Alabama Football: Sarkisian could become Saban’s best OC

Alabama football, Offensive Coordinator, Steve Sarkisian spoke to the media before Fan Day. Based on his attitude and comments, the Tide offense can be better than last season.

Press conferences don’t win football games. But Alabama football fans have a good reason to believe in Steve Sarkisian. Watching and listening to Sark, it is easy to be enthusiastic.

Our excitement leads to two bold suppositions. The 2019 Crimson Tide offense can be better than the record-setting offense of 2018. Steve Sarkisian can become the best OC of the Alabama football, Saban-era.

Why such optimistic speculation? It is not all about Sark. The Alabama football roster is loaded with talent. Tua is arguably the most gifted quarterback in college football. The Tide is loaded at running back. It has the best wide receiving group in Crimson Tide history and the best nationally this season.

The offensive line must prove itself and the tight end roster is not deep. Those two units don’t have to be great. Very good should be enough, given the abundance of talent elsewhere – and there is little reason to doubt very good is achievable.

So Sark has the weapons. He also has a track record of being a skilled tactician. Jim McElwain is underrated for his Tide offenses. Lane Kiffin used wizard-like skills to befuddle defenses. Sark is like neither and he could become better than both.

Based on Sarkisian’s comments on Saturday, the new Crimson Tide offense will be so multi-faceted, it will be difficult to label. It will blend Sark’s West Coast roots with RPO, power running and play-action passing.

As Sark said in the video below, it all starts with the running game. From that, he wants efficiency in the passing game. The Tide’s ‘Red’ formation will be featured. That formation is four wides, one running back and no tight ends. Sarkisian explained his potential use of the formation,

"We’ve got to continue to try and develop that package to make sure when we use it we’re not just throwing four wide receivers on the field, but there’s a rhyme and a reason why we’re doing what we’re doing."

That is the tactician in Steve Sarkisian talking. For those Tide fans unsure of Sark’s tactical skills, a little history should help. Sarkisian was an outstanding quarterback at BYU. He was coached by Norm Chow who is considered one of the best offensive minds ever, at any level of football. Sark does not get much credit for it, but he helped Lane Kiffin learn from Chow at USC. Bottom line, Tide fans would have to go back to Homer Smith for an Alabama football OC who understood offensive football more than Steve Sarkisian.

Our thanks to Bama Insider for the video below.

How much of the new Crimson Tide offense will Sark show against Duke? The best guess is he will hold back a good bit. Some of it may not get rolled out until October.