Auburn Beats Alabama: Iron Bowl Highlights Offensive Line's Failure

Nick Saban and the staff did many things to try and hide it,  to go around it, to make it less an issue, but ultimately the 2010 season was a failure because of the offensive line.

Alabama's not a failure you say.   This team has as much or more talent than any in the SEC west and they are going to finish fourth,  right above the two Mississippi schools. If you don't think that's a failure,  you just MIGHT be an Auburn fan.

For the Iron bowl loss there is plenty of blame to go around, as it is for any loss,  but all other things equaling out against a quality opponent like Auburn if Alabama can run the ball between the tackles, they score two more times in the red zone and Auburn doesn't have time to erase the deficit. In fact the game would end in a blowout win for Alabama. 

But Richardson dropped the pass you say.  If this were 2009 or 2008 Alabama isn't running passes in the red zone, they run it down their throats.

Though the loss to Auburn was the latest example the most vivid example of the offensive line failure to succeed was a week before against Georgia State.  Alabama played a team that was nothing but a collection of washouts and they couldn't get it done between the tackles.  

The only holes that formed were toward the sideline.  Mark Ingram was able to run through them,  but any time your running back is running toward the sideline,  the other team has already won the play.

Make no mistake,  Alabama's third team defensive line should be better than what Georgia State put on the field, and Alabama could not move them off the ball.

I slowed it down on the DVR and looked at it frame by frame, just to be sure I wasn't seeing things.  In some cases four guys would get their man blocked,  and the fifth man would totally whiff,  but in most cases the line would come off,  a hole would begin to form, the back would run toward that hole, then before he can even reach the line,  the defender comes off the block,  and kits the back, in most cases in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage.

Some will talk about injured right guard Barrett Jones.  To be sure having a freshman backup playing isn't the ideal,  but Alabama recruits players capable of winning.  The second team guy is expected to perform when called upon. 

Additionally the problem has been a season long problem.  Injuries have happened on the right side of the line but the left side has been unchanged all year and has had no notable success.

Many point to the lack of a down field threat from quarterback Greg McElroy as the culprit.  This is certainly part of the problem, but even when teams back the safeties out,  Alabama could not run the ball.

Others have pointed to the fact that Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson have both battled injuries all  year long.  This too is true,  but no back, no matter how healthy can make yardage if he's hit before the line of scrimmage.  

Since arriving in Tuscaloosa Nick Saban has made running between the tackles has been the bread and butter of the offense.  This has to be his worst night mare. 

There are many ways to move the ball and Alabama succeeded at every way but what it needed most.  The rubber meets the road in the red zone.  Scheme's don't matter there.  Offensive coordinators have only a marginal effect.  Down there is all about manhood,  and Alabama failed that test. 

So who is to blame and how does it get fixed?

I'll be the first to admit,  I don't know but I can guess some places to look.

Alabama has recruited talented players.  Of first and second teams only William Vlachos is of questionable "star" status.  So it's probably not a recruiting issue, plus much of this line was part of last years line that was outstanding.

Is it coaching?  In the first three years in Tuscaloosa offensive line coach Joe Pendry has been noted as excellent, and his trainees have done well in the NFL after leaving.  So it's probably not a lack of quality coaching, unless he just dropped the ball this year.  No one outside the program could possibly know the answer to that. 

Is it strength training?   If I'm a betting man I'm going to put some of the blame here.  Failure to hold blocks can be a sign of core weakness.   Core weakness is where the strength of your mid section hasn't matched up with your upper and lower body strength.  Without it you can't control your body even if you are strong in other areas.  Its also the most time consuming strength to develop.

The strength and training staff has been excellent in the past. Scott Cochran is a fun coach to watch but cheer leading on the sideline during the season isn't going to help.  The season is won or lost in January in the weight room when everybody is watching basketball.  Again,  I'm not in the program so I can't know if the problem lies here.

One thing is certain from watching Alabama in 2010.  There is plenty of talent on hand to win a national championship in 2011.  Its not a question.

If they can fix this one problem,  it changes everything. If they don't.  Fourth place in the SEC west is the best you will see next year.

Alabama only loses one player this year in left tackle James Carpenter.  Guard Chance Warmack and Tackle DJ Fluker now have a years starting experience. William Vlachos will be a senior and guard Barret Jones will be a thee year starting Junior.

Of the young players we haven't seen Tackle Arie Kouandjio might be one of the more interesting prospects to look at this spring.  As is his little brother who is currently being recruited in high school by the Tide.

The answer won't come between now and the bowl game either.  If there was a quick fix to this,  Nick Saban would have found it by now.

The solution isn't just who replaces who but how the entire unit works as a team and that work must begin this winter.  Alabama simply cannot compete for championships with a line that can't plow the road.  Everything depends on it.