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BamaDude
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As an Alabama fan, there are a few things that scare me about the CFP semi-final against Washington:
The injuries - mainly on defense - that have hit the Crimson Tide in the last few weeks of the season. I'm glad we have a lot of depth, and that - so far - the guys that have had to switch positions or move from back-ups to starting rolls have done an admirable job so far.
The play of Jalen Hurts in the second half of the season has been more sloppy and turn-over prone than it was during the first half of the season. Some of that may have been due to the play-calling by OC Lane Kiffen, who has tried to get a little too cute with his calls lately. Just run the damn ball!
Alabama has gotten off to slow starts - especially on offense in the last 3 or 4 games. Most of that goes back to Kiffen's play-calling. Just do what you do well & stop trying so much fancy shit!
Another worry is that, except for the 2008 SEC Championship Game against eventual national champion Florida, Nick Saban's Crimson Tide has been unbeatable in the Georgia Dome, with only the 2012 SEC title game against Georgia being a close call. Does that mean the Tide might take playing here for granted? It's a possibility, since they just turned in a 54-16 beatdown here against Florida a few weeks ago. While that is a concern, I don't think that will be the case for what I believe is a very mature football team. I believe the Crimson & White will view this as a "home" game and be very serious about defending their turf.
The other concerns have to do with the opponent: I believe Washington is the team most capable of pulling off an upset against the Crimson Tide. The main reason is that they have probably the best QB that Alabama has run up against this season. Jake Browning has shown the ability to get rid of the ball faster than anyone I've seen in the limited tv watching I've had this season. That means fewer opportunities for sacks & QB hurries. If he can be flushed from the pocket, he may not have as much time to zero in on his targets. And UW hasn't faced a defensive line like Alabama's.
Alabama's secondary has problems when the opposing QB has been able to stay in the pocket & deliver pinpoint passes. But the Tide defense has also been able to force turnovers when their opponents are feeling the heat.
Washington also has a pair of speedy running backs which may be hard to run down if they ever break out into the open. One of those backs also has the power to break tackles and I saw him make his own holes early in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Colorado when the Huskies line wasn't getting much done.
Another prime fear factor is UW coach Chris Petersen, who can prepare a team with the best of them. The Huskies will primarily stick with what has gotten them to this point, but you can bet Peterson will have a few new wrinkles to throw at the Tide in order to give his team a chance to pull out a victory.
Even with all these concerns, I still feel that Bama is the best team & will rise to the occasion. It will be tight, but I think the Tide will pull it out.
The injuries - mainly on defense - that have hit the Crimson Tide in the last few weeks of the season. I'm glad we have a lot of depth, and that - so far - the guys that have had to switch positions or move from back-ups to starting rolls have done an admirable job so far.
The play of Jalen Hurts in the second half of the season has been more sloppy and turn-over prone than it was during the first half of the season. Some of that may have been due to the play-calling by OC Lane Kiffen, who has tried to get a little too cute with his calls lately. Just run the damn ball!
Alabama has gotten off to slow starts - especially on offense in the last 3 or 4 games. Most of that goes back to Kiffen's play-calling. Just do what you do well & stop trying so much fancy shit!
Another worry is that, except for the 2008 SEC Championship Game against eventual national champion Florida, Nick Saban's Crimson Tide has been unbeatable in the Georgia Dome, with only the 2012 SEC title game against Georgia being a close call. Does that mean the Tide might take playing here for granted? It's a possibility, since they just turned in a 54-16 beatdown here against Florida a few weeks ago. While that is a concern, I don't think that will be the case for what I believe is a very mature football team. I believe the Crimson & White will view this as a "home" game and be very serious about defending their turf.
The other concerns have to do with the opponent: I believe Washington is the team most capable of pulling off an upset against the Crimson Tide. The main reason is that they have probably the best QB that Alabama has run up against this season. Jake Browning has shown the ability to get rid of the ball faster than anyone I've seen in the limited tv watching I've had this season. That means fewer opportunities for sacks & QB hurries. If he can be flushed from the pocket, he may not have as much time to zero in on his targets. And UW hasn't faced a defensive line like Alabama's.
Alabama's secondary has problems when the opposing QB has been able to stay in the pocket & deliver pinpoint passes. But the Tide defense has also been able to force turnovers when their opponents are feeling the heat.
Washington also has a pair of speedy running backs which may be hard to run down if they ever break out into the open. One of those backs also has the power to break tackles and I saw him make his own holes early in the Pac-12 Championship Game against Colorado when the Huskies line wasn't getting much done.
Another prime fear factor is UW coach Chris Petersen, who can prepare a team with the best of them. The Huskies will primarily stick with what has gotten them to this point, but you can bet Peterson will have a few new wrinkles to throw at the Tide in order to give his team a chance to pull out a victory.
Even with all these concerns, I still feel that Bama is the best team & will rise to the occasion. It will be tight, but I think the Tide will pull it out.
