Why Alabama Could be Unstoppable in 2018 – Part One – Offense
By: Larry Burton
Alabama could be just now approaching their peak years, a far cry from the media idiots who declared the Alabama dynasty to be over a few years back. In fact 2018 and 2019 could herald in back to back champions which would give Alabama a three-peat championship, something not done in the modern era of college football.
So why all this faith in Alabama’s future?
While defense is the cornerstone of what makes Alabama who it is and how it plays, the offense is finally catching up. Except for perhaps AJ McCarron, Alabama had a long line of quarterbacks under Saban who were simply game managers whose primary job was to hand off to a great lineage of running backs and dink and dunk short passes to receivers who could take a short pass and turn it into big yardage. Think Julio Jones, Amari Cooper and then Calvin Ridley here. Most were game managers, more responsible for keeping the ball safe than keeping things exciting.
But for the next two years at least, Alabama has a quarterback that adds the WOW factor into the equation, a quarterback that will not allow defense to creep up to the line to defend the run and the short dink and dunk passing game. In Tua Tagovailoa they have a quarterback that will keep safeties on their heels and cornerbacks sweating bullets. They’ll be sweating bullets not only because of Tua’s uncanny accuracy of hitting guys in stride, but in trying to cover really fast of great route running receivers like Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III who are all now proven talents. Add to this the always strong backups at receiver and you have lots of targets for Tua to pick from and unlike other Alabama quarterbacks, Tua sees them all.
I’ve covered many Senior Bowls and one thing I’ve always been told by the NFL coaches who come and watch the practices and coach the game is that a receiver who’s played at Alabama knows how to block downfield better than almost any other school’s receiver. They know that if a receiver can’t or won’t block for running plays or when others catch the ball, they won’t see the field at Bama. You do that FIRST, then you get to catch the ball yourself. You just don’t get to be a primma donna at Alabama and do your thing, you have to be a total 100% team player and means doing the drudge work that many receivers hate to do and can’t do well. Our receivers are all cut from the cloth of unselfish and hard working guys. It’s something to watch them on running plays and admire.
Folks, when you’ve studied football for more years than any of these current players have been alive, you know that one missing piece that keeps Alabama from the top of college football is a top flight quarterback. To their credit, Alabama has won championships with game managing quarterbacks, but it was because of a stalwart defense, a crushing running game and receivers who could take a screen pass or slant to the house. When they haven’t won championships in the Saban era, it’s because they didn’t have that gunslinger under center.
But as we all know, a quarterback can’t do it alone. He’s got to have a great offensive line to not only protect him, but to open holes for the running game and keep the defense fearful of both the pass and the run.
Well Alabama looks to have that under control too.
Many may worry about losing Bradley Bozeman, Alabama’s rock at center who did an outstanding job all season long. But Bozeman himself tells fans not to worry about that at all. At the recent Senior Bowl, Bozeman told the press, “I think Ross Pierschbacher steps in. I think he’ll do a great job. Ross, he’s a natural leader. He’s played guard for three years, done a really good job, knows the offense like the back of his hand.” Coaches however were impressed that when left tackle Jonah Williams went down early in the second half, that Alex Leatherwood came in and did a flawless job of protecting the quarterback when the chips were on the line. Leatherwood has always had a bigger upside than Williams and now he’s shown in the end of his freshman year that he’s ready to assume that spot, so that may bring the coaches to pit Williams against Pierschbacher for the starting center job ala a Barrett Jones type move a few years back.
The thing Saban wants to do is have his five best linemen on the field at the same time and such a move would let Pierschbacher stay at left guard, Leatherwood at left tackle, Lester Cotton back at right guard where he is expected to have his best year and either Jedrick Wills or Matt Womack at right tackle and there isn’t a bad choice between either of those two men. So you can consider the offensive line a superior strength for next season, not a question mark at all.
Now to running back, where once again it’s an embarrassment of riches. Damien Harris comes back for his senior season and surprised many for doing it. Harris was a sure top round NFL pick but wanted to come back and enjoy his senior season and perhaps set some records as well. Add to this one of the most underrated running backs in the SEC, Josh Jacobs, who in my opinion could be a breakout superstar on any other team and of course Najee Harris, who we all know is going to shine once he gets the chance at a starting job. But don’t forget that back in the lineup is a young man named Brian Robinson who quietly ended last season with an almost seven yards a carry average. Can you say lots of insurance here?
That only leaves us with the tight end position to talk about. For all his talent, Jalen Hurts rarely made it through his progressions enough to find the tight end as a third or fourth option. Irv Smith, going into his junior season this coming year did have 14 catches for 128 yards and a nice 9.14 yard per catch average. Also, many fans forgot what a great year Miller Forristall had in 2016. He averaged 14.6 yards a catch before getting hurt early last season. Well he’s back for his junior season with plenty to prove and finally healthy and ready to play. Hale Hentges also returns on the other side where he was a blocking machine and looks to pick right back up for his senior season.
But before we leave this group, let’s not forget about Major Tennison who just finished his freshman season and despite being buried in the depth chart, still had some catches and averaged 15 yards a grab. At 6’5” and 250 pounds, he’s quite a target and his future is really bright. Once again, the depth at all positions leave this team full of promise and as it was in 2017 almost bullet proof when it comes to injuries. As always, Saban’s superior recruiting has this team not only filled with great starting players, but backups ready to go when it’s time for the “next man up”.
Lastly, let’s talk about the offensive coaching staff and the excitement that should be felt in having Mike Locksley named as the offensive coordinator. It’s not that he has a great offensive mind, but to an old football hound like me what’s exciting is that he come to the job from the receiving coach’s position. This is a man who not only understands but intimately knows the strengths of each receiver and knows how to design plays to exploit their strengths. This is a guy who will get Tua to distribute the ball like never before and keep defense dumbfounded on who they should cover.
With no offense intended to Jalen Hurts, it was common knowledge that he looked for Ridley first and almost always while Tua is capable of seeing the whole field and comfortable throwing to the man with the best chance of being open and making the catch. This is going to be an offense that goes from averaging 38.8 points a game in 2016 and 37.1 points a game in 2017 to a team that could average in the 40’s. In the championship game, Hurts completed just one of six first down opportunities. I had been saying all year this would be the Tide’s undoing. But Tua’s ability to read the field better got Bama’s average up to almost 50% in conversions in the second half from 16% in the first. With experience, that number will go nowhere but up. When you convert third downs two great things happen, you keep the chains moving and increase the likelihood that you’ll score and second, that you keep the opposing offense on the bench where they can do no harm.
That is why the Tide’s offense could be truly unstoppable in 2018. It is an experienced and well oiled machine that will increase their third down conversion rates, thus their total scoring. This is a team that can finally win a track meet if they had to. This is a team that just fixed their one weakness, a great throwing quarterback. This is now an offensive team without a weak spot and a depth chart to ensure its survival through injuries. This is truly the team with the best potential to be the greatest offensive team that Nick Saban has ever fielded. If there’s a weak spot you think we’ve missed, let us know in the comment section because I just don’t see one.
Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter
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