Alabama Football 2011: Why Did the 2010 Team Go 10-3?

Some fans have wondered what happened to the 2010 Crimson Tide team that so much was expected of by the major pundits. It was not a bad year for the team as they only lost three games and finished with a big win over a good team. There seems to be a feeling of disappointment lingering over what could have been.

The Crimson Tide had one of their best teams in the history of the program in 2009. That team of destiny was not to be beaten and denied the first BCS Championship for the program. With all the talent that had been assembled, many expected the 2010 team to be even better.

The 2010 Alabama team likely had the most talented offense in the history of the team. Huge strides were expected as the team seemed destined for greatness. How did that 2010 offense compare to the 2009 offense that won the BCS Championship?

A Statistical Comparison of the 2009 and 2010 Crimson Tide Offenses

Statistic	2009 Offense	2010 Offense
Rushing Offense Per Game	215.07 yards	189.82 yards
Rushing Offense Total	3011 yards	2378 yards
Passing Offense Per Game	187.93 yards	261.15 yards
Passing Offense Total	2631 yards	3395 yards
Total Offense Per Game	403 yards	444.04 yards
Total Offense	5642 yards	5773 yards
Scoring Offense Per Game	32.07 points	35.69 points
Total Scoring Offense	449 points	464 points
Passing Efficiency	138.5	167.8
Punt Returns Average	15.05 yards	12.46 yards
Punt Returns Total	587 yards	349 yards
Kick Returns Average	23.32 yards	24.65 yards
Kick Returns Total	793 yards	986 yards
Sacks Allowed Per Game	1.43	2.46
Sacks Allowed Total	20	32
Tackles For Loss Allowed	66	67
Third Down Conversion Percentage	39.18 percent	44.67 percent
Red Zone Offense	86 percent	84 percent
Red Zone Touchdowns	28	36
Red Zone Field Goals	23	12
Total Yardage	7022 yards	7108 yards

The Alabama offense did improve in the majority of statistical categories in 2009. They produced more total yards and points in 13 games than the 2009 offense did in 14 games. There were some areas of concern though.

The 2010 offense allowed about the same amount of tackles for loss in 13 games as the 2009 squad did in 14. It gets worse though. The 2009 squad allowed 66 tackles for a loss while running 601 rushing plays. The 2010 offense allowed 67 tackles for loss while running only 467 rushing plays.

In 2010 the Alabama offensive line allowed 32 sacks in 362 pass attempts. The 2009 offensive line allowed 20 sacks in 346 passing attempts. This is a huge falloff in production.

It would appear the failure of the 2010 Alabama offense to meet expectations was anchored along the line. Some of this was likely due to increased performance by opponent’s defenses with a tougher schedule, but not all. It is clear that offensive line performance must improve if Alabama is to have another year like 2009.

A Statistical Comparison of the 2009 and 2010 Alabama Defenses

Statistic	2009 Alabama Defense	2010 Alabama Defense
Rushing Defense Per Game	78.14 yards	110.15 yards
Rushing Defense Total	1094 yards	1432 yards
Pass Defense Per Game	166 yards	176.23 yards
Pass Defense Total	2324 yards	2291 yards
Scoring Defense Per Game	11.71 points	13.54 points
Scoring Defense Total	164 points	176 points
Tackles For Loss Per Game	7	5.77
Tackles For Loss Total	98	75
Sacks Per Game	2.29	2.08
Sacks Total	32	27
Kick Returns Allowed Average	25.06 yards	21.42 yards
Kick Returns Allowed Total	2005 yards	1628 yards
Punt Returns Allowed Average	9.18 yards	6.4 yards
Punt Returns Allowed Total	156 yards	64 yards
Red Zone Defense	67 percent	67 percent
Touchdowns Allowed	8	10
Field Goals Allowed	8	10
Total Yards Allowed	5579 yards	5415 yards

The Alabama defense actually performed better than expected with so little experience. The 2010 squad actually allowed similar total yardage and only two more points per game against much tougher offensive opponents.

Overall, the 2010 Alabama team outperformed the 2009 Alabama team statistically. The 2010 team had a 1693 yard advantage over opponents. The 2009 team had only a 1443 yard advantage over opponents. The offense scored on average three more points per game for the 2010 team while allowing only two more points per game on defense.

The 2010 Alabama team was likely a victim of their opposition improving more than they did.