BOL Round Table

Right now everything points to Notre Dame unfortunately. I have to say, and I know this is not gong to be a popular opinion at all on here, but our QB recruiting the last two years has left A LOT to be desired. Missing on Winston and Kiel was very disappointing. It hurts even more IMO because the last piece of the puzzle for us is an truly elite QB. Can you imagine a guy that could throw it down the field consistently with the run game we have?

JMO

Well, developing Ely into an actual SEC QB would be first. But I doubt he gets a serious look at the starting spot til he gets much older and even then it's not certain. If Sims transfers, and I'm not saying he will, we would be in trouble if AJ went down or got suspended. Then AJ graduates and you are handing the keys over to a guy that was not on anyone's national radar.

First time I have ever agreed with Weedline. It's hard to argue the fact that we have missed on the our top choices.

No, I don't think its at all about a big name QB coach. LOL good one on Mike Shula however.

Here is the double edge sword with us...relative to a big time elite of elite QB's....the very few there actually are. We are, and will be (under this staff at least) a Power Offense. A pro-style Power Running Game Offense. Period. We are going to run the ball at least 50% of the time and in many cases more than that. Sure, were passing more now this year, but its not a passing attack like what the real gunslingers would truly want if they were to be very open and honest. Hey, nothing wrong with that at all. I don't blame them. You go to a school that maximizes YOUR future opportunities and while BAMA will be very good we are not a sling it all over the yard offense and never will be.

Our optimal performance would be a kid who can do everything needed in our offense when asked to, but realized his number one job is to keep the offense flowing in order to break big runs and devastate the opponent. Were not running to pass. We pass, to help the run. Its successful, it works. And it is what it is and that isn't changing.

I have seen several NFL teams is who I will use as the example, simply because they have players stay for longer periods of time and therefore they can keep the same type of program going longer with the same players.....but I have seen several who were great powerful running teams do the exact same thing we as fans do - say just imagine a great passing QB with our running attack? WOW. The problem is in order to have the elite types of passing game, you must be a primary passing team ( example: Green Bay, New England) It works because of what they are. They run, to help the passing game. The teams who tried to do this and failed miserably are Pittsburgh and Cincy from a few years back. Cincy was coming off their 1st division championship in years and were knocked out of the playoffs early so immediately they starting tinkering - adding WR's and TE's to help the passing game because the rushing attack was #1 in the league. LOL the next year they were awful because they went away from everything they were built to be. A power rushing team that throws to keep defenses off balance. The Steelers did the exact same thing a few years ago letting Big Ben sling it all over the place. They equally sucked and missed the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl the year prior with a power rushing attack w/ Jerome Bettis and others.

My point, while I love the notion of saying wow can you imagine how great our offense would be to have a real great QB who can pick apart defenses and still have the running game we have. The problem is you can't have both. You either have run blocking Olinemen who are powerful and can move a truck out of the way or you have big agile olinemen who can slide and move and backpeddle well in order to pass block. To truly have a great passing attack you have to change your entire philosophy on offense as well as (for us at least) your players you have built around what you do - and you do it very well. Most elite QB's want to be a pass 1st player and I don't blame them. They like OU's, type of offense and others around the country like that. One that yes, can run but they are a pass 1st offense period.

We, are not and unless we want to change everything we are - we will not be. So as we started off - what's the answer? The answer is to have the best QB you can who can manage our team, lead our team, and pass his tail off when needed to - in order to open things up for our rushing attack. If we somehow were able to talk a elite QB to settle for winning over his potential numbers at another place - then maybe we get that type of player. Otherwise, all we need is a kid who can hit an open man, when asked to, when he is open. A player like AJ - who will continue to get better and better at hitting those deep balls when players are open ( we hope )

Absolutely. But its still the philosophy to be a POWER team. Yes we want to throw and you put it just as he has....throw for explosive plays down the field. But no matter how much balance we have, we are still throwing, to help open the run. Not the other way around. That is our offense and I am just fine with it.

Equally - I am just fine with the trigger men we have currently, and the ones we will get in years to come. I am NOT one who says we HAVE to have a top of top - elite of elite QB. As a matter of fact, as you stated, we already have that on our roster and we will continue to strive to pull in more (and will). Sometimes we fans get caught up in the we have to have the best at this position when with Coach Saban's offense you just have to have a proficient QB who can hit an open man when called for. One who can open up the field for us to do what we do.

Also, remember since mentioning those LSU teams, his best team was with a QB who was equally not ranked as the elite of elite QB's. Its just not THE requirement some think it is for us to continue to be excellent (meaning having the top rated QB type of player). Doesn't mean we don't want them or won't go after them. We will, but it is not the end all for our success like with other offenses. Others have to have the trigger man lead the offense. We do it where you know you can win - up front.

You're right it's not a requirement. But it makes things a hell of a lot easier.

LOL, no doubt.

And that then becomes a Want instead of a necessity

No doubt. I've never said you couldn't. Just talking about what our overall philosophy on offense is - which is a Power game. That is built with more than just a QB. Its the entire offense. Big powerful Olinemen, WR who can and will block downfield. The entire plan and therefore action is to be a Power - make their a@@ quit offense.

And yes, looking at numbers alone with Stanford shows both. However, those numbers are way out of whack simply because of the level of defenses they play against. It is a little different. And a QB will go to Standford for a completely different reason than he would go to Alabama....which is the main reason for the thread and the main topic of discussion. Not really about balance.

From where I sit we have a great QB in McCarron, and one that was neck and neck with him in the spring in Phillip Simms. I do not know where people get off on saying these QBs are bad. Saban's belief in offensive strategy will never allows us to put the ball up like Okie State, Houston, and others are prone to do, so those types of QBs, regardless of their skills, will not put up those kinds of numbers at Bama. McCarron has an amazing completion rate, and a fantastic TD/INT ratio...that is exactly what he is being asked to maintain.