Alabama's Big Time Players Make The Difference

The battle between Alabama and LSU is the kind of game every high school player dreams of playing in. Two heavy weights going toe to toe on national television with championships on the line.

LSU held a 15-10 lead going into the fourth quarter after scoring some success against the Alabama defense and continuing to hold down Alabama’s offense.

The Tide had started to get some traction with Mark Ingram in the third, but the fourth quarter was looming large with so much at stake.

Fifteen minutes remained to decide which team would take the lead position in the SEC West. A possible national title shot also lay on the table for both teams.

What went through my mind at this point was, “somebody’s got to make a play.”

My answer came at the 10:37 mark as Julio Jones took a short receiver screen and dusted his cover man. The second defensive back took the wrong angle, the next was taken out by tackle James Carpenter, and the rest got nothing but fumes as Jones raced down the sideline for six. 

Jones never looked back and neither did Alabama.

Recruiting is a game some obsess about while others ignore.  Five-star players are sometimes a bust and a walk-on sometimes becomes an All-American.

There are many good teams but championship programs are built on three foundations, Recruiting, Conditioning, and Coaching.

A program can actually win games and have good seasons with bits and pieces.

Alabama has had its moments recently. Mike Shula took one team within two weeks of finishing undefeated, only to fall to LSU in overtime and lose to Auburn in a sack-fest.

In 2006 Alabama was in a game with eventual national champion Florida till the fourth quarter. That’s when Florida’s big time player stepped up and stepped over the tide.

The following year Alabama was also in a tangle with LSU with a trip to Atlanta in the balance only to lose 34-41.

It's a mistake to look at the score board and wonder what if, if only, we were SO close.  What looks close on the scoreboard may not be in reality.

The gap between winning and losing is actually quite small, but it takes big time players to fill the gap.

It has taken time, but Alabama now has the kinds of weapons who can win championships. Who can turn a bad game into a good one, who can completely override plans to stop them. 

Julio's long scamper for six was just one such example Saturday.

Marcel Darius was only a three-star recruit but his senior year at Huffman High in Birmingham those who saw him said, "This guy is no three-star."  Viewing his offer sheet it was clear others felt the same.

Darius showed flashes as a true freshman, but in his sophomore year he has launched an all out assault on SEC quarterbacks. Saturday, in the fourth quarter, he was dominant.

Lorenzo Washington was once a four-star recruit himself. It took him a long time to find his way, but his viscous hit on LSU Quarterback Jordan Jefferson was the beginning of the end for him Saturday.

Five-star true freshman linebacker Nico Johnson finished Jefferson off on a blitz not long after.

Quarterback Greg McElroy was likely underrated himself as a three-star player. He only played his senior year, but racked up record breaking numbers and never lost a game.

I highly suspect recruiting sights recently have put too much emphasis on the athletic prowess of a quarterback relative to their ability to play the position.

McElroy continued to pull free of his midseason slump with 276 yards passing and two touchdowns. One particular toss was a virtually indefensible 21 yard throw to Darius Hanks for a touchdown.

Then, there is the biggest of big time players Mark Ingram. All Ingram did was slash and gash the LSU defense for 144 yards on 22 carries. That’s a 6.5 yard average.

Alabama's come from behind victory against LSU was a total team effort—from tree stumpish center William Vlachos, to backup safety Robby Green, to Kicker Lee Tiffin who was booming kickoffs into the end zone when it counted Saturday.

All play a part, but it’s the big time players that most often change the game.

Nick Saban understands this as well as anyone, and he's not done. In the wake of the big victory Saturday he took a verbal commitment from yet another big time player, Keenan Allen.

Allen is a 6' 3” 195 lb safety from Greensboro, North Carolina, He's notable for many things but one particular thing is “No. 1.” That being the number one rated safety in the country.

For those paying attention that gives Alabama the number one rated safety and the number two rated corner in Demarcus Milliner according to Rivals.

For those who said three years ago that Alabama was no longer a relevant program, they couldn't have been more wrong.

For those hoping Alabama will fade back into mediocrity, it's not looking likely. Not as long as Nick Saban and his staff can recruit, train, and coach.