Ground Control Major to Saban has to be the worst "clever" title EVAH, but it's implications must be heartening to the "defense and the ground game" contingent among us:
This kind of makes me wonder if the days of the "featured back" are dead in the SEC. While Saban was at LSU (and ever since, now that I think about it) there wasn't one particular back that you could point to as the star running back. Looking around the SEC, there are quite a few teams with two backs carrying an equal load instead of just one. Arkansas has both McFadden and Jones, Auburn was using Williams and Brown (though they've gotten back to the one back approach of late), Tennessee was using several the past few seasons, Florida was using Wynn, Harvin, and the freaking backup QB for their running game, and etc. It just seems like those days are past when a Shaun Alexander or Bobby Humphrey was the main stud at tailback. Maybe this is something SMQ can look into to.
Memphis Tider links to a visiting coach's recounting of the Saban clinic over the weekend.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the new staff is going out of their way to make sure everyone knows Major Applewhite is calling the plays?
No, there's no label for the offense.
No, the coaches won't classify it or categorize it.
But in Alabama coach Nick Saban's regime, there is no question as to who will call the offensive plays for Alabama.
"Major is the play-caller," said offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who has filled that role himself in his career. "He'll call the plays."
There also seem to be a lot of vows to fit scheme to talent, instead of the other way around. The Press-Register also wants to know if JP's mobility will be used in the new system. The kid can take some hits (sadly, he proved it all last season), and he's bulked up to 215, so maybe that's an interesting possibility.