BREAKING Tommy Rees hired as OC

[BamaInBham]

I agree with your post overall but disagree on Kelly’s call. Just then opposite, I think. He didn’t expect to be in a position to win the game and figured it was worth the gamble to go for it all right there.

There is a theory, that I first heard after we squeaked by Auburn in 2021, that if you’re the team who goes second you should go ahead and go for 2 because you’re going to be forced to the next round. So, you might as well use your best 2-point play right then and there to maximize your advantage.

Could be. IMO, and we're all just guessing, it was not the primary consideration in this case, it was because Bama's D just seemed to wilt in the 2nd half and so he thought, "The likelihood is that we will win this game right now because they are discombobulated and their D is not going to stop us.". It had taken just one broken play to score in OT.

Obviously, just a guess, but it was what I was thinking in real time. But the ultimate point, "that Alabama is now weak" at least in comparison to the recent past, IMO holds true. I think the coordinator hires are part of CNS' plan to address that - at least I hope so.

Aaron Murray stated before the season that no one was afraid of Alabama anymore. I don't know what he was specifically referring to, probably nothing, just a general feeling. But I think he was right. There are a lot of factors out of Bama's control but IMO, the factors in their control have been lost for the most part. They are weak, at least comparatively speaking - physically, mentally and psychologically - IMO, that is the "edge" they have lost.

 

[TiderJack]

Against OSU it was all 3. Sark drew up several plays for Devonta that were well designed.

1st TD - Smitty lines up on the line, fakes right, then goes left for an easy TD. That's all play design and execution.

2nd TD - Same sort of plan - move Smitty around and then outflank the defense before the ball is even snapped. Easy TD.

3rd TD - Smitty is lined up in the slot and matched up against a LB. He runs a go route while the other WRs clear out any help. Easy TD.

Each play is designed for Smitty and Mac knows where's he's going before the ball is snapped. Well designed played executed well.

The best play calling I have ever seen in any game. If Sark can keep piling up talent and get the players to buy-in they will be dangerous.

 

[Bama_N_Va]

Time will tell if Sark is a Great/Fair HC compared to a Great/Fair OC!

 

[Bamabuzzard]

What a new-look coaching staff means for Nick Saban and Alabama

Some Bama fans have grumbled about the new leaders of the team's offense and defense. But suggest the Tide's leader has lost his fastball at your own risk.

www.espn.com

 

[Bamabuzzard]

30% design, 70% execution. Smitty is extremely hard to cover even at the pro level.

I think you're underselling what the play designs actually did to the defense and the information it gave the offense pre-snap.

 

[bamadwain]

Coach is going back to what he built this program on and that's a strong running game, throwing when we want to not when we have to, and a strong, mean defense

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Coach is going back to what he built this program on and that's a strong running game, throwing when we want to not when we have to, and a strong, mean defense

It's time, it's time to make that move back to that philosophy. We've done a great job of switching to a more pass oriented, explosive play offense but as with everything, it runs its course of productivity then others adjust to it. I think we'll see a blast from the past power running game, and now that we have a lot more physical talent at the QB and WR positions than we did 8-10 years ago, we'll still throw the ball around, but it won't be to the detriment of who we are at our core, and that's a physical, beat you into submission type of team.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

Coach is going back to what he built this program on and that's a strong running game, throwing when we want to not when we have to, and a strong, mean defense

But we will have to throw a lot to stay in the game with Tennessee, unless our defense makes a dramatic improvement.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

But we will have to throw a lot to stay in the game with Tennessee, unless our defense makes a dramatic improvement.

Regardless if it's Tennessee or any other "pass-happy" team, if we can get back to successfully pounding the ball and winning first down, we won't need to throw the ball 35+ times/game to win. Also, if we improve on defense in almost any aspect that also changes what we will "have" to do offensively.
Granted, we're not going back to the Stallings years of passing because we have too much talent at QB and WR to not throw the ball. But I definitely do expect to have to do in 2023 what we had to do in 2022 to "keep up" with Tennessee. Not even close.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I personally hope we have the ability to both throw the ball 35+ times in a game and also close out the game pounding the ball.

I don't think we have to be exclusively one style or the other.

 

[Tidelines]

But we will have to throw a lot to stay in the game with Tennessee, unless our defense makes a dramatic improvement.

Georgia didn’t throw near as much as UT and they won. You are right though, our defense needs to get a lot tougher.

 

[JohnD]

I think you're underselling what the play designs actually did to the defense and the information it gave the offense pre-snap.

Maybe. No real way to know that. The play design was great. Much better than BoB, if that is the intent here. But Smitty regularly made people look silly. And when Waddle got hurt, he just caught way more passes. He would have made a big difference in the 2022 offense had he been on this team.

