Nick Saban stands as arguably the greatest college football head coach in the sport, but even he is not above criticism.
He stated in Monday’s presser that every play called, whether offense or defense, comes through his headset. Coach Saban can veto any call he wants to. Donnie Lee Jr., a former Alabama wide receiver, said ‘Saban coaches the coaches, and the assistants coach us as the players.’ Has the trust that Saban’s given to Bill O’Brien led to the demise of Alabama’s offense? Crimson Tide fans and numerous former players believe it has. In two years, the Tide has become overly reliant on Bryce Young to make plays.
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Young had John Metchie, Jameson Williams, and Brian Robinson helping him in 2021, but Jahmyr Gibbs has been the lone consistent target for the reigning Heisman winner this season. As a junior, Young has to overcome dropped passes, receivers not on the same page with routes, offensive linemen letting defensive players get to him, and suspect play-calling from O’Brien.
The talent pool was not overflowing with offensive minds when Saban made the O’Brien hire in 2021.
However, the 53-year-old does not fit what has worked for the Tide before him. Alabama found several ways to be creative and innovative with Jim McElwain, Lane Kiffin, Michael Locksley, Brian Daboll, and Steve Sarkisian.
McElwain had Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson running “wildcat” to switch things up. It allowed both running backs to become All-Americans, first-round NFL Draft picks, national champions, and Ingram became the University of Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 2009. Kiffin saw the game changing to a spread offense in 2014, and he gave the Tide a new look.
His philosophy of running the football to create vertical opportunities in the play-action pass game allowed Alabama to have two 3,000-yard quarterbacks (Blake Sims, Jacob Coker), two 1,000-yard running backs (Derrick Henry, Damien Harris), a 2,000-yard rusher (Henry), two 1,000-yard receivers (Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley), a Heisman winner (Henry), and a College Football Playoff national title in 2015.
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Locksley and Daboll added to Kiffin’s blueprint with the RPO (run-pass option) scheme.
It created instant offense for Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa with slant passes, bubble screens, etc… Locksley and Daboll forced opposing defenses to guard every inch of a football field. These two helped Alabama to a CFP National Championship in 2017 while Locksley assisted Tagovailoa in 2018 to becoming a Heisman finalist and Jerry Jeudy to being the Crimson Tide’s second Fred Biletnikoff Award winner. Sarkisian made what Kiffin, Locksley, and Daboll did more sophisticated. He took the creativity and manipulated matchups for his best players to be open. Mac Jones, Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, John Metchie, and Jahleel Billingsley (now at Texas) benefitted from Sarkisian in 2020. Jones, Harris, and Smith were Heisman finalists and Smith became Alabama’s third Heisman winner. Sarkisian had the Tide dominant at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. He coached a masterful offense to an undefeated CFP National Championship season in a COVID-shortened year.
O’Brien does not have the creativity of the coaches above.
Former players, including Mike McCoy, have called his scheming ‘elementary’ and ‘predictable.’ Fans have grown tired of watching Bryce Young having to bail out the team and O’Brien each week. A change needed to be made after Alabama’s offense struggled mightily against Georgia in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game. Instead, Saban decided to hold onto O’Brien.
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The act of stubbornness on Saban’s part has done two things. Young will not repeat as a Heisman Trophy winner, and he will not capture a national championship as a starting quarterback. Think about that for a second. The most talented, athletically gifted, accurate passer, skilled leader, and special player Alabama has ever had at that position will not have a national title ring as a starter. It is a crime to see it happen. Stetson Bennett is not as talented as Young, but Todd Monken brings creativity to Georgia’s offense and he uses Bennett better than O’Brien does for a reigning Heisman winner. Alabama’s offense has issues scoring in the red zone, it has no identity in the run game, receivers are not trusting the route concepts, several penalties are happening each game, and O’Brien’s in a booth with his hat on backward, looking oblivious to what is happening. The Tide was fun to watch offensively with McElwain, Kiffin, Locksley, Daboll, and Sarkisian. These coaches could offset or have a counter punch for anything defenses had. O’Brien has not offset anyone, and defensive minds have taken advantage of his weaknesses.
Young has had to play “hero ball” to get Alabama through the season, but it should not be like that.
Saban said things have to get better, but we will see if he makes a change with O’Brien.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
