The running game... or lack thereof

[gtgilbert]

Outside of our center, our line plan is below average. We really dont have the personnel that CKD needs. Think about it nearly every player on the depth chart on the OL was recruited by Saban during his go big or go home recruiting movement.

even the center isnt that great. very sound technique so he doesn't get blown up or back that much, but he also doesn't actually move people out of the way often either.

 

[arthurdawg]

I have to believe our OL issues are coaching we have not had a really good OL in several years. And we do need to recruit lean strong OL i stead of overweight guys who can't move fast enough on their feet

OL takes longer to develop, so I think we will see changes going forward. We are still depending on massive Saban OL recruits and have filled in with a few portal guys. Brailsford is the best we have, but is also small for an SEC center. We have some pretty good looking younger guys on team already.

 

[SeventhHeavenRanch7777@gm]

OL takes longer to develop, so I think we will see changes going forward. We are still depending on massive Saban OL recruits and have filled in with a few portal guys. Brailsford is the best we have, but is also small for an SEC center. We have some pretty good looking younger guys on team already.

OL takes longer to develop, so I think we will see changes going forward. We are still depending on massive Saban OL recruits and have filled in with a few portal guys. Brailsford is the best we have, but is also small for an SEC center. We have some pretty good looking younger guys on team already.

I hope your right. Procter is just too slow and We just really need lean muscular strong guys that are quick on their feet. But I hope your right. ROLL TIDE

 

[jashleyren2]

Bama won without running the ball.

Again.

At some point you recognize this isn't 1995 anymore...

Difference back then was, defense still did win championships. Even Spurrier's high flying offenses back then had defenses that would shut down almost everyone else on the schedule, probably because those opponents were also trying to play "3 yards and a cloud of dust". Hard to compare the game in 1995 with today. They resemble one another in almost zero ways.

I actually like the super small ball passing attack, and I wondered why they didn't utilize it as much on Saturday, until we were down. We kept trying long balls, and we were just badly off. Even to open receivers. When we had that drive trailing by 8, we went back to picking the defense apart with less than 10 yard throws, all over the field. SC had no answer for it. No one we've played has been able to beat it.

I think that method is effectively a "running game" now.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

our best rusher the past 2 games has been a receiver.

 

[colbysullivan]

our best rusher the past 2 games has been a receiver.

Whatever works...

 

[Ledsteplin]

Former Bama RB Justice Haynes, at Michigan, is listed 9th in the Heisman race. I do not think it's our running backs with the problems. And maybe not the OL players. Maybe we need a new OL coach. Whatever they are doing is not working.

 

[colbysullivan]

Former Bama RB Justice Haynes, at Michigan, is listed 9th in the Heisman race. I do not think it's our running backs with the problems. And maybe not the OL players. Maybe we need a new OL coach. Whatever they are doing is not working.

Our OL has been declining since 2020. It's frustrating for sure.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I think we all agree that the OL isn't performing to standard in either run blocking or pass protection.

In order to fix the problem, you have to know what the problem is. So my question is, "Why isn't our OL performing to standard?"

Based on recruiting rankings, we have talent. So were they overrated coming out of HS? Or have we not developed them? Or is it an S&C problem? Is it a coaching problem?

I don't know the answer. But I know we haven't had a truly reliable OL for a while.

 

[KrAzY3]

Whatever works...

It hasn't, not really (specifically talking about the running game).

I will reiterate I think they are trying to address the problem, but I'm not sure they can without bringing in new coaches to specifically address it. DeBoer/Grubb have had multiple years with a receiver as their second leading rusher. That's problematic in the SEC.

Some people want to blame things on the players, but it's not. Not for the most part, it's just the system, it's how it looked at Fresno. St, it's how it looked at Washington. Justice Haynes has 857 yards, 10 rushing TDs (more than Alabama as a team) , 7.1 YPC and that's with one missed game. Yet this system under-utilized him while letting Milroe try to take over games.

Now, the counter is this is working, it's fine, don't worry. Does anyone think the offense was fine against FSU? Does anyone think that was winning football? The offense was identical against South Carolina, I've literally never seen two box scores so similar. One yard passing difference, one completion difference, same pass attempts, .1 YPC difference, about 10 yards rushing difference. It was the same performance. So if that's what you want then cool, but I think most people had a problem with it after the FSU game.

I think the solution is just to tweak the system, bring in someone that has more expertise in establishing a strong running game and run blocking and then you have the potential for a truly explosive offense, not one that has to hand off to a WR to try to stay in a game.

 

[colbysullivan]

It hasn't, not really (specifically talking about the running game).

I will reiterate I think they are trying to address the problem, but I'm not sure they can without bringing in new coaches to specifically address it. DeBoer/Grubb have had multiple years with a receiver as their second leading rusher. That's problematic in the SEC.

Some people want to blame things on the players, but it's not. Not for the most part, it's just the system, it's how it looked at Fresno. St, it's how it looked at Washington. Justice Haynes has 857 yards, 10 rushing TDs (more than Alabama as a team) , 7.1 YPC and that's with one missed game. Yet this system under-utilized him while letting Milroe try to take over games.

Now, the counter is this is working, it's fine, don't worry. Does anyone think the offense was fine against FSU? Does anyone think that was winning football? The offense was identical against South Carolina, I've literally never seen two box scores so similar. One yard passing difference, one completion difference, same pass attempts, .1 YPC difference, about 10 yards rushing difference. It was the same performance. So if that's what you want then cool, but I think most people had a problem with it after the FSU game.

I think the solution is just to tweak the system, bring in someone that has more expertise in establishing a strong running game and run blocking and then you have the potential for a truly explosive offense, not one that has to hand off to a WR to try to stay in a game.

I just meant that we keep winning...