 

[Padreruf]

Maybe. No real way to know that. The play design was great. Much better than BoB, if that is the intent here. But Smitty regularly made people look silly. And when Waddle got hurt, he just caught way more passes. He would have made a big difference in the 2022 offense had he been on this team.

I thought Sark's best scheme game was against OSU. He even set them cup to cover Devonta with a LB...I laughed out loud when I saw that setup...

 

[gtgilbert]

It's time, it's time to make that move back to that philosophy. We've done a great job of switching to a more pass oriented, explosive play offense but as with everything, it runs its course of productivity then others adjust to it. I think we'll see a blast from the past power running game, and now that we have a lot more physical talent at the QB and WR positions than we did 8-10 years ago, we'll still throw the ball around, but it won't be to the detriment of who we are at our core, and that's a physical, beat you into submission type of team.

While I do think we will see a shift, I don't think it will be as significant as a lot are claiming. As you said, we just have too much talent at WR and QB to not leverage it. My guess is we'll see something more like the balance in 2020 (Run 52.9% pass 47.1%) versus this year (run 51.1% pass 48.9%)

 

[BamaMoon]

While I do think we will see a shift, I don't think it will be as significant as a lot are claiming. As you said, we just have too much talent at WR and QB to not leverage it. My guess is we'll see something more like the balance in 2020 (Run 52.9% pass 47.1%) versus this year (run 51.1% pass 48.9%)

Agreed. I can almost guarantee it won't be anything near 60/40 run/pass. Only way it could be that run-oriented is we don't have QB development into the season.

I've said it a few times, we don't have to suffer in the passing game to return to a meaner, tougher running game. You can do both!

 

[crimsonaudio]

While I do think we will see a shift, I don't think it will be as significant as a lot are claiming. As you said, we just have too much talent at WR and QB to not leverage it. My guess is we'll see something more like the balance in 2020 (Run 52.9% pass 47.1%) versus this year (run 51.1% pass 48.9%)

IMO, it's less about how the ball is distributed and more about the attitude with which the plays are called and executed. I don't know that we'll see drastically different plays per se, but I suspect we'll see better scheming and a more aggressive attitude overall.

So when you need that first down to run out the clock, you and the opposing team both know you're going to run the ball for the first down, but they cannot stop you. That's been lacking the last couple of years...

 

[gtgilbert]

IMO, it's less about how the ball is distributed and more about the attitude with which the plays are called and executed. I don't know that we'll see drastically different plays per se, but I suspect we'll see better scheming and a more aggressive attitude overall.

So when you need that first down to run out the clock, you and the opposing team both know you're going to run the ball for the first down, but they cannot stop you. That's been lacking the last couple of years...

Well, I hope the plays are pretty different. D coordinators said we only had a small handful of plays we ran under BOB, and we were exceptionally easy to game plan. I'm really hoping Rees uses a lot more of the playbook and a lot more of the motions and formations we were using before BOB. That doesn't mean it has to be pass happy. Some of the motions and formations do just as much to open up the run game as they do the passing attack.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

While I do think we will see a shift, I don't think it will be as significant as a lot are claiming. As you said, we just have too much talent at WR and QB to not leverage it. My guess is we'll see something more like the balance in 2020 (Run 52.9% pass 47.1%) versus this year (run 51.1% pass 48.9%)

The difference will be in the scheming by Rees that BOB seemed not to be able to do. It started to "leak" by anonymous SEC defensive coaches that our offense wasn't very hard to prepare for, that we ran the same handful of pre snap motions and formations over and over. Whereas with Rees, he is praised for "throwing a lot at the defense" pre snap and forcing them to "over think" which more times than not makes a defense play slower than they would like. That by itself will make a material difference.

 

[gtgilbert]

The difference will be in the scheming by Rees that BOB seemed not to be able to do. It started to "leak" by anonymous SEC defensive coaches that our offense wasn't very hard to prepare for, that we ran the same handful of pre snap motions and formations over and over. Whereas with Rees, he is praised for "throwing a lot at the defense" pre snap and forcing them to "over think" which more times than not makes a defense play slower than they would like. That by itself will make a material difference.

Agree with that 100%. Even the Utah State DC said we were easy to diagnose. Hoping Rees beings back that variability of playcalling, formations and motions. I just don't see a drastic shift in the balance of run/pass.

 

[Tidelines]

All these WR we have signed want their touches also. I think we stay pretty balanced with the play calling. Our running plays just need to consistently produce the yardage we need to get first downs. And if we hold serve with the passing game ( in the ballpark of what Bryce did ) we will beat a lot of folks.