Make Your Case for Our Offensive Philosophy for Next Year and Beyond (Not about QBs)

CoachJeff

Suspended
Jan 21, 2014
3,596
3,654
187
Shelby County Alabama
Certainly agree with this or a close facsimile. A question I have is this. IF we`re fortunate enough to have another chance, AKA making the playoffs, do we have the time and if so, will we, move to a less QB centric run game to what`s described above?
I think so.

Bama needs to do some serious self scouting though.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
47,874
55,188
187
I think what stands out there is without knowing you can identify a few QBs just from their great college years: Young, Tebow, Newton, Winston, and Watson.

Each of those teams would have struggled to win a NC without those elite, freakishly good athletes.

In our 4 titles, we've won with 1 title with McElroy (good, but not great drop back qb) 2 with AJ (no where as good of an athlete as freaks, but GREAT drop back, game manager, qb) and 1 with Coker (probably the worst qb of the 3, but had the biggest heart, but good enough to distribute the ball).

I like our chances with an "average" pro-set guy, above waiting for the generational "freakishly great" qb to come along.
Yep - I have always hated Malzahn's offense for that reason. You have boom/bust seasons based on the QB. That is why Kiffin ran a pro style spread rather than the type of spread run by Oregon or Auburn - you don't need a freak.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
47,874
55,188
187
I think so.

Bama needs to do some serious self scouting though.
A better question would be, will Saban consider making a change. I doubt it. He sees the struggles as failures to execute rather than failures in scheme. So he will work on fundamentals and have the players try again. And that might be enough.
 

Intl.Aperture

All-American
Aug 12, 2015
3,681
23
57
Chesapeake, Virginia
A better question would be, will Saban consider making a change. I doubt it. He sees the struggles as failures to execute rather than failures in scheme. So he will work on fundamentals and have the players try again. And that might be enough.
That's what he is saying to reporters. We have no idea whose feet he is holding to the fire behind closed doors.

The only way to know for sure what Saban is going to do is to see it on the field and then we'll know more. I wouldn't go off anything he's said to the press thus far.

Execution is the easiest thing to say because it will always be true when you lose a game. A game isn't lost purely on gameplan or offensive philosophy or even the talent level of personnel - a failure to execute and do one's job is ALWAYS a part of the reason why so just because he's listing that as a reason does NOT mean he doesn't have opinions on other factors as well.
 

CoolBreeze

Hall of Fame
Sep 18, 2002
9,787
9,951
287
59
Hoover
Certainly agree with this or a close facsimile. A question I have is this. IF we`re fortunate enough to have another chance, AKA making the playoffs, do we have the time and if so, will we, move to a less QB centric run game to what`s described above?
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
86,985
45,782
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"
Would that it could be that easy...
 

BAMARICH

All-American
Jan 9, 2005
3,511
276
277
Northport, AL
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"
Lol...
 

BradtheImpaler

All-American
Nov 16, 2010
2,001
0
0
Sugar Hill, GA
An RPO offense could mesh with a Pro-Style offense, so long as the offense is a West-Coast offense, and not an Al Davis-everyone-go-deep style of offense. With some shorter routes off of play action, we could have carved API up.
 

Intl.Aperture

All-American
Aug 12, 2015
3,681
23
57
Chesapeake, Virginia
Would that it could be that easy...
Oh, Earle you give me heartburn when you start posting like this!

Not usually a good thing folks - well it means that there are legitimate and unpleasant rumblings at the least - but the outcome could still be salvaged.

(Takes a swig of Pepto)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

CrimsonProf

Hall of Fame
Dec 30, 2006
5,716
69
67
Birmingham, Alabama
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"
Man alive.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

RTR91

Super Moderator
Nov 23, 2007
39,407
8
0
Prattville
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
86,985
45,782
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
Oh, Earle you give me heartburn when you start posting like this!

Not usually a good thing folks - well it means that there are legitimate and unpleasant rumblings at the least - but the outcome could still be salvaged.

(Takes a swig of Pepto)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a challenge but he's good at meeting those...
 

crimsonaudio

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 9, 2002
69,732
87,171
462
crimsonaudio.net
Clemson isn't sandlot football. That's a silly thing to say.
I don't think the implication is that the entire offense is sandlot, but rather it's RPO that's commanded by a freak athlete that seems to shine when plays break down. That aptly describes Watson, imo - he was a great RPO QB, but when the pressure was on and plays fell apart, he was able to will them to victory more often than not via his freakish athletic play (sandlot, if you will).
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
86,985
45,782
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
I don't think the implication is that the entire offense is sandlot, but rather it's RPO that's commanded by a freak athlete that seems to shine when plays break down. That aptly describes Watson, imo - he was a great RPO QB, but when the pressure was on and plays fell apart, he was able to will them to victory more often than not via his freakish athletic play (sandlot, if you will).
That's great, if you want to play one man football, which is a great departure for Alabama. However, I'd point out that Watson wasn't just a runner. He was an uncanny passer as well. We haven't had that to fall back on...
 
Last edited:

CoolBreeze

Hall of Fame
Sep 18, 2002
9,787
9,951
287
59
Hoover
Well, I think you guys are missing my point. I simply think we need to run the football more often. We have the weapons to do it now and are not using them which is directly related to why we lost our last game and why this thread exits today IMHO. We can and should run the ball with authority and make them load the box to open passing lanes. We need to win the time of possession. That is an opinion.

I also opine that, as much as those of you in the know feel the situation is so dire (and I know absolutely nothing from the inside), Coach can and will fix the problems we had in our last few games on offense before we take the field again in live action. Frankly, I think he is thinking about it right now. I could be wrong but I doubt it.
 

bamaslammer

All-American
Jan 8, 2003
4,654
1,456
282
Argo, AL, St Clair
www.kirkwoodhouse.com
I think we are looking too much at the other team and deciding what we can and cannot do. To me this is a defeatest mentality. We certainly need to look at their defense and see what weaknesses they have that we can exploit, but our attitude needs to be that we are going to dictate to THEM how the game is going to go. In our championship seasons we were more or less 50% run and pass and our run game we expected to work every week no matter who we faced. We need to get get back to that, because it worked. Put the game on the offensive line and tell them you open the holes for the running backs or we lose.
 

TomFromBama

Suspended
May 14, 2003
1,142
0
0
Lower Alabama
One day in practice will rectify this. Coach says..."Boys, we are committing to running the football. Everyone on Offense is a blocker because we will run to set up the pass. Jalen, give it to the back. We are scaling the RPO game back to 10% of the plays the rest will be called on the sideline. Called pass plays will be of the intermediate variety geared to pickup 3 downs and receivers being just beyond the sticks. We are going to practice these fundaments over and over again. Receivers are going to have a chance for big games but the running backs are going to open up the field for them and Jalen. A'ight - lets get to work!"
This may sound "Silly" or "Backward" or "outdated" to many here - but the COLD HARD TRUTH is that the offense described above is pretty much what Alabama used to win our last FIVE National Championships dating back to 1992.

Downhill running to set up the pass, enough pass plays to maintain some balance, and with enough Stretch plays (Sweeps, jet sweeps and screens) to keep the defense from putting 9 in the box, and pass plays from 5-15 yards beyond the LOS. Limit the "Hail Mary" type passes to 2-3 attempts per game - MAX, unless the defense is leaving it Wide Open.

And just FWIW, I'd up the "RPO" ratio to 20-30%, with the caveat that 90% of the "Run" calls would be to the RUNNING BACKS. Its pure insanity to be running a QB THREE TIMES MORE than the next leading ball carrier, esp. when the QB is being spied and USUALLY being dropped for little or no gain.
 
|

Latest threads

TideFans.shop - Get your Gear HERE!

Alabama Crimson Tide Car Door Light
Alabama Crimson Tide Car Door Light

Get this and many more items at our TideFans.shop!

Purchases may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.