FanPost

Running the numbers


1 ... 12 ... 51 ... 205 ... 53 ... 251. Sound like a winning lottery ticket? It is. According to the final 2009 NCAA statistics, Bama's last two opponents, 13-win Texas and 13-win Florida, had the #1 and #12 run defenses in college football last year. In 104 attempts, the Tide rushed for over 450 yards. 4.5 yards per attempt against two of the best run defenses in America. Make no mistake. We can run against ANYBODY. Don't believe me? Let's review.

  1. V-Tech: 268
  2. FIU: 275
  3. North Texas: 260
  4. Arkansas: 134
  5. Kentucky: 204
  6. Ole Miss: 200
  7. South Carolina: 264
  8. Tennessee: 136
  9. LSU: 176
  10. Miss. State: 252
  11. Chattanooga: 313
  12. Auburn: 73
  13. Florida: 251
  14. Texas: 205

Folks, that's 10 of 14 games, 5 of 9 SEC opponents, with 200 yards rushing or better. 


More numbers: 22 and 3. Alabama is the defending SEC and national champion. Mark Ingram, the reigning Heisman trophy winner, is back. Oh, and it's becoming a cliche that he's only the second best running back on the team, behind rising true sophomore Trent Richardson. The horses are back in 2010.

4/5. As in, 80 percent of the O-line returns. And I won't even get into devastating blocking wide receivers, #8, who tantalize us with just enough drops to make us appreciate the clutch catches on trick plays against Arkansas, go-ahead scores against LSU, season-preserving third down after third down as the clock winds down in our biggest rival's stadium, or tone-setting first downs against the Gators. I mean, this is a "run game" post after all (psst, don't mention the edge-sealing 4th down block against Ole Miss that sprung Ingram for the only TD).

Running the ball is a mindset. And a physical "toughness-set." The tired offseason debate about the bye week disparity is borne out in these numbers. Rich Brooks, whose Kentucky Wildcats took on Florida and Tennessee and Georgia and South Carolina and Auburn in '09, said that Alabama was the "toughest to recover from." And why? Maybe you remember this gem from a certain someone's introductory press conference in 2007. "We want to be a team where the other team says Man, I hate playing these guys." Isn't it really just a little trite to claim "stereotypical Alabama-fan arrogance" when the numbers reflect that a whopping 75% of Bama's SEC opponents want a little "get your mind right" time before their games in 2010? Rest assured, the Tide is getting its mind right now to go off to the races in 2010. You see: the call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied.

Oh, and here's one more number for you. Two. As in, maybe y'all should take two weeks off before you come to Tuscaloosa.

RTR

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