Offenses I saw Saturday

[Bamabuzzard]

Sounds to me you have no idea what you're talking about either or you just like to read your own lengthly posts. But either way you're missing the entire point. I don't have to be a meteorologist to walk outside and be able to tell the difference between a sunny day and a cloudy day. Just like I don't have to be a professional football coach or offensive co. to be able to sit there and watch with my very own eyes and be able to tell when play calling drastically changes at certain points in games. You wasted all of that typing when I do not want nor have I advocated an offense based off a "Michael Vick"/"Cam Newton" type player. I like the type offense we run now. I just do not like how inconsistent the aggressiveness of how it's run within games.

But I walk upright just enough to be able to notice a pattern when games start getting tight how our play calling just mysteriously changes to a very basic approach. Or when we get a substantial lead how we dial back the aggressiveness of our play calling and the tempo at which we run our offense. That is what I get frustrated with. Are you saying that what I'm saying I see isn't true? Please, enlighten me.

Threads like this always give me the impression that the fans are the ones panicking.

I know it's great fun speculating about offense. Visions of giant quarterbacks running all over creation, spread offenses that go from sideline to sideline. Chess game tactics that suck the defense this way, while the speedy runner goes thataway. Long, vertical passing plays that go for TD's every third play.

What happens when someone gives Cam Newton his first knee operation -- and his second, and his third? We will never hear the end of the Running Quarterback Fantasy, but inevitably the knees of those guys undergo operations. It doesn't matter. To tell some people this is like telling them that they can't have cotton candy at the Fair.

No, running quarterbacks don't grow on trees. And just plain good quarterbacks don't grow on trees. Do we wonder why some of us, in the wake of the Cam Newton Season at Auburn, have now decided that the Running Quarterback is where it's at, and that Nick Saban's offense is officially a Covered Wagon?

I can't help it. It sounds to me like you people don't know what you are talking about. You win at football by playing sound defense and sound offense -- and sound special teams. That's how you win consistently. You don't win consistently by dreaming of bringing in Cam Newtons every year and running off-the-wall offenses like Auburn ran this year.

In all likelihood, Auburn won't ever see a Cam Newtin again. He will be a millionaire this time next year. Auburn never had another Bo Jackson. Auburn has won one national championship, and is trying for a second. Alabama has won 13, and never had a Cam Newton or a Bo Jackson. We just played Alabama football. That's what Nick Saban does.

You better be glad that Nick Saban is the Alabama football coach. We may not see his equal for decades to come. And as far as these candy-cane dreams of a Cam Newton-style offense, maybe you can get over them, once Christmas day has come and gone.

Of course, the resurgence of Michael Vick may be one reason for the resurgence of this Running Quarterback dream. Michael Vick, like Cam Newton, is a freak of nature. Are you going to put all your eggs in such a basket? These guys come around very, very rarely. Even Tebow was here, and then he was gone. Ask Urban Meyer.

 

[BamaFlum]

It's simple. Have a dominating OL and it doesn't matter what offense you run.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

LOL!!! Can't argue there. But "dominating" OL's don't come around very often in the SEC. So what do you do when you have a "good" OL and teams have the talent level to simply stuff your simplistic running game? As did South Carolina did to us this season. They flooded the LOS with LB's on running downs and we never did one thing to counteract it. We just kept beating our heads against a wall. I agree. When you've got a dominating OL you can run whatever you want and it doesn't matter. But in those years you don't have a dominating OL but you have a good one do you just throw in the towel for that year? Or do you begin to go outside the box and start to find ways to attack the defense other than what you normally do when you have a domination OL?

It's simple. Have a dominating OL and it doesn't matter what offense you run.

 

[countrytider]

Sounds to me you have no idea what you're talking about either or you just like to read your own lengthly posts. But either way you're missing the entire point. I don't have to be a meteorologist to walk outside and be able to tell the difference between a sunny day and a cloudy day. Just like I don't have to be a professional football coach or offensive co. to be able to sit there and watch with my very own eyes and be able to tell when play calling drastically changes at certain points in games. You wasted all of that typing when I do not want nor have I advocated an offense based off a "Michael Vick"/"Cam Newton" type player. I like the type offense we run now. I just do not like how inconsistent the aggressiveness of how it's run within games.

But I walk upright just enough to be able to notice a pattern when games start getting tight how our play calling just mysteriously changes to a very basic approach. Or when we get a substantial lead how we dial back the aggressiveness of our play calling and the tempo at which we run our offense. That is what I get frustrated with. Are you saying that what I'm saying I see isn't true? Please, enlighten me.

You are SPOT ON about our offense. It's not the type of offense we run, it's the play calling that is lacking.

Although personally I prefer more of an I form attack than H back.

