Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables claims he is not concerned about Ty Simpson's production on Dec. 19. The Alabama Crimson Tide offense had enough success to beat Oklahoma in what became a two-point loss. Simpson's 326 passing yards against the Sooners in Tuscaloosa should worry Venables. One reason for Venables not to be concerned is that, arguably, he has college football's best mind for defense. The Sooners are one of college football's best teams at pressuring quarterbacks without blitzing. And when Oklahoma does blitz, it often smothers opposing quarterbacks.
Oklahoma vs. Alabama again presents a greatest strength vs. worst weakness matchup. Bama Hammer's John Mitchell contends that Alabama's offensive flaws are too many for all to be fixable. The most troubling one is pass protection. As Mitchell wrote, Simpson can no longer trust his guys to protect him.
Some Alabama fans have lost hope in Simpson. A counterargument is that two plays in the loss to Georgia show why Simpson is not Alabama's major offensive problem. Early in the 4th quarter, when a touchdown would have made the score 21-7, Simpson threw a perfect pass to Ryan Williams in the endzone. Williams failed to make the catch, but it was not the worst failure on the play. Alabama's pass protection broke down, allowing an unimpeded Georgia linebacker to bear down on Simpson. Parker Brailsford and Wilkin Formby ran into each other, leaving a wide-open path to Simpson.
A more impressive play by Simpson occurred late in the game. On a 4th-and-10, under considerable pressure, Simpson avoided two pass rushing defenders and, on the run, threw an almost perfect pass to Germie Bernard in the endzone. A Georgia fingertip altered the ball's trajectory and caused a disconnect by Bernard. He failed to catch a ball that hit him in the chest.
Not Alabama Crimson Tide 'What Ifs'
These examples are not 'what ifs' about how Alabama could have beaten Georgia. They are examples of Simpson's memory bank of failed play experiences.
Brent Venables may be wrong in his lack of concern. Returns from hopefully healthy starters Jam Miller, Josh Cuevas, and Kam Dewberry will provide Simpson with better security and more options. The returns will not correct all pass protection miscues, but they might be enough to get Alabama to the Playoff Quarterfinals.