By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
Oct. 14, 2012
In any school environment, there are the students who must apply themselves for hours to get a passing grade, and then there are those that just seem to show up and take the tests.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban is doing everything he can to keep the 2012 Alabama team from taking on the mindset of the latter group. The problem is, there’s been little evidence so far to the contrary that Alabama will be challenged by more than a couple of teams on its schedule.
Alabama will still need to cram for LSU like it’s a final exam, and Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas A&M all present special challenges. But for the most part, Alabama has so far looked like the valedictorian of college football. Here’s our look at the midseason report card:
Quarterbacks: A
Between A.J. McCarron’s laser-like efficiency and the dangerous zone-read rushing attack piloted by backup Blake Sims, Alabama’s quarterback play has been almost perfect in 2012. The one thing keeping this from being an A+ rating has been the lack of a consistent deep-intermediate passing game, which shows up most often on 3rd-and-long situations for Alabama. In the end, though, McCarron is doing exactly what is asked of him, he isn’t endangering game outcomes and he’s making plays when they’re most needed. Alabama needed McCarron to advance from adequate status to weapon status this year, and he’s done just that.
Running backs: A-
Health has been the only hindrance to Alabama’s running back corps, and health is nothing the players can control. Eddie Lacy is just now starting to approach 100 percent, and the closer he gets, the more effective his power rushing abilities have become. Against Missouri, Lacy finally looked like the back Alabama fans had grown accustomed to for two years as a backup to Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Backup T.J. Yeldon, a true freshman, also seemed to elevate his game against Missouri, in the wake of the loss of Dee Hart. Kenyan Drake looks like another great running back in waiting. Depth is still shallow at the moment thanks to the injury situation, but there are no complaints about Alabama’s top trio.
Wide receivers: B+
Although very young and inexperienced in comparison to some of the other units, Alabama’s wide receiver corps has done a nice job in the first half of the year. There is no bellcow among the group, although true freshman Amari Cooper looks like a legitimate breakout candidate. As for the tight ends, Michael Williams has been more of a blocker than a receiver thus far, and has done a good job in that role, but Alabama would like to use the position to stretch defenses more. Because of issues at H-back – starter Kelly Johnson has resembled Baron Huber more than Brad Smelley to this point – Alabama has opted for three-wide sets on an increasingly regular basis. The loss of DeAndrew White to a knee injury hurts, but as long as Kevin Norwood and Kenny Bell continue to work on ball security, it’s not a loss that can’t be overcome.
Offensive line: B
The line gets a gentleman’s B thanks to its Missouri performance, but this is a grade all about expectations. Alabama’s offensive line has been like the honor student who decides to slack off for a semester. There has been too much contact allowed to the Alabama quarterbacks, and run blocking was erratic through the first five games of the year. Right tackle D.J. Fluker in particular has struggled with pass protection. On a good note, LT Cyrus Kouandjio has improved nicely and has stayed healthy, and Alabama is developing some depth among the second-teamers. The tests only get more difficult from here out, so improvement is needed here.
Coaching/playcalling: B+
Alabama had put together a top-shelf gameplan for the Michigan opener and things looked they wouldn’t skip a beat following the loss of Jim McElwain to Colorado State over the offseason, but Alabama’s offense still has issues getting touchdowns in the red zone and the quality of the halftime adjustments is unknown at best. Alabama has recorded offensive output in the first half of games that is nearly twice as potent as its second halves (161 scoring to 82). Only once (Ole Miss) did Alabama not go into the half with a commanding lead, and Ole Miss outscored the Crimson Tide 7-6 in the second half. This may be a question we can’t fully answer until LSU week.
OFFENSE OVERALL: A-
Numerically, Alabama pops out right at 90, a good score for this team considering the amount of turnover in the skill positions, but still not great. The biggest issue for the second half of the season will be continuing to demand improvement in the offensive line, especially in pass protection. Solving the red zone riddle (Alabama has a good scoring percentage in the red zone, but just a so-so touchdown percentage) is next, and keeping momentum in the second half of games comes in third.