 

[glasscutter256]

As a whole, I thought playcalling was efficient. There were a few times we got overly conservative, but it was usually when we had a lead and didn't wan't to risk a turnover. I think it is real easy to sit and watch on TV and when a play doesn't work to complain about playcalling. I know I do it. In reality, it is very difficult to call a game given the time you have between plays. We don't want to call every play we have every game, but use certain plays at opportune times.
The more I think about it, the more I like the idea AU uses. I really think they script the whole game. That is how they can run plays so quickly and wear down the defense. If Malzahn wants to change the play, he can. If not, they just run the next play. This ensures variety and balance without calling a "vanilla" play because you can't think of a unique play. I know we script the first 5-10 plays, but why can't we script the whole half or game?
Considering the play calling before McElwain, I'm not complaining. I think he does a very good job considering Saban's conservative approach once we get ahead. Alabama has always been like that and I would advise anyone to get used to it. I don't see it changing anytime soon.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I agree. This more than likely will not change. Every style of offense comes with it's pros and cons. With us being so conservative we are going to have to have a dominating defense to win BCS National Championships. There's just no two ways about it. Because as we've seen Saban LOVES to sit on leads and just basically shut down the offense once we get any sort of lead over 14 points. When a team decides to shut down an offense and sit on a lead you're basically putting the entire load on the defense from that point on. If your defense breaks, history shows that it is next to impossible to "flip the switch" and get your offense back going. So if we're going to continue to take this type approach having a dominant defense is going to be a requirement.

Alabama has always been like that and I would advise anyone to get used to it. I don't see it changing anytime soon.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I agree. This more than likely will not change. Every style of offense comes with it's pros and cons. With us being so conservative we are going to have to have a dominating defense to win BCS National Championships. There's just no two ways about it. Because as we've seen Saban LOVES to sit on leads and just basically shut down the offense once we get any sort of lead over 14 points. When a team decides to shut down an offense and sit on a lead you're basically putting the entire load on the defense from that point on. If your defense breaks, history shows that it is next to impossible to "flip the switch" and get your offense back going. So if we're going to continue to take this type approach having a dominant defense is going to be a requirement.

Alabama has always been like that and I would advise anyone to get used to it. I don't see it changing anytime soon.

 

[Tidewith13]

as much as the spread offenses are everywhere you look in all levels of football, if you cannot run the football and dominate at the LOS you will not be successful. CS was right, our OL was not as good as last year's team at run blocking.

 

[IMALOYAL1]

Threads like this always give me the impression that the fans are the ones panicking.

I know it's great fun speculating about offense. Visions of giant quarterbacks running all over creation, spread offenses that go from sideline to sideline. Chess game tactics that suck the defense this way, while the speedy runner goes thataway. Long, vertical passing plays that go for TD's every third play.

What happens when someone gives Cam Newton his first knee operation -- and his second, and his third? We will never hear the end of the Running Quarterback Fantasy, but inevitably the knees of those guys undergo operations. It doesn't matter. To tell some people this is like telling them that they can't have cotton candy at the Fair.

No, running quarterbacks don't grow on trees. And just plain good quarterbacks don't grow on trees. Do we wonder why some of us, in the wake of the Cam Newton Season at Auburn, have now decided that the Running Quarterback is where it's at, and that Nick Saban's offense is officially a Covered Wagon?

I can't help it. It sounds to me like you people don't know what you are talking about. You win at football by playing sound defense and sound offense -- and sound special teams. That's how you win consistently. You don't win consistently by dreaming of bringing in Cam Newtons every year and running off-the-wall offenses like Auburn ran this year.

In all likelihood, Auburn won't ever see a Cam Newtin again. He will be a millionaire this time next year. Auburn never had another Bo Jackson. Auburn has won one national championship, and is trying for a second. Alabama has won 13, and never had a Cam Newton or a Bo Jackson. We just played Alabama football. That's what Nick Saban does.

You better be glad that Nick Saban is the Alabama football coach. We may not see his equal for decades to come. And as far as these candy-cane dreams of a Cam Newton-style offense, maybe you can get over them, once Christmas day has come and gone.

Of course, the resurgence of Michael Vick may be one reason for the resurgence of this Running Quarterback dream. Michael Vick, like Cam Newton, is a freak of nature. Are you going to put all your eggs in such a basket? These guys come around very, very rarely. Even Tebow was here, and then he was gone. Ask Urban Meyer.

Plus 1 Hal.
This may be the 1st time I've read one of your post's without mixing a drink. ha ha...

P.S. if it's Saban's style to sit on a lead.....either he will change, we will only win when that style works, or we'll remove him to be replaced with better.

 

[First Sergeant]

We were fairly successful with it last year.

I agree and I would like to add that it was not too long ago when we were averaging less that 20 ppg....I like our offensive style and wouldn't change much about...the 2008 was my favorite, smash mouth, line it up, point to where we are running to, then DO it! Very 1995 Nebraska esk!! I live for that kind of football