Alabama Football: Chances of six Defensive Coordinators slowing Tide

Alabama Football: Taking the measure of six Defensive Coordinators with chances of slowing Bill O’Brien’s new Crimson Tide offense.

What the Alabama football offense will be in 2021 is undefined. How close it will come to matching the explosiveness of Steve Sarkisian’s Tide offenses is unknown. O’Brien, Nick Saban and the other Tide offensive assistants must replace the seven most impactful players from the 2020 offense.

Opposing Defensive Coordinators, especially those matched up against the Crimson Tide in September, cannot know what they will be defending. What is better known are the defensive resources of six 2021 opponents and the talents of the six men leading them. Making up the six are Head Coach and DC, Manny Diaz at Miami; Todd Grantham at Florida; Mike Elko at Texas A&M; Zack Arnett at Mississippi State; Barry Odom at Arkansas and Derek Mason at Auburn.

Arnett, Odom and Mason have the advantage of not battling the Crimson Tide until mid-October or November. The new Crimson Tide offense will be deciphered by then. Arnett and Mississippi State have the most returning resources from a defense that was mid-pack of the SEC last season, and about the same nationally (No. 58) in Scoring Defense. Arnett has close to two-thirds of last season’s two-deep back for 2021. To go along with seven starters from last season, Arnett added a couple of impact transfers.

The defense Barry Odom took over at Arkansas was dreadful. He made progress and will look to do the same in 2021. An early take is he will not have a roster capable of significant continued improvement. The Hogs scoring defense was No. 98 in the FBS last season.

Transfer attrition is the main problem for Derek Mason at Auburn. Mason’s deserved reputation as one of college football’s top defensive minds was tarnished at Vanderbilt. He has a good chance of regaining it at Auburn, but 2021 will be a rebuild for the Tigers. Auburn can be expected to regress from last season’s No. 38 in scoring defense.

Florida could be better defensively in 2021, if for no other reason because it was so bad last season. Todd Grantham has something to prove. He will have to make that improvement with an offense that may not be able to bail him out as frequently. The Alabama football offense will show only what it needs to show against Miami. Assuming the Tide will not have to show much, Grantham will not have learned enough to gamble defensively against the Tide. Not known for patient play-calling, Grantham may have no choice in September.

The Canes’ faithful tout their defense was already strong and will improve more in 2021. That claim requires glossing over North Carolina scoring 62 points in the Canes last season. Miami was ranked No. 51 in the FBS in scoring defense. That stat was enhanced by the Canes shutting out a 2-9 Duke team.

The Canes will look to the defensive line and safeties to anchor the 2021 defense. Other than at edge rusher, Miami returns the core of its 2020 defense. The Canes could be stiffer in 2021, but opening against an unknown Alabama football offense does not bode well for them.

The Aggies’ Mike Elko has had the most recent success as a DC and returns nearly his entire defense from last season. At 21.7 points per game last season, the Aggies were second-best in the SEC and No. 28 in the nation. With the Crimson Tide traveling to College State in October, Elko will have plenty of Bill O’Brien, Alabama Football offense to review. The Aggies had no success slowly the Crimson Tide offense last season, but they could do better in 2021.

Note: Scoring Defense Stats available from the NCAA here.

If the best defense is a good offense, Miami might be in the best position against the Crimson Tide. Assuming D’Eriq King is fully recovered in time for the game.