Alabama Football: What type of offense to expect from Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian’s second time as Alabama Football’s offensive coordinator is beginning much like his first time. The last time Alabama fans saw Sarkisian was during a championship loss to Clemson. Alabama is now beginning a season with Sarkisian under the exact same circumstances. Here is what to expect now that he has had an entire offseason to prepare.

For Alabama Football fans, how the Crimson Tide rebound from a championship loss to Clemson will depend heavily upon the performance of the offense behind the mind of Steve Sarkisian.

To understand Sarkisian’s offense, it is important to understand what it is not.

It is not an offense that is made to be run one way all the time.

What I mean by that is the offense led by Sarkisian is not going to always be a three wide receiver set with two backs, or always in shotgun, or always with a player in motion.

Instead, the Sarkisian offense is predicated upon forcing a defense into the coverage that Alabama desires.

If Alabama desires for the defense to run cover 2, then it will line up in formations that will likely get a cover 2 response from the opposing defense. That way it creates the matchups the Crimson Tide desires.

The Sarkisian offense puts a lot of pressure on Tua Tagovailoa to read defenses. That is a task Tagovailoa struggled with in the National Championship game. Tagovailoa was caught multiple times in the championship game misreading the defense before the snap and forcing the ball when the defense did something he did not anticipate.

Sarkisian’s offense is made at giving Tagovailoa the option to throw on every run play. Whether it is a hot route, all receivers running hooks, etc. It is made so that Tagovailoa can read the defense and if a corner is playing off the receiver, Tua can throw it hot.

Sark’s offense forces a defense to play their corners up on the line, which in turn, helps Alabama’s receivers burn the corners in man on man coverage deep.

Sarkisian’s offense also runs a zone blocking scheme. It forces the backside guard and tackle to be instrumental in getting their blocks. If they don’t then it kills any bootlegs and pass option.

I think Steve Sarkisian’s offense has the possibility of making Alabama’s offense unstoppable because it remains unpredictable.

Alabama is returning talent on the offense side that most teams can only dream of.

For Sarkisian, it gives him the best chance at redemption from the last time Alabama football fans saw him in action.

Crimson Tide offensive coordinators always have a hot seat. Still, it is easy to believe that for Sarkisian, the situation is exactly how he wants it.