i thought this was our best 1st quarter formation towards the end of the year.. but it did not carry us through the duration of the game.. we have to be able to pound the will out of our opponent at some point
š what i expect to see next year from our offense
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i thought this was our best 1st quarter formation towards the end of the year.. but it did not carry us through the duration of the game.. we have to be able to pound the will out of our opponent at some point
Terry, I'm not speaking for the other poster, but I feel like he might have meant rushing versus passing ATTEMPTS, not yardage. Wouldn't rushing attempts versus passing attempts be a better gauge of how "balanced" our offensive play calling is?
Given that Julio and McElroy are gone, IF the offensive line gels as they should I believe you'll see an offense very similar to the 2009 offense. Working under the assumption the line gels and matures, and the replacement for Carpenter (or Fluker if they move him over) step up, Bama will pound the ball. Trent is one of the best backs in the country and will have to shoulder the load next year. I know that most of you are eager to see AJ but a kid with that much arm strength will invariably make mistakes. He will try to air it out when a shorter route would do, he will force the ball into coverage because he thinks he can squeeze a throw between the coverage. Look at Ryan Mallett--he is a prototype for what a QB lacking in maturity with a great arm will do. AJ will grow up before the end of the season but if Bama tries to throw it more often there will be growing pains. That being said, he won't have to do much with Trent. Lacy is a very viable back-up, Goode and the bunch behind Lacy can take some of the load as well.
They will of course throw the ball some but Julio leaving takes away the big-bodied deep threat that has been so hard to defend and don't underestimate the loss of dial. Hanks and Maze are elusive and have good speed. The strength of Alabama's passing game will have to be underneath routes that allow them room to pick up some YAC. Of course they will still throw it deep, I'm just saying they won't have the consistent huge deep threat unless/until one of the freshman step-up.
All and all, Bama will still have a very successful offense. The offensive line was the weak link this year and that should improve. Trent will be magnificent, AJ will be solid but will make mistakes. It will be a very difficult offense to defend because of AJ's arm strength. The threat of throwing the ball will always be there. Early, teams will load the box and force AJ to beat them. Bama's success next year will largely depend on his ability to do that. It should be between Bama and LSU for the West next year. That stable of running backs will earn their keep this year. Heavy doses of running with loads of success there, a passing game that will develop as the season progresses. Trent becomes a superstar this year.
They will of course throw the ball some but Julio leaving takes away the big-bodied deep threat that has been so hard to defend and don't underestimate the loss of dial. Hanks and Maze are elusive and have good speed. The strength of Alabama's passing game will have to be underneath routes that allow them room to pick up some YAC. Of course they will still throw it deep, I'm just saying they won't have the consistent huge deep threat unless/until one of the freshman step-up.
All and all, Bama will still have a very successful offense. The offensive line was the weak link this year and that should improve. Trent will be magnificent, AJ will be solid but will make mistakes. It will be a very difficult offense to defend because of AJ's arm strength. The threat of throwing the ball will always be there. Early, teams will load the box and force AJ to beat them. Bama's success next year will largely depend on his ability to do that. It should be between Bama and LSU for the West next year. That stable of running backs will earn their keep this year. Heavy doses of running with loads of success there, a passing game that will develop as the season progresses. Trent becomes a superstar this year.
My thoughts of this thread (for what it's worth):
1. When did AJ get named the starting QB next season? I'm not saying he won't be, all I'm saying is, you can't say yes to AJ until you've, at least, seen him wearing Crimson on the field in early April.
2. I do not think Lacy will ever be the Mark Ingram to Glen Coffee, or the TR to Mark Ingram or the number 1 guy. Lacy will be (from a football standpoint and playing time stand point) like Roy Upchurch, then graduate and do something other than football. Trent Richardson will prove to be the best back in college football this year, and playing behind him will really most likely be someone like Dee Hart but...
