Alabama Football Features an Offense Set to Explode
You can call the Alabama Crimson Tide offense a lot of things just make sure you don’t call them conservative. In fact this season, you may even call Alabama Football another word, explosive.
The Crimson Tide offensive unit will never be mistaken for the Houston Cougars, Oklahoma Sooners, or Oregon Ducks; however, in a world where videogame offenses are the norm, Alabama battles the perception that their offense is too boring.
“Are we balanced? Yes” senior center Barrett Jones stated, noting that Alabama scored 35 points per game in 2011. “But I don’t know, maybe balanced is conservative. Kind of like 50 is the new 40.”
While Alabama’s offense wont win a lot of popularity contests, the fact remains that is has won plenty of football games, including two national championships. Throughout the Saban era in Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s M.O. has been to win the battle in the trenches by establishing a dominating rushing attack, then using the run game to set up the pass.
But with a new offensive coordinator and heralded quarterback AJ McCarron in just his junior year, balanced hasn’t been the only word associated with the Crimson Tide offense. Everyone from the head coach to the wide receiving corps have dropped one particular word in describing the offense: explosive.
“We’re going to do the usual stuff we’ve always done. But the way AJ looks right now its great for the passing game” tight end Brian Vogler said before hinting at what may be in store this season for Alabama’s offense.
“We’ve got explosive guys out there with so many different looks, so the things we can do in the passing game-it’s hard to explain. I guess you’ll have to wait for the Michigan game.”
While we will have to wait until the Michigan game until we find out the true identity of the Alabama offense, it brings up the question of just how much will change.
More than likely there will not be much change in terms of philosophy. After all, it was just about a month ago at SEC Media Days when Saban emphasized that Alabama has its system, adding that you don’t change everything in the building because of adding one coach.
Alabama fans in Tuscaloosa often wonder how much more the Tide will throw the ball this season. While that will be subject to game situations, the attempts down field will more than likely increase, but the explosiveness will come from the players providing the spark.
Whether it come from the electric arm of AJ McCarron or the stable of highly touted running backs the 2012 Alabama offense may not put up numbers usually reserved for video games, but they won’t be boring.
