So I have some Dr. Strange endgame vibes. We can beat Bama but I only see one way to get there. I will say that Florida has the players to beat Bama, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but overall I think this game comes down to our coaching which I honestly don’t trust.
I’ve gone back and watched Bama’s first two games of the season; here is what I’ve got.
I’ve gone back and watched Bama’s first two games of the season; here is what I’ve got.
- This is the most beatable Bama team I’ve seen in at least the past 5 years. They can easily lose 2-3 games this year imo.
- Defense is nasty. Even with the injuries they’re still a nightmare to play against. They’re physical, fundamentally sound, and are getting multiple hats on the ball right now. We will need the tight end and slot to stretch the middle of the field to keep the backers off of our ass. Their over aggressiveness will open some stuff up for us offensively, just don’t know if we can take advantage. I say that because of what I’ve seen from EJ so far this year. Every yard will be earned.
- Now, what Grantham can dial up will be the major key here. Florida can very easily turn this into a low scoring affair if he plays his cards right. This Bama offense is explosive but they lack the next level explosiveness we’ve seen under Kiffin and Sark. O’Brien is not that imaginative and their o-line is not the strength we have become accustomed to seeing. They are particularly weak on the right side of their oline, especially #79. This is important because we should be aiming to force Young to his left. The kid is mobile, understands how to move the pocket, and always keep his eyes downfield when moving the pocket. He is not great at doing so when being forced left.
- Outside of Bryce Young, no one on this Bama offense scares me. No one. Key for the game: make Young beat you. Elam has to match up on Metchie. Perkins should be our CB2. And in order to make young beat you, Grantham has to go with a front 7, not a front 6. I saw a lot of double tight/te h-back 21 personnel with weak side runs off tackle. In these cases both the tight and h-back will pull to the weak side on the snap to serve as lead blockers. Bama will play action out of this with the h-back running an underneath route, the tight end with either a short drag or rub route, with the receiver running a deep drag from the strong side of the formation to the play side. Saw this often. We need to stay man on their wide receivers and crowd the middle of the field with at least three backers. Go single high at safety. Our front four can actually create the pressure that will allow for plays to be made on the back end, but Grantham can’t get cute with secondary calls. Play em straight up; the receivers lack concentration at times and can be pushed off their routes. Contain is important to make sure Young doesn’t escape the pocket (talking to you Cox).
- I personally see more of a 2018 style LSU game as opposed to what we saw in the SEC championship last year. Homefield advantage definitely works in our favor here. We have to create turnovers.
- Florida has the players to beat Bama, it’s just a matter of our coaches putting the right personnel in the right place. I will refrain from calling out some players, but if some of those guys see the field, we are done for. Saban will make sure that they can’t hide.