3. All that talk is moot unless you first address the issue of Defense, the O-line, and motivation/ leadership. If the 2008, '09, and '10 seasons prove anything, its that a.) unmotivated teams will not win it all, they may win 10 games b/c they are more talented, but I don't think anyone will be satisfied w/o a national championship at the end of next season; b.) you can't do anything unless you have a good offensive line that pushes people back play after play and allows for consistent 5 yard gains that Terrence Cody could pick up and that eat clock and simply move the ball; c.) Defense wins championships. Plain and simple. I would argue, and hope everyone agrees with, the fact that by the end of the year our D was ready for anybody. (The way the whole team played against MSU could have beaten the Steelers.) But unless the corners, D line, and linebackers really play to an elite level next year like Alabama has done for the past 100 years we will not win it all coming from the SEC. d.) Someone has to step up and really take a major leadership role, not only for the whole team, but ea. position also needs to have a leader for the rest of the younger guys at the position-- if that makes sense. And I've always held the opinion, and this might sound picky even, but I think a SEC defense, especially one like Alabama's, needs to have a LB really running the show, we're a D that is only as good as our LBs in my opinion and thats why Ro was so effective as a leader.
So in conclusion, Trent will be good, whoever starts at QB will have a cannon and be locked and loaded (also, everyone that doubts young, "inexperienced" QBs, '09 was GMac's first year as a starter...), but the biggest thing are the little things, like an O-line that is effective and gelled together, a D that is on the field 3 plays at a time, and a guy on the field that knows the plays and schemes well enough to coach the others.
1. When did AJ get named the starting QB next season? I'm not saying he won't be, all I'm saying is, you can't say yes to AJ until you've, at least, seen him wearing Crimson on the field in early April.
2. I do not think Lacy will ever be the Mark Ingram to Glen Coffee, or the TR to Mark Ingram or the number 1 guy. Lacy will be (from a football standpoint and playing time stand point) like Roy Upchurch, then graduate and do something other than football. Trent Richardson will prove to be the best back in college football this year, and playing behind him will really most likely be someone like Dee Hart but...
3. All that talk is moot unless you first address the issue of Defense, the O-line, and motivation/ leadership. If the 2008, '09, and '10 seasons prove anything, its that a.) unmotivated teams will not win it all, they may win 10 games b/c they are more talented, but I don't think anyone will be satisfied w/o a national championship at the end of next season; b.) you can't do anything unless you have a good offensive line that pushes people back play after play and allows for consistent 5 yard gains that Terrence Cody could pick up and that eat clock and simply move the ball; c.) Defense wins championships. Plain and simple. I would argue, and hope everyone agrees with, the fact that by the end of the year our D was ready for anybody. (The way the whole team played against MSU could have beaten the Steelers.) But unless the corners, D line, and linebackers really play to an elite level next year like Alabama has done for the past 100 years we will not win it all coming from the SEC. d.) Someone has to step up and really take a major leadership role, not only for the whole team, but ea. position also needs to have a leader for the rest of the younger guys at the position-- if that makes sense. And I've always held the opinion, and this might sound picky even, but I think a SEC defense, especially one like Alabama's, needs to have a LB really running the show, we're a D that is only as good as our LBs in my opinion and thats why Ro was so effective as a leader.
So in conclusion, Trent will be good, whoever starts at QB will have a cannon and be locked and loaded (also, everyone that doubts young, "inexperienced" QBs, '09 was GMac's first year as a starter...), but the biggest thing are the little things, like an O-line that is effective and gelled together, a D that is on the field 3 plays at a time, and a guy on the field that knows the plays and schemes well enough to coach the others.
I'm a stat guy. Trust me. I've looked at those numbers closely and followed them weekly last season.
I will continue to point to one thing that accounts for the three losses last season. Injuries.
Anytime you have a team that ends up having close to 25 new starters in a season you are bound to have a few hiccups along the way. I realize we are only four or five plays away from being in a BCS bowl. I also realize that with the amount we graduated from the '09 team coupled with so many new faces in starting roles...well, we slept in our own bed.
