coming from where and who is covering who.
The other thing to think about is does a defense have to have a defined scheme. Most offenses are multiple. They will change formations and personnel constantly. Couldn't the defense do the same thing on the same level? I know you have base, nickel, and dime, but could it go further? Could you run all different kinds of formations. Four down linemen one snap to a 3-3-5 the next to a 2-3-6 the next to a 1-4-6 the next. Substitutions could be problematic, but with the hybrid types their roles could change to accomplish this. I'm by no means an expert, but I can watch what some other teams are doing and find value in it. CNS has radically changed his offensive philosophy why can't he do the same with defense. He already did that to some extent with the way he has recruited so why can't the scheme change as well. The guy is an all time genius of a coach, and I'm interested to see what he takes from this loss. He has changed after previous losses, and I expect him to do the same here. Because this issue with the defense goes deeper than just injuries.