Nick Saban discusses how SEC play has evolved over the past decade
No one program or coach represents the fundamental changes to the way SEC football is played than Nick Saban at Alabama. Saban’s early teams won with their ground and pound style. Defense first. Running game second. With the passing game as much more of an afterthought.
Now, Saban’s teams, as well as others in the SEC, are winning through the air. By scoring 40 points a game. Sure, teams like this past year’s Georgia group can still take home the trophy with great defense. But for the most part, great offenses are winning the biggest games.
Saban was asked about this shift in style and philosophy at SEC Media Days, to which he answered by bringing up blocking regulations. Classic Saban. But check out his reasoning by why the league changed:
“Well I think the game has changed. The whole game has changed. The rules in college football with RPOs and blocking on passes behind the line of scrimmage; you can block downfield, which they give them a yard on that, so they’re really not behind the line of scrimmage. So those things made people go to spread offense, make people defend 53 yards wide and 100 yards deep vertically and horizontally.”
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With the passing game opening up so much, now run plays are the simplest to defend, according to the Alabama head coach.
“So the easiest plays to defend are interior runs. Three yards and a cloud of dust. The things that are more difficult is how are all these good players playing in space, how do you contain those players and play those plays, because they’re all tied to runs. There are advantage throws with almost every run, so if you play to stop the run they’re throwing the ball. If you play split safeties they run it. So it’s a completely different game now then it was back in the day even when you played quarterback. And all this has happened in the last 10 years. Crazy.”
Nick Saban has certainly taken advantage. After all, a Crimson Tide wide receiver and quarterback are the last two players to take home the Heisman Trophy.