Alabama Football: Finding offensive balance with a loaded WR roster

Alabama football has a roster loaded with arguably the top wide receiver talent in the nation. Using all that talent and keeping a balanced offense is not easy.

Nick Saban and Steve Sarkisian have decisions to make about the Alabama football offense. All the options for the 2019 season have already been identified and thoroughly considered. Those considerations include how to best use the team’s offensive strengths and how to take advantage of every future opponent’s weaknesses.

Sarkisian brings his West Coast concepts to Tuscaloosa. It is not a totally new offense for Alabama football. Lane Kiffin learned West Coast concepts from Norm Chow and Sarkisian as a USC assistant coach. He used some of that foundation during his Crimson Tide tenure.

While Nick Saban is primarily a defensive expert, he never turns over the Alabama football offense to an Offensive Coordinator. Saban’s OC must adapt schemes to match Saban’s overall team goals. Saban wants balance, achieved through a mixture of cranking out first downs and explosive plays.

Since Jim McElwain, Sarkisian is the Crimson Tide OC whose offensive ideas mesh most closely with Saban’s goals. Tua Tagovailoa and the Crimson Tide quartet of Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith and Waddell are perfectly suited for standard West Coast passing themes. The receivers and the QB must make quick reads choosing the best route option on every play. Precise route-running and passing accuracy are essential. The five young men have all the necessary tools.

Traditionally West Coast schemes use the pass to set up a complementary running game. But it also designed to be unpredictable and therefore difficult to defend. Stretching the field horizontally leads to opponents compressing their defense, leaving them vulnerable to deep passes. With Tua and the quartet of top receivers, Alabama football is perfectly suited to run such an offense.

But, it is not that simple. Sark must design multiple packages for two different situations. One is for a healthy Tua. The second is for Mac Jones or perhaps later in the season, another QB who would fill-in for an injured Tua. The second package is likely to be run-heavy. It is also likely to be run-first.

Most Alabama football fans believe the Crimson Tide has the offensive line (particularly after Deonte Brown’s return) and the running backs to feast on a run-heavy attack. While that contention is probably accurate, no team will have much running success against a top defense, loading the box. Going to the air is the remedy to a loaded box. Does the Crimson Tide have a QB backup who can do it successfully?

Our best guess is that guy will have to be Mac Jones. Taulia and Paul Tyson need development time, with enough game reps for the game to begin slowing down for them. It is hard to get those reps as a No.3 or No. 4 QB.

Steve Sarkisian has a challenge being ready for Tua or no Tua. Alabama football fans hope the no Tua option will never be needed.