BOL Round Table

FYI, Nuss is running Saban's offense - one that utilizes a single running back in all but short yardage situations. Now, LSU runs the type offense you described. How did their production compare to ours in the BCSNC game?

Another FYI: Fowler isn't going to be listed as a fullback at UA. You must be trying to put him in a box because of his size. My suggestion to you is to ignore his body type and pay close attention to his running style. Notice how quickly he hits the hole; notice that he has some wiggle (ability to cut and make defenders miss); notice he has good speed (reportedly in the 4.6 range - not too much slower than Mark or Trent). The bottom line is, Fowler is a running back, who happens to have very good power and strength.

zigzag - i'm not putting him in a box. I just think that if you line up two of our amazing runningbacks in a formation then it could be very dangerous. I'm not saying move Fowler to FB full time He just has more of the body type to also be a blocker on occassion. Not trying to take away from his RB abilities.

"Saban has said that a FB offense is one of if not the easiest to predict."

Hasn't "the team down the road" installed such an offense?

After watching the Tide masterfully utilize moving our TE and HB around in order to create mismatches in the BCSNCG, I find it perplexing how folks think putting two backs in the backfield is an improvement. Did they just not see how difficult we made it for LSU's D to defend our sets? If, hypothetically, we were to employ your 2-back idea, tell us which position would you take off the field in order to put that 2nd back in the backfield? If it's the H-back, you've just undermined our blocking mismatch/advantage. Please indulge me.

Another perplexing thing is, how is "two of our amazing runningbacks in a formation... dangerous?" Think about it: When one back gets the ball, what do you propose the other back do? If he's to block, tell us how that's an improvement over the H-Back blocking, instead. Now, before you answer, imagine you're making your case to Saban - who is the architect of this offense, who just so happened to win his 3rd BCSNC in January. This should be entertaining...

Just as everyone else has said... we've won 2 of the last 3 national championships. What we are doing with our backs seems to be working.

We've had some outstanding backs over the last 4 years at Bama, and have some more outstanding backs ready to step up, but one key to wearing down an opponent and taking over late in the 3rd quarter and throughout the 4th quarter is using one of these great tailbacks with fresh legs. If we continually use two back sets throughout the game, your tailbacks get worn down. Instead, you rotate. Your backs don't get worn down, but the opposing defense does.

Never said your couldn't adjust your scheme... but we haven't had a tailback win a Heisman and another tailback be a Heisman finalist with running a two-back set. We also haven't won 2 of the last 3 BCS Championships with a two-back set. We also haven't been as extremely productive running the football in the 2nd half as we have been with running two-back sets.

I'm saying I think Nick Saban, the architect of our offense and the architect of 3 national championships, probably has a pretty good point by stating that continually running two-back sets wears down your running backs. You don't have the same fresh legs late in the game that you would if you ran two backs the entire game (and season).

I think having a true blocker for a single back is the better use of a man than a 2 back set, which relies on misdirection. I prefer mismatches to misdirection, because good linebackers and mature defenders are not fooled by misdirection...just ask Auburn. Like someone said above, when one back gets the ball, what does the other do? If he's running to the same hole to provide a lead block, he's just an undersized fullback. If he's running away from the play to provide misdirection, he's not really doing anything, especially if the opposing linebackers are quick enough to react to the play and commit to the primary back. Saban knows defense well enough to know what works well on offense. I'll take his brand of blue collar ball over the fun stuff, because winning is the most fun.

guys...why doesn't anyone realize the following two things:

1. just because you utilizie a 2 back set, doesn't mean you are switching your offense to a 2 back system.

2. why would you think that if we had dee hart and jalston fowler in, dee hart would be providing blocking help?? Obviously his 2 duties would be as a decoy (used by NFL teams regularly) or would be split out wide to get him in space. Getting our backs in space is a constant in our offense (screens all day)

Nuss doesn't have a playbook . He will use the same one mcelwain did.