College Football’s 5th Quarter: 5 National Championship Game narratives
4. Georgia’s pro-style offense
Another narrative heading into the National Championship Game is the adage that Nick Saban’s defense shuts down pro style offenses. Honestly, there is an argument that it does. Saban’s Alabama defenses have shut down everyone in their path when they have by far the best talent.
In a game against Auburn, Clemson or Georgia, that talent disparity is much smaller than against Texas A&M or Arkansas. Looking at who has bested the Crimson Tide during Saban’s reign over the college football world, it’s been spread offenses.
The original a-ha moment was 2012 against the Texas A&M Aggies. A young upstart quarterback Johnny Manziel cemented his name in the Heisman Trophy hall as well as infamy with his big game against the Tide. Manziel finished the upset victory with 350 total yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Aggies upset the top rated Crimson Tide 29-25.
In 2013, Auburn’s spread to run offense led by cornerback turned quarterback Nick Marshall managed to beat the Tide as well. Marshall put up 190 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in that 2013 upset over the Tide. In two years as the Ole Miss starter, Chad “Swag” Kelly managed to put up 43 points in consecutive seasons against the Tide. This season, the Auburn Tigers spread to run offense saw Jarrett Stidham put up 300 total yards and a touchdown over the top rated Tide.
Turn your eyes to National Championship games and spread teams have given Bama fits where pro style teams, or teams that rely on power running and defense, have been pushed around. The Clemson Tigers finished 1-1 against Saban in consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship games.
In those games from January of 2016 and January of 2017, Deshaun Watson racked up nearly 1,000 total yards and 8 touchdowns with only one interception. The spread and mobile quarterbacks have been the bugaboo of the Tide defense whether ran by Kirby Smart or Jeremy Pruitt.
Looking at the pro style teams- they’ve been beaten up by the bigger more talented version. If head coaches try to line up and out-Saban Saban they can’t manage to keep up. Saban against Les Miles’ ball control style? Bama beat LSU 21-0 in the 2012 BCS title game.
What about against Brian Kelly’s top rated defense and young quarterback in the 2013 BCS title game? Total domination. The Tide have also rolled teams like FSU, LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, USC, Florida under McElwain, Wisconsin and UGA over the past few years- all ball control defensive minded programs.