This is for everything: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas

January 7, 2010


Citi BCS National Championship Game from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA 8pm on ABC
No. 2 Texas Longhorns (13-0) vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0)
“We need to be one second better this year.” That was the Texas motto this offseason as last year’s loss with one second left to Texas Tech ruined the undefeated season and a shot at the national championship. Texas went on to finish 13-1 and win the Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State, but the expectations were so high, that was considered a failure. One second, that’s all it took to be better this year. Hunter Lawrence’s game-winning field goal with one second left to send Texas into the national championship game against Alabama got the job done.
Texas has never lost to Alabama (7-0-1 vs. the Tide all-time), but the SEC is 5-0 in BCS championship games, but Texas is undefeated in BCS games, but Alabama has Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, but the Heisman winner hasn’t won his postseason game in six years, and not to mention: Texas has never lost in the Rose Bowl.
The last time Texas came to Pasadena was January 4, 2006 and Colt McCoy was a young freshman in his redshirt year and was holding the clipboard on the sidelines for Vince Young. Vince Young and company went on to win the 2005 national championship against #1 USC and Heisman winning running back Reggie Bush. Tonight, Colt McCoy will try to do the same against #1 Alabama and Heisman winning running back Mark Ingram.
There’s a good battle of quarterbacks in this game: Colt McCoy vs. Greg McElroy. McElroy played at Texas high school power house South Lake Carroll who had produced numerous top quarterbacks while McCoy played at the mostly unheard of Jim Ned High School in the small town of Tuscola, TX. McElroy has never lost a game, high school or college, while McCoy is the winningest quarterback of all-time. McElroy was labeled “the other quarterback” to Tim Tebow in the SEC Championship Game and outperformed him. McElroy is the other quarterback to Colt McCoy in this one too.
Alabama and Texas are the top defenses in the country, but it won’t be false to say that Texas faced more explosive offenses, but Alabama more physical ones. Texas has the nation’s number one ranked rush defense while Alabama is second, but that might be a skewed number because of the lack of running games Texas plays against while Alabama has to stop running backs every week. Tonight, