How'd They Do It?

Last year, Bama had little big play capacity; they could sometimes make
it happen in the vertical game, but not consistently. This year, Cooper
and Bell have been able to get so far open that Mccarron can reach them
even on days when he's not throwing his best. And that's a good thing,
because last year's team won on the back of a defense that boggled the
mind to watch. It was the most dominant D I have ever seen, and that I
ever expect to see.

Saturday, I kept saying "run the ball, just run it" after seeing how
close to impossible it was to protect AJ. I felt like the typical arm
chair quarterback who pretends to know what's best, even though I didn't
know a tenth of what Bama's OC did or does. Nonetheless, I could see
what anyone could see - they could not stop the run. And eventually,
the team's success against the run paved the way for the game winning
pass to Coop; what a beauty!

Bama 2012 was outplayed twice, first against LSU and then against A&M.
The other games they played, they looked sharp, tough, prepared. Being
ready and focused is a habit. They rallied to beat LSU and fell five
yards short against the team led by the most dynamic player in college
football this season. In the SEC championship, the team's maturity and
discipline was the edge that helped this team win, again, in a tough
situation, after four kicking game miscues that would have ended the
hopes of a lesser team.

Last year's team was dominant and nearly mistake free and did not depend
upon an explosive offense to win. This year, when they win, it is via
tenacious defense in combination with an offense that can make up ground
if needed, and that can run you into the ground if you don't stuff the
box. It's fun to see the shift in capacity, combined with the Saban
formula for discipline and focus, working out.