Alabama Football Prepares to Dishonorably Discharge the Commodores

Com-mo-dore: [kom-uh-dohr] Navy. a grad of flag officer next in rank below a rear admiral. Navy. The senior captain when two or more ships of war a cruising in company. Merchant Marine. Senior officer in command of a convoy.

The sea worthy students of Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin will venture into the very disturbing waters of Bryant-Denny stadium on Saturday. If they can survive the turmoil that their vessel will encounter when the Crimson Tide rolls in, they will in send out a clear message to the college football world that their ship has finally arrived.

But that is not very likely to happen in 2011. In fact in the 82 games played between the two SEC competitors, it has rarely happen. The Crimson Tide has a record of 60-18-4 against the 'Dores and are intent on adding one more notch to the win column this weekend. The Tide are currently on a 21-game win streak against the team from Nashville, Tennessee and have no intention on having a let down after their impressive victory on the road in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The Crimson Tide flushed the nasty reptiles from "The Swamp" in a lopsided 38-10 trouncing that left the Florida Gators wounded and without an experienced quarterback to lead them on their journey through "Death Valley" this weekend.

James Franklin, in just one short season, has changed the culture of the football program, infusing much needed confidence in their abilities and their respect for the game. Having a bye week prior to their encounter with the juggernaut in Tuscaloosa has helped him prepare his team, but that begs the question, how much time is enough.

After a 3-0 start to the season, the Commodores offense lost their rudder against the South Carolina Gamecocks, losing by a score of 21-3. In that contest, the 'Dores had only 5 first downs, totaled only 77 yards of offense and turned the ball over on three occasions (INT-1, fumbles-2).

Moreover, the offensive line allowed 6-sacks for a net loss of 42 yards, while the running backs combined for a total of 25 rushing yards for the entire game. While the Commodores are no longer the cellar dwellers in the SEC, they have a ways to go before they are title contenders.

QB Larry Smith will lead the Commodores against the Crimson Tide. He has three touchdown passes on the year and has thrown three interceptions. He has completed 50 of 87 pass attempts for 412 yards in the first four games. The Commodores have yet to face a team with a legitimate defense.

Zac Stacy leads all rushers with 280 yards on 36 carries for an impressive 7.8 yards per carry. He has score one touchdown on the year. Jerron Seymour has 35 carries for 159 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

The leading receiver is Jonathan Krause, he has 15 catches for 80 yards. Chris Boyd has hauled in 7 receptions for 105 yards. The Vanderbilt overall offensive ranking is 111th out of 120 teams in the NCAA. They are about to face the best defense in the nation. It's gonna be ugly.

Expect the Alabama youth to get plenty of action in this game. In fact, Phillip Sims may get to lead the Crimson Tide for the entire second half. AJ McCarron will have time to practice hitting his receivers on deep routes and Trent Richardson will likely play for only a quarter of the game. But that is if Alabama is hitting on all cylinders.

While it is unlikely that Alabama will be unprepared, playing in a game like this builds the character of the leadership of a championship team. Will they play like champions or play to the level of the competition? If the early season has been indicative of future production, expect an early exit by the starting lineup.

Can this Alabama offense keep their foot on the gas for the entire four quarters, posting a score of more than 60 points, as other championship teams across the country do when facing similar competition. Against Kent State and North Texas, the answer was a resounding no to that question.

The number one offense in the country at this point in the season is led by Case Keenum of the Houston Cougars. In competition against a common Alabama opponent, the Cougars posted 48 points and 690 yards against the Mean Green. Alabama scored 41 points and 586 yards of total offense.

Remarkably, the numbers vary in how those yards and points were accumulated. Houston passed for 563 yards while rushing for only 127 yards in the game. Alabama had great balance, rushing for 347 yards and passing for 239 yards.

The win against Kent State was a wash. Kent State has not played against another high quality offensive unit, and their record stands at 1-3. The Kansas State offense ranks 110 in the nation and posted 335 net total yards against the Golden Flashes, winning by a score of 37-0. This was the second most lopsided victory against the Flashes. This compares somewhat to Alabama's 482 yards and 48-7 victory by the Tide. Alabama's offense is ranked 16th! Point total against Kent State could have and should have been higher.

Penn State, Arkansas and Florida have not suffered defeat to another team besides the Crimson Tide. But each has played against teams with productive offensive units.