Defensive line: A
Alabama’s defensive line is more about gap control and freeing up the linebackers to make plays, but this year’s defensive line may be better overall than the one it replaced. This unit probably wins the award for exceeding expectations to this point, if for no other reason than the concern over messing with a good thing by having Jesse Williams move from defensive end to nosetackle. Turns out the plan has worked better than most anyone could imagine, and that’s without taking into account the improvement made by ends Ed Stinson and Jeoffrey Pagan over the offseason. Damion Square continues to be a force on the other side, and Quinton Dial has been a key backup. The only potential issue here is concern over the reserve nosetackles, namely Brandon Ivory (ankle injury) and Darren Lake (inexperience).
Linebackers: A-
The Missouri game was a high point for this unit, which has been solid and steady in 2012 but not overly spectacular. Alabama seems to be getting improved push from Adrian Hubbard and Xzavier Dickson from the outside as the season has gone along, but the Tide still misses an alpha like Dont’a Hightower in the middle of the defense. C.J. Mosley is the closet thing Alabama has to such at the moment, but his smaller size makes it unlikely he’ll be able to do the things Hightower did. Nico Johnson and Trey DePriest have been steady but again, not in Hightower’s league. Overall, this group is playing up to its potential.
Defensive backs: A
Presuming Alabama stays healthy at corner and the safeties continue to make steady improvement, this defensive backfield might be as good as the 2011 version by year’s end. The biggest issue here, of course, is the loss of S Mark Barron to the NFL. Vinnie Sunseri, Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix and Nick Perry have combined to replace him as best they can, and the trio seems to get better with each game. Robert Lester has begun to insert himself into plays with increasing regularity. The question mark is at corner, and not the starters; Dee Milliner has looked like an all-American and Deion Belue is having a nice first season as a starter. Alabama has only used a third corner in blowouts or injury situations this year, with John Fulton leading Bradley Sylve and Geno Smith in the role. As long as the starters stay healthy, Alabama should have no issues here.
Coaching/playcalling: A+
This one almost goes without saying. But Alabama’s coaches deserve special kudos for helping this unit come together so quickly despite having so many new starters on the field. Moreover, the gameplans Alabama has come up with to defense potentially explosive offenses like Michigan’s, Ole Miss’ and Arkansas’ have been the picture of consistency. As long as Nick Saban patrols the Alabama sideline, you can just about bank on some form of an A here.
DEFENSE OVERALL: A+
This is shaping up to be one of the most consistent defenses Alabama has put on the field in the Nick Saban era, even though it’s not one of the most explosive. Alabama has no single dominator on defense – with the possible exception of Dee Milliner as a shutdown cornerback – but it has been stifling as a unit, holding opponents to 7.5 points per game and leading the nation in all five major defensive categories at the halfway point.
SPECIAL TEAMS OVERALL: B+
Unfortunately for the Tide’s special teams, that last exam tripped them up a bit. Between a kickoff returned for a touchdown and punter Cody Mandell’s muffed snap, Alabama’s special teams were sent home with a note from the teacher. But in the larger picture, there’s not much to be unhappy with in 2012. Alabama’s kickers worked hard on their accuracy over the offseason, and the work has paid off. Mandell has been a much more effective punter, and Alabama’s return units have played well. One nitpick of note concerns punt returner Christion Jones, who needs to show better discretion when fielding punts either deep in his own territory or while under duress.
TEAM OVERALL: A
Averaging numerically, Alabama actually ends up in the A- range, but we’ll grade on a curve a bit and bump the Tide up to a solid A. It’s hard to argue otherwise given the way Alabama has dominated the opposition so far and where Alabama is in the BCS standings. So far, there hasn’t been another team in the country to look as well-rounded as Alabama, with perhaps only Oregon approaching Alabama in being able to be explosive on one side of the ball and respectable on the other. In previous years, readers will note that Alabama has been largely unable to keep its grades up in the second half, mostly due to the increased level of competition, but then put everything together again for the final exam. We’ll see if Nick Saban and company can keep his students focused as the learning material gets tougher.