Yeah, I agree the option is very tough to stop. I think you need to put all your time on the option when your playing a team that runs it, and I'm not sure we did that with the Iron Bowl coming up. GA Southern is a good team at their level, and came in and executed, really no excuses for us in this game other than being focused on Auburn. We just gotta move on, hope we can clobber the tiggers, and this will be in the past. Most important thing to remember is that it's still a 24 point win, even if it feels like a loss.
A defense like ours should be able to stop it. All it requires is good players that can stay disciplined. Our guys have become accustomed to blowing through people and playing with, what seems at times, unbridled aggression. You can't overrun the play against the option. You have to know your position and understand that you are responsible for those spaces. Simply being more physical than the other team isn't enough. You have to play with some finesse. Not simply run down the guy with the ball, but handle your end and trust your guys will handle theirs. Break on the ball carrier at the right times and use that physicality to blow through blocks. Disrupt their entire setup. The biggest difference I have seen between this defense and our great defense from 2009 is just that. We were physical in 2009, but they also played with more intelligence. They didn't simply rely on their physicality to make the plays, but their decisions as well. Perhaps that was a product of what they were playing for. Perhaps we can thank Florida for that. They had a goal and they knew what it took to obtain that. So when it came time to play this style of offense they were prepared for it. These guys, as good as they are, have not had that particular obstacle in their way yet. These guys are great defenders. Really, they could be the best defense Alabama has ever fielded, both physically and talent wise, but they also seem to play a bit to headstrong at times.
I have no doubt that they looked past these guys a bit. This team's goal is Auburn this year. They want that more than anything. I just hope that didn't just cost us some votes in the polls.