Alabama Football: What Dave Aranda must do to slow the Crimson Tide

Opinions abound on what LSU must do to slow the Alabama football offense. Check out what one expert believes is most important.

Can any football team, not in the NFL, slow Alabama football? No team is invincible and no offense is so potent that it can’t be constrained by a great defense. Notice, I said constrained, not stopped. Slowing the Alabama football offense has not occurred in the 2018 season. The quality of the Crimson Tide’s opposition has been a factor.

On Saturday night inside the cauldron known as Tiger Stadium, the defensive foe will be plenty stout. Just how that salty LSU defense should go about constraining the Crimson Tide offense is debatable.

On Monday, two guys who know football, the two teams and have first-hand knowledge of the rivalry disagreed. Former LSU player, Marcus Spears said LSU must blitz Tua repeatedly. Former Alabama football player, Greg McElroy stated LSU cannot afford to blitz and must drop a maximum number of players into coverage.

LSU defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda uses both tactics, along with other defensive strategies. Aranda is one of the most highly respected defensive minds in college football. Plus Aranda has weapons in his Bengal Tigers’ defensive roster. Rashard Lawrence, Greedy Williams, Grant Delpit and Devin White are four of the best defensive players in college football.

Since 25 percent of that defensive quartet will not see the field until the second half, Aranda must have two game plans. Keeping LSU in the game until its best player, Devin White joins the fray in the second-half is essential.

On Tuesday, another football expert explained how Aranda and LSU can approach the first half. Alabama football fans have mixed opinions of Gary Danielson. It does become tedious on CBS broadcasts when he obsesses over every questionable call by officials. But Gary focuses where he is told to by his producer.

Mostly hidden behind the network’s fixation on a soap opera presentation, is the fact Danielson really knows football. What he said during the Tuesday Paul Finebaum Show bears notice. Gary said LSU must force the Crimson Tide to run.

The strategy Danielson suggests is for Aranda to disguise coverages to,

"take away passing pre-snap looks, forcing Alabama to run the ball … creating long drives to shorten the game"

Danielson so respects the Crimson Tide offense, he does not think LSU can stop it without Devin White in the game. So according to Gary, Aranda’s first-half goal should be to just not allow the Crimson Tide to explode. Otherwise, the game could be over by halftime. The premise makes sense because the LSU offense has not shown the power to win a shootout game.

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Of course, the LSU defense can’t shorten the game alone. The LSU offense will need to both score some first-half points and also chew up some clock. That creates a dilemma for LSU offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger. LSU is No. 60 in the FBS at 30.4 points per game. Minus some gifts, scoring more than four touchdowns against the Crimson Tide seems unlikely.

One other point made by Danielson could impact the fourth quarter. Gary said the Bengal Tigers do not have much depth on the defensive line. Late in the game, a fatigued LSU defense may not be able to stop a Crimson Tide rushing attack.

If Danielson is correct on what Aranda should try, how does the Tide respond? One thought is Tua, as yet, makes reads, but still gets plays from the sidelines. Will Saban give him more leeway to adjust play calls at the line of scrimmage? Or will the Tide be content going a bit smashmouth, taking advantage of what LSU offers? We don’t have those answers but it will be great fun to watch the chess game unfold Saturday night.

For those who only know Danielson as a broadcaster, he has a more than respectable football playing resume. After playing college ball at Purdue, he spent 11 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback. What QB does he compare Tua to? Drew Brees.