Crimson Red Sports

After much speculation by the fans as to what Bama football might be like with the addition of Tua Tagovailoa and some other highly rated offensive prospects to the team, they didn't get disappointed yesterday. From the opening series of plays to the last play of the game, the fans weren't cheated of offensive fireworks that they all came to see. Now those that came to see an angry defense stifle any offense that Jalen and Tua might have to offer, that didn't happen and I'm glad as this was a fun day planned for the fans and most left the stadium talking about all the "what ifs" for next years team. The defense got a couple of black eyes in the game but they had their moments too. I think the defense will only get better as they  have to practice against all of this offense Bama has to offer now. The receivers really took it to the defensive backs with some great routes and catches but again, that's not all that bad as the DBs should get better having to practice against the "gazelles" that we watched yesterday. You might want to pencil in the name Jerry Judy on your "to remember" list for next season's team, he is the real deal. Also I want to mention Robert Foster. Here is a young man that came to Bama four years ago with lots of high explosive promise for the team but injuries have plagued him since his first year and now he is finally healthy for his senior year and showcasing those good abilities that he has. If he can stay healthy, he will add a lot to the offense this next season.

It's a given that there is still a lot of work to do on the offensive line and defensive secondary but I think the film of the game will give the players and coaches a lot to work with between now and August when the team arrives for next season. I didn't see any major injuries from yesterday so maybe we can start the next season injury free which is unusual from the past few years.

The question now is what kind of team will we see next season? Will Bama be  more offensive minded since the Clemson loss in the championship game or will they stay with their traditional game control offensive schemes which is what Nick Saban prefers. Clemson beat a good Bama defense for the National Championship with an outstanding show of offense that wore the good Bama defense down in the last quarter of the game. Is this the new trend in college football as so many teams are now scoring lots and lots of points each game and not worrying about how many they give up, just score more than your opponent theory. At the end of last season I would say definitely no to this theory for Bama but after seeing what Bama will have to offer offensively this coming season, I'm not so sure as what to think Bama might offer up for the next season. The old saying, "if you can't beat them you might as well join them" theory might well come into play as so many teams are now highly explosive offenses that score many points which make it impossible to try and defend them and hold them under 21 points a game. I can remember the Bear Bryant days when he would figure the team would have to score 10 points to win the game as they were not going to give up 7 points or more but the game has changed.

This is all nothing but pure speculation but is something that all of us Bama fans can think about for the next few months, will Coach Nick Saban change his philosophy of how he coaches his team? I say it's a good chance but knowing Coach Nick Saban, the defense will still be a trademark of his team but maybe in a different way. Until August arrives, I guess we can have a little fun visualizing all of the "what ifs" this team may offer next season after the big fireworks display yesterday and the CNS interviews might get a little more interesting as well.

« Last Edit: Today at 08:00:50 AM by Jamos »   

Our new OC was OC at the Chiefs and Dolphins, and then an assistant at the Patriots.  None of those teams played ball control offense, and I don't expect Bama to revert back to that.  From A-Day, it appeared that plays were called to create favorable matchups, so I anticipate Bama will run a pro-style offense with an eye towards exploiting defensive weaknesses. As you say, if you can't beat them join them.  While Bama can hold many teams to single digits, the national title race lately has seen teams win with explosive plays and downfield passing. 

I do not think he played better than Hurts but I was impressed with Tua. I was also impressed with J Jeudy and N Harris. This signing class could turn out to be one of the best yet.

I am not buying in that we will be a pass happy offense. Our best RB's were held out of A Day. I think CNS knows we can run the ball and wanted to work on offensive balance with an emphasis on throwing the ball down field. Our big passing plays last year were the 1 foot pitch on a jet sweep and wide receiver screen. 

We will run the ball, a lot. It's in Saban's DNA. He will do his usual 50-50 effort with passes and runs. The key is throwing downfield, not the 1-2 yard passing game.



 :popcorn2:

All we need Hurts to be able to do is occasionally complete a play-action bomb. As long as defenses know he can do it they can't stuff the box.

One thing for sure they are going to stuff the box till he does complete more than one bomb. RTR!

I'm 'penciling in' Jerry Jeudy, and hoping that his play wasn't an anomaly.  We need at least 3 quality receivers on the field to spread the defenses and ensure that Ridley has good matchups.  A speedy, tall JJ might be the ticket to fill one position.  We had the same issues last year, but only Ridley and Ardarius Stewart stepped up.  I'm psyched.
 :popcorn2:

Jamos, you know the team and coaching personalities better than most of us; appreciate your insights.  Keep an eye on the team development, and please keep us informed.  Seems we have to guess about injuries lately, so we appreciate any news there too.

We should find out right away if this new offense will be productive.  We'll need 30 points or more to beat Florida State.  An elusive Jalen Hurts and his new-found accuracy should provide that.  If not, Tua awaits!!

 :-*

I think JJ is the real deal. Foster looks great, as well. Hope he stays healthy. If Sims lives up to his potential, and our RBs do the same, opposing Ds are toast.

... assuming the O-line is adequate.
One thing about a mobile QB; the line doesn't have to open many big holes.

CNS said at the A Day Lunch that we have 4 quality offensive lineman. He was hoping the 5th would step up during the spring but a battle will continue over during the summer and into fall practice. He said we have a lot of good young talent to provide depth.

I think this could be one of our better O-Lines.

I really like the combo of Jalen and Tua as they both can execute from the same playbook and their styles and abilities are very similar. Last year the coaches did many things to try and protect Jalen from injury because he was all we had but things could be very different this year because of Tua's abilities. This should free up Jalen to do more on the field this year.

It's just a guess of mine but offensively I think this team will be much improved over last year's team. I liked what I saw in our new OC and from what I have been hearing and reading, the players like him too.

Hey JAMOS do you think the O-line can protect them long enough for them to be productive? RTR!

Pass protection is the achilles tendon of the offense no doubt. Most of the players stay in summer class so I get the feeling they have been given a work sheet for the months ahead to help them with that problem. We won't know until the first of August though if it helped any.

Hard to believe that Jalen and Tua will both stay if CNS picks one as the starter/player.  We've never had a productive offense with a shared QB position, and CNS isn't likely to share the load between them this year.

How can we keep and play both?? 

 :popcorn2:

I hope Foster can stay healthy but he seems so injury prone. I feel bad for the guy because he has such potential but gets hurt chewing gum. Strange how certain players have that type of career, whether it's football, baseball, or basketball. We have a bevy of receivers/tight ends so I am very optimistic about our receiving corps. Guys like Ridley, Juedy (if the hype is accurate), Cam Sims, Marks, & Hentges at TE. Plus, Ronnie Clark could be special as TE, using his RB skills after catching the ball to move the ball upfield. I'm very interested in how his move to TE will work out.


 :popcorn2:

I look for Tua to get some decent playing time in the games following FSU.  We need a reasonable backup going into conf play and the only way to get such is to play the guy.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some plays with both of them in there as the season goes on.  Could drive defenses crazy with all the options they could run.