Alabama vs. Florida: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Crimson Tide Must Make

This game has "classic" written all over it. Back and forth, back and forth. The Crimson Tide is uncharacteristically getting burned by the Florida passing attack, and had a little trouble of their own on offense getting the ball into the end zone. 

Despite all that, they still look like the #3 team in the nation. They go into the break with the lead and have the momentum in the Swamp, where momentum is not easy to steal.

To finish off the big win, here are five adjustments Alabama must make at halftime:

1. Avoid the Big Play

Oops. Florida's tenacious D is not the unit you want to come from behind against. Dre Kirkpatrick had no safety help on the long touchdown pass at the beginning of the game, and usually doesn’t get burned so it’s not necessarily that play to worry about. But, the Gator defense is going to be relentless and that might lead to limited scoring opportunities. Being down in this stadium is not an enviable position.

The defense is playing pretty well overall, but every time John Brantley drops back to pass, I'm worried that he's going to toss another bomb down field. Even more dangerous than the actual score that could result from a big play is the momentum shift. Bama has done a good job keeping that on their side so far, but that's something you really don't want to lose against Florida.

2. Keep Pounding it with Richardson

There is a reason this guy is a legit Heisman candidate. Trent Richardson needs to be the go-to option to get big chunks of yardage every time he's on the field. He's a big, fast back and will most certainly be the difference maker in the second half.

Florida has not been able to stop him yet, and if it ain't broke...well, don't fix it. Handing the ball off to Richardson and letting him do his thing is going to be a lot more effective than the passing game. I'm not saying mixing it up is a bad idea, especially against this ferocious Gator defense, but passing the ball should simply be instituted to allow Richardson more space.

3. Play Some Defense!

Confused? Well, the secondary has looked a little lost against the passing attack so far, and their best player got burned on a long pass play on the first Florida drive. Big pass play after pass play is killing the Tide right now.

Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are extremely dangerous backs. Much more so than the passing game. So why is Brantley and the Gator receivers what is keeping Florida in the game right now? Kirkpatrick and Co. need to stick with those receivers and start making some big plays to shut down the momentum.

4. Blitz Brantley

The Gator QB has been way too comfortable in the pocket tonight. He has about ten minutes to throw every time and he's just waiting for his receivers to break open. If a play elapses long enough, the receivers on any team are bound to get open.

Put some pressure on Brantley on passing plays and get in his head. If Bama can get his feet moving, make him uncomfortable in the pocket and maybe you'll see a forced throw that results in a big turnover. That's exactly what happened on the pick-six. Pressure on Brantley led to a forced throw that went the other way for a touchdown. The more, the better.

5. Get the Ball in the End Zone

On offense at least. The defense has scored it's touchdown for the night. It took a lot of time and effort to score that first touchdown for Alabama. It seemed like they were in the red zone for half the quarter.

Penalties need to be limited, especially down there. A couple times, A.J. McCarron had tons of time to throw but whatever play was called just was not allowing their receivers to get open. To beat this defense, they can not miss scoring opportunities if they want to survive and get the big win.