FWIW, interior offensive line leadership is going to be the strong suit of our team next season. Most people aren't paying attention to that.
Perhaps.
If so, we see it differently.
You could have 30 pass attempts in a game that netted 100 yards. 30 rushing attempts that netted 300 yards. That's a 400 yard game, right.
OK, let's say we've got 200 through the air and 200 on the ground, but 45 rushing attempts vs 15 passing.
Which is balanced? The later is how I see it. It's production I look at.
I think the general consensus across college football is this season's back-up will be next season's starter should the #1 guy leave. I know many people are high on Simms but I just don't see Saban and McElwain handing the keys over to a redshirt freshman that hasn't stepped foot onto the field in an actual game. Simms may come in and wow everyone and take over but I would be willing to bet that AJ will be the starter next season.
Trent Richardson will most likely be THE guy at running back this year in college football. Lacy's PT will be limited but Bama has shown a willingness to play multiple running backs. That is what made the offense so difficult to defend in 09. Ingram would pound and pound and pound and when he needed some air, Trent would come in and rip the defense. I see no reason that will stop. McElwain is sitting on a gold mine of running backs between Trent, Lacy and Hart (not to mention the other guys that got PT this year), he'd be silly to not use them. I do think you're right in that Lacy will not be the type of running back that Ingram and Richardson were playing back-up roles but he will get plenty of carries unless/until Hart shows he's much better. From a recruiting standpoint Bama needs to continue to find a way to play at least two backs fairly consistently or at some point the running back well will dry up. The last few years, aside from Coach Saban's actual recruiting prowess, he's been able to sway kids with PT because of the depth issues he was addressing--those issues don't exist anymore.
Bingo--leadership is the biggest issue for this team. I'm not sure motivation will be as much of an issue. Last year you guys were defending champs and had what many thought would be the most lethal running game in the country with an experienced QB and a superstar wide receiver. The team spent the entire offseason hearing how great they were going to be and I don't care who your leader is, eventually you begin to listen. They'll play with a chip on their shoulder this year, you can count on that. Leadership will be the key.
Your o-line should improve. Last year was a relatively green bunch but you only lose one starter this year. If I remember correctly, Fluker is believed to be good enough to move over and take that tackle position so in essence, you're replacing a right tackle. It is still a relatively young offensive line but there is some experience there which will help. They won't play flawless and they certainly won't consistently mow people over like you did two years ago but they will be much better than last year, in my opinion anyway.
As for your defense, you'll see some improvement. Dre is the next superstar cover corner in the SEC in my opinion. Even as an Auburn fan I love the kid. Milliner will improve. He has talent or he wouldn't have been on the field as a freshman. He showed a great deal of resiliency being able to come back and still make plays after looking very shaky. I remember watching him blow coverage on Arkansas' first touchdown and he still played the rest of the game. He looked much better by the end of the year. As a sophomore he will be taking another step. By 2012 Bama will have two of the best cover corners in the SEC. As for this year, Milliner won't make as many mistakes. Barron is back and Lester is back and looked great last year. I think your secondary will be solid. The defensive line took a blow losing Dareus after less than stellar play last season. That will be a question mark. Bama's linebackers need improvement as well Hightower will look better this year than last. Last season was his first back from the ACL injury and it takes AT LEAST 12-18 months for your knee to feel "normal" again after any major knee surgery. For an athlete, you also have to regain confidence in that knee and learn that your ligament graft won't fail as easily as you think initially. He will improve. I like Upshaw. Mosely will develop into a very good linebacker. Overall I say Bama has a solid group of linebackers but, to your point, they lack the dominant status that has been typical of Bama linebackers over the years.
I think your leadership spark on this team will be Hightower. I have no real reason to say that, just a hunch.
So in conclusion, Trent will be good, whoever starts at QB will have a cannon and be locked and loaded (also, everyone that doubts young, "inexperienced" QBs, '09 was GMac's first year as a starter...), but the biggest thing are the little things, like an O-line that is effective and gelled together, a D that is on the field 3 plays at a time, and a guy on the field that knows the plays and schemes well enough to coach the others.[/QUOTE]
i think ya'll might be undershooting lacy a bit.. he was highly ranked coming out of highschool and probably would have been higher if not for his academic concerns.. i believe he is faster than richardson and he is HUGE.. he also hits the hole like coffey did.. he fumbled a time or two, but hopefully that won't be a problem.. i think lacy will fall right in line as an nfl RB coming out of alabama..
I've only seen one person that has underrated Lacy in this thread and I really don't get where he gets that from. Anytime Lacy was given PT this past year he looked GREAT. The guy is incredibly powerful with scary speed for a guy that size. He had some fumbling issues early but looks like he cleaned that up.
I didn't spend a great deal of the time, in 2010, questioning our offense. Oh sure, there were some situations, as there always are, where one play might have been better than another. But that's hindsight, and you don't have that benefit from the coaching booth, sideline, or behind center. We used our horses as much as we could, hitting Julio early and often, giving the ball to Mark and Trent as much as they could handle before injury.
The only things that kept us out of Glendale:
1- Impossible schedule. Those three losses came at the hands of rested teams who were on par with our talent at the key positions on the field. Review how many teams had the week off before us. Review how many road games we had, and where they were. At USCe, always a tough place to play, and a game many of us felt we'd drop. Still, it was a shock when it happened. We were set up to lose it, IMO, and we still made it a game. At LSU. Well, do I need to say anything else about a game that we let slip away on a missed defensive coverage? Still made that one a game until the final few minutes. And we took the national champs behind the woodshed for a half, and didn't finish. Simple.
2- Our own quest for "balance" on offense might have caused us to let off the gas too early sometimes, when something less than "balanced" was blowing the other team out of the park. I thought we gave up far too soon on Florida, who might have gotten back into that game if they'd been half the team they are used to being. Arkansas and Tennessee were examples of games where our talent was clearly better, but we just started slowly. Why seek "balance" when you know what you can win with, and it's working? Just don't see the point, unless it's to get more practice doing the "other" things.
Overall, this was an excellent season, with a great ending as we just mowed down one of the Big 10's best. It wasn't even competitive. I feel very comfortable saying that, had we qualified for Atlanta, we would have gone to Glendale. And I feel comfortable we'd be wearing #14 right now.
The only things that kept us out of Glendale:
1- Impossible schedule. Those three losses came at the hands of rested teams who were on par with our talent at the key positions on the field. Review how many teams had the week off before us. Review how many road games we had, and where they were. At USCe, always a tough place to play, and a game many of us felt we'd drop. Still, it was a shock when it happened. We were set up to lose it, IMO, and we still made it a game. At LSU. Well, do I need to say anything else about a game that we let slip away on a missed defensive coverage? Still made that one a game until the final few minutes. And we took the national champs behind the woodshed for a half, and didn't finish. Simple.
2- Our own quest for "balance" on offense might have caused us to let off the gas too early sometimes, when something less than "balanced" was blowing the other team out of the park. I thought we gave up far too soon on Florida, who might have gotten back into that game if they'd been half the team they are used to being. Arkansas and Tennessee were examples of games where our talent was clearly better, but we just started slowly. Why seek "balance" when you know what you can win with, and it's working? Just don't see the point, unless it's to get more practice doing the "other" things.
Overall, this was an excellent season, with a great ending as we just mowed down one of the Big 10's best. It wasn't even competitive. I feel very comfortable saying that, had we qualified for Atlanta, we would have gone to Glendale. And I feel comfortable we'd be wearing #14 right now.
I agree....I kinda expected to possibly see him in kickoff returns too.
Yah.
It's MO that Dee gets shirted...but, then there is that story about him getting PT this season.
No doubt in my mind that Dee gets serious PT this year-- if not just returning both punts and kick offs
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