When the game-clock expires in the BCS national championship tonight, it will mark the end of not one but, two great seasons. Yes, the debate of whether LSU and Alabama should have played again will rage forward, however – let us not lose sight of what we all witnessed this 2011 college football season. LSU and Alabama, it was a pleasure.
LSU enters this evening 13-0 and 8-0 in SEC; it is clear the Tigers are No. 1, and have had the greater of the two seasons. Whether Alabama wins or loses, what I don’t want anyone to consign to oblivion is how great a year the Crimson Tide has had, as well.
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In 1961, Alabama won the national championship with, what some say is, the greatest defense ever assembled.
That year, Alabama outscored its opponents 297 to 25; that is, on average, a defense surrendering just over two points per game. Legal asphyxiation, really.
This year, smack-dab in the middle of an offensive-explosion in college football, Alabama produced very similar results.
In 1961: Alabama allowed 46.17 rushing yards; 75.67 passing yards; and 121.83 total yards per game.
In 1992 [another national championship season for Alabama, and one of the most talked about defenses in college football history] Alabama allowed 47.83 rushing yards; 107 yards passing; and 154.83 total yards per game.
This year, in 2011: Alabama allowed 74.92 rushing yards per game; 116.33 passing yards; and 191.25 total yards per game.
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“They’ve probably got the best secondary that’s ever been there. Or ever been anywhere. They’ve got three great linebackers and they’ve got four down guys that can play, too. IT’s unbelievable, really. I was shocked how good they are”. Those comments came from Billy Neighbors; a guard on that 1961 national championship team.
“They’re pretty damn good, I’ll say that. As far as across the line, man for man, they’re better than anybody I’ve seen down there in a long time. Including the ‘61 team”. More comments, this time from Benny Nelson, a running back on the 1961 version of Alabama football.
McCarter: Star of ‘61 Alabama Defense says 2011 is the Tide’s Best. Al.Com
In the week before LSU-Alabama, round 1, I spoke to Phil Savage, an analyst on the Crimson Tide radio network, who is the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns and is currently a player personnel executive for the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, he told me Alabama – as well as LSU – and its top 22 players will all be evaluated for the pros… and we were just talking defense. [Savage said, “probably 15 or so of their offensive players will have a shot in the NFL]
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Debating Alabama’s worthiness to play in the national championship game is just; what cannot be abnegated is the great – not good – season the Crimson Tide has produced.
Dating back to last season’s Capital One Bowl against Michigan State [twelve FBS games] the Alabama defense has allowed 45.8 rushing yard per game. If that that number does not impress you, look at it in a larger view: Alabama has given up 549 rushing yards and only two rushing touchdowns in that time period. To compare, Texas Tech – from the Big 12 – and Indiana – from the Big-10 – gave up, on average, 505 rushing yards, combined, per game in 2011.
In the twelve games, Alabama has allowed 28 rushing yards or less in six of those, including two games of negative rushing yards (Michigan State, –48 and Kent State, –9).
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Is this Alabama team all defense? It is quite the popular, and lackadaisical, statement to make; however, in the twelve games I have mentioned, Alabama has rushed for 2,641 yards and 37 touchdowns [220.1 yards per game].
There is no doubt that the Alabama defense is far superior to its offense, but the argument that it’s “a bad” offense is incredibly decrepit.
Alabama is the 14th-ranked rushing offense in the country – for those who look at those sort of things. Maybe “those people” who look there, also look at Alabama as the 71st-ranked passing offense in the country; bingo there is your argument for why the Crimson Tide has such a “bad” offense. How sadly mistaken you are, assuming that is your argument.
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Keep in mind: Alabama has outscored its opponents, this season, 36 to 8; with the punishing defense the Crimson Tide possess, the fourth quarter has been one where we witness teams succumb to the vice-grip of the Bama-D.
Inside of the fourth quarter – in 2011 – Alabama has thrown 27 passes. Twenty-seven. The Crimson Tide has outscored its 11 opponents 105-21 in the quarter while outgaining the opposition 1,048 yards to 320 on the ground [A difference of 728 yards]. Forced into passing the ball in the fourth quarter, Alabama’s opposition has only completed 47.5 percent of their passes; throwing five interceptions; and are averaging only 3.5 yards per play.
Now don’t let me persuade you that the 2011 version of the Alabama Crimson Tide is it’s best ever, because it isn’t. Alabama has only played one offense ranked in the top-50 in total offense; Arkansas, currently the 29th-ranked offense in the country, was held to its worst game offensively by 119 yards [outside of LSU where Arkansas has 254 total yards].
Alabama may not be Alabama circa 1969 or 1992, but it isn’t too far off. And you should not forget that.
For an Alabama team that lost: DT Marcell Dareus; Julio Jones; James Carpenter; Heisman-award winner Mark Ingram; and Greg McElroy – this level of production from Alabama has been special; it has been a pleasure.
