The offensive landscape in college football as well as the SEC has changed drastically over the past decade.
Alabama for instance has morphed itself from an under center ball control type offense to a spread-out style of play that pushes the ball down the field with it’s passing attack racking up yards and points.
Just comparing two of head coach Nick Saban’s styles of play from his 2009 national championship team to last year’s record-breaking offense. In 2009 the Crimson Tide rushed for a total of 3,296 yards and passed for 2,631 as a team. Fast forward a decade and the offense led by Tua Tagovailoa passed the ball for 4,449 yards compared to its ground game which posted 2,383 yards.
The difference is appalling, and many teams across the country would prefer to see Alabama got back to its old way of playing offense.
And Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is one of those people.
“I wish (the offense) was like the old one,” said Kiffin during his teleconference on Wednesday.”… the one we played at Tennessee that didn’t score any touchdowns.”
The game Kiffin is referring to is the classic matchup when he was the head coach of Tennessee and traveled into Bryant-Denny Stadium to face Saban and come extremely close to spoiling Alabama’s perfect season.
During that game the Crimson Tide offense put up just 12 points, all coming from kicker Leigh Tiffin who went 4-of-4 on the day. If not for the two blocked kicks from defensive tackles, Terence Cody, Alabama would have been handed its first loss of the season and likely ending its hopes of a national championship.
Unfortunately for Kiffin that brand of offense is long gone, and the Rebels will have its hands full this weekend with the likes of Mac Jones, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris and the rest of Alabama’s high scoring attack.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
