Alabama-Virginia Tech: Main Matchup That Could Determine a Winner

This not only looks like a good game on paper, but all indications are that it will also play out that way as well. 

These are two teams with some very similar styles and some things that are different enough to make it hard to foresee the outcome with certainty. 

Both believe in hard defense and establishing the run.  Both are well-coached and believe that fundamentals win games.

As in any game, the match-ups between players will usually tell the tale in the winners and losers.

Though fall practice has just begun and starting positions may easily change before kickoff, here is the main match-up that could and should determine the outcome of the game.

No position makes or breaks a team's chances more than quarterback.

Greg McElroy to most is a virtual unknown. Though McElroy has seen playing time in his previous years at Alabama, it is both limited and was in mop-up duty. Behind McElroy is no one with any experience, either.  If Alabama has an Achilles' heel this year, it is at QB.

Tyrod Taylor is an experienced QB who after two seasons of sharing playing time with the graduated Sean Glennon, now has this team squarely on his own shoulders.  There really is no reliable backup. Like Alabama, if the starter goes out, the team could suffer immensely.

At a recent Manning passing academy camp, both QB's were present and competed against one another, McElroy beat Taylor's skills in a huge way.  But does raw skill beat experience?

When evaluating match-ups, one has to look at the supporting casts who can help a quarterback thrive or fail.

Nothing takes the heat off a signal caller better than a great running game.  Alabama has the deepest, most talented corps of running backs Virginia Tech will face this year.

Though Tech fans could argue that Darren Evans is good, and he is, Alabama has at least for backs that are better and the talent level falls off badly after Evans.

Clearly, Alabama has a much stronger running game. Not only can the Tide put better talent on the field, they can do it even when they substitute. 

Also one must look at the offensive lines.  Here both have solid rocks and question marks.  Though Tech has the most experience, Alabama has the size and speed advantage.

Again, Alabama has depth with some of the nation's top freshmen and young players in the backup roles.  Virginia's backups are also young, but not quite as big, strong or highly rated.

This is really a close contest.  Both teams have future NFL players on them. Tech's Render is as good a guard as Bama will face. Bama also has Mike Johnson, a sure pick to wind up in the NFL, as well as possibly two or three others.

Both teams excel at run blocking first and pass protection second.

Should both front lines remain healthy and in the game, you would have to give a very slight advantage to Virginia Tech.  Experience does matter in the offensive line, and time together means trust.

Also, for a quarterback to be successful, he must have receivers who can not only catch a ball, but do something with it when they have it in their hands.

This is a hands down, no contest, no arguable point.  Alabama not only has much better receivers, but much faster ones.  They can throw as many as five different receivers at Tech that are as good as any they'll face all year.

Everyone knows Julio Jones, and he is an NFL Hall of Famer in the making, Marquis Maze, the fastest man in Crimson, could have his breakout year this season.  Mike McCoy returns as the Tide's second leading receiver from last year.

Backups Earl Alexander, a junior, is a big physical receiver, and Darius Hanks is yet another speedy deep threat, who added 13 pounds of muscle since last year to make himself a little more physical and durable this year, too.

Plus, Alabama has some of the nation's best freshmen coming onto the team this year.  Could there be another Julio emerging from their ranks?

The top Tech receivers last year were either red-shirt or true freshmen and they as a group did very little to help Taylor pull his numbers up.

Jarrett Boykin is perhaps their best receiver and he was the 114th best receiver coming out of high school, according to SuperPrep Magazine.  Going by those numbers, he couldn't be third string at Alabama.

So receivers, there is no doubt, at all, in any argument, Alabama's pass catchers are not only head and shoulders above Tech's, but more like from the ground up.

The next key is the defenders who will make life miserable for the opposing quarterbacks. 

According to the NCAA statistics, Alabama rated as the 30th team in the country in pass defense last year, Va. Tech came in 16th. In the Pass Efficiency Defense category, Bama came in at 14 while Tech came in at 28.

Both teams look to improve on those stats this year.  Last year, Alabama gave up much passing yardage after blowing out teams early and allowing yardage late in games against the substitutes. 

Alabama's Javier Arenas has the ability to turn any pick into six points, but Stephan Virgil of Tech had six picks last year and is always a danger to quarterbacks.

However, in the end, the secondary of the Crimson Tide will cause a bigger problem for Tyrod than Tech's will for Greg.  Therefore, the clear edge in the secondary goes to the Crimson Tide.

So to recap so far in determining which quarterback could have an edge based on the supporting cast of the players they bring to Atlanta with them are:

Running Backs - Edge goes to Alabama

Offensive Line - Slight edge to Virginia Tech

Receivers - Huge edge to Alabama

Defensive Secondary - Wide edge goes to Alabama

Lastly, the cast of supporting team mates that will make the biggest difference are the defensive lines of both teams.  Here is the difference not only in the potential play of the quarterbacks, but of the outcome of the game as well.

Last year, Alabama was the No. 2 rush defense in the country.  They bring back a better team than last year's to do battle again.  Virginia Tech was rated 17th. 

Alabama played against some of the best running backs in the nation, Tech, not so tough competition as Alabama. 

Alabama allowed less than 75 yards rushing a game while Tech gave up well over a hundred.  Tech played only one game against a team with the caliber running game as Alabama puts out and that was against Ga. Tech.

In that game, they gave up about 278 yards on the ground, and I look for Alabama to just as much if not more.

The match-ups of Alabama's nose tackle Terrance Cody and the rest of the Alabama front defensive lines have been beaten to death, so I won't even go there.  In the end, though, the huge edge in defensive lines goes to Alabama.

So getting back to the main key of this game, the quarterback, the final nod goes to Greg McElroy and here are the reasons.

Alabama has much better and deeper running backs, receivers and defensive secondary personnel.  These points are not in question.

Offensive lines may be close for both teams, but Tech's will have to go against perhaps the best defensive lines in the nation.

With Tech having the nation's 112th best passing game last year and a quarterback who only threw two touchdown passes the whole season, just one more than McElroy who only played a scant few minutes, there are huge problems in the making.

Taylor has thrown over two interceptions for every touchdown he threw.  Virginia Tech simply cannot beat Alabama by rushing the ball, and this is not a quarterback who has ever shown he beat a team the caliber of Alabama with his arm.

He may develop one day to that kind of quarterback, but not in this game.

McElroy may be an unknown to most college football observers, but he doesn't throw more picks than TD's, he has had two years to learn the system and has a history of stepping into a starting role and thriving.

Therefore, the nod not only to quarterback goes to Alabama, but the nod for the win as well. 

Though anything can and usually does happen like injuries in fall practice, locker room smack talk and more, it looks to be a great game, closely played and who knows, it may be the special teams that steal the spotlight.