Alabama-Penn State Football: 10 Observations from a Rabid USC Fan
As I recover from a thoroughly uninspired performance from the men of Troy against a lowly Virginia Cavalier team, I am motivated to reflect on the efforts of a college football team who knows their place and is motivated to protect it.
For the sake of full disclosure, it must be noted that last year when I threw my support of the Crimson Tide in their battle against Texas for the BCS championship, I was embraced by the Tide nation who seemed to sense the hard times ahead for this fan of USC.
Because of this, perhaps I look at my adopted "other team" with rose colored glasses, whimsical at the notion that not so long ago, it was my Trojans who helped shape the landscape of college football.
Regardless, the Crimson Tide looked mighty fine yesterday in a 24-3 victory over Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions, and here are some of my thoughts as I watched the game...
Greg McElroy Sure Looked Good!
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Earlier this year, I wrote an article which compared the relative merits of Alabama quarterback, Greg McElroy, against those of Florida's new signal caller, John Brantley. In that piece, I suggested that I would take McElroy over Brantley until it was proven otherwise that I was wrong. After yesterdays performance nothing has changed my mind.
Greg McElroy was in complete control of the Crimson Tide offense both from a passing and, more importantly, a leadership standpoint.
McElroy not only completed 16 of 24 passes for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he also picked up a couple of first downs with some nifty scrambles.
When all is said and done, it may very well be that Brantley is the better quarterback of the two but for right now, I'll take "G-Mac" anyday!
Saban's Play Calling
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Give Nick Saban credit.
Refusing to sit on the laurels of a national championship, Saban unveiled a variety of new looks for the Crimson Tide which only added to the Nittany Lions angst and ultimate demise.
From primarily empty backfields in the Tides second possession to wildcat formations which featured both Trent Richardson and Marquis Maze, Saban opened up the playbook to reveal yet more weapons by which he will skewer his future opponents.
Run Defense Doesn't Miss a Beat
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Although there were times when the Nittany Lions seemed to find their groove, overall, the Crimson Tide controlled the line of scrimmage and it showed in their holding Penn State's fine running back, Evan Royster, to only 32 yards for the entire game.
In fact, the Tide's run defense was so good that the Lions best running play, or one of them, resulted in a nice gain on a reverse that was only made possible by Alabama's over pursuit of the initial play.
And lets not forget that all of this was done without the suspended defensive lineman, Marcel Darius.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Pass Defense Doesn't Miss a Beat Either!
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Despite starting a freshman corner, the Crimson Tide's defensive secondary looked dominant all night long.
Limiting the Nittany Lion's freshman quarterback, Robert Bolden, to 144 yards while managing to snag a couple of interceptions along the way, Alabama's defensive backfield never allowed Penn States receivers to get comfortable and it showed all game long.
Whether it was supporting the run or jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage like Demarcus Milner did routinely, the Tide's pass defense had their way throughout the game.
By the way, Alabama safety, Mark Baron, looks even better this year than last, which must be disconcerting to Alabama's future quarterback foes.
Who Needs Mark Ingram?
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Despite the facetious nature of the title of this slide (of course Alabama needs Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram), there can be no denying that Crimson Tide running back, Trent Richardson, is simply a beast.
Running for 144 yards against a Penn State program that hadn't given up a 100 yards to a rusher in 17 games, Richardson simply ran roughshod against the Lions.
And with all of that running talent, Richardson displayed a pair of very soft hands and the football intelligence that coaches love.
All this combines to build the best running back I have seen all year.
Nice Receivers But Where Did Julio Jones Go?
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Despite the fact that the Tide's Julio Jones may be the most physically gifted wide out in the country, this guy has a way of disappearing at the most inopportune times. Among Jones four catches, of which a nice gain on a bubble screen was probably as impressive anything else he did, were a couple of drops that left me scratching my head.
Hey, you didn't expect a total free pass from a Trojan fan did you?
Okay, now that we have got that negativity out of the way, both Kevin Norwood and Darius Hanks were solid and can build on this game.
Special Teams Were Also Solid
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Despite a missed field goal to go along with the one they made, the Crimson Tide special teams acquitted themselves pretty well against the Nittany Lions.
From a defensive standpoint, the Tide did a good job covering both punts and kickoffs, but Alabama's 37 yard average on punts may be a concern for the future.
Penalties Weren't an Issue For The Crimson Tide
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Unlike my USC Trojans, who this year can't even sneeze without a yellow hankie (and not to wipe their nose) being thrown at them, Alabama played mostly penalty free ball in this game.
In a game that saw only a total of six penalties charged, the Crimson Tide managed to be guilty of five of those but for only 33 yards.
Overall, The Crimson Tide Defense Is Pretty Good...
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Okay, so the Tide's defense isn't "pretty good," they are damned good!
For a unit that lost key players to the NFL, Saban and company hasn't missed a beat with the 2010 version of the Crimson Tides defense.
Despite missing the suspended Marcel Darius for the game, The Tide's defense held the beleaguered Nittany Lion offense to a paltry 283 total yards and a chunk of those came at the end of the game when the result was well in hand.
It must be scary for those future opponents of Alabama when they consider that this defense will only get better as the season goes along.
Can Anyone Stop The Crimson Tide Offense?
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With Greg McElroy confidently leading the Crimson Tide's offense and a healthy Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to lead the rushing attack, rosy days will continue for the fans of the Tide.
Perhaps the only negative about this offense is what appears to be a distracted Julio Jones, who, if he can ever find any consistency, has the tools to become one of the very best college receivers in the country.
Though there were mental mistakes made by this offense against the Nittany Lions (witness G-Mac's consternation a number of times over missed opportunities), overall, this unit will just keep getting better and with the new wrinkles in their offensive look, should be dominant all season long.
Conclusion
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Living in southern California, I get to witness the collective "brilliance" of some sports writers who offer their opinions in the major newspapers here in the southland.
One of these pundits, Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times, recently placed the Crimson Tide fourth in his poll. For Dufresne, Boise State is the finest college football team in all of the land (I wonder how he views the Broncos victory over Virginia Tech now?).
However, I am under no such illusions of non-BCS teams, such as Boise States, supposed superiority.
Alabama, at least until they prove otherwise, are the defending champion and have done nothing to dispel the notion that they remain the best college football team in the nation.
As an honorary member of the Crimson Tide fan club and a discouraged, nay, despondent, rabid fan of the USC Trojans, I have only one thing to say...
ROLL TIDE!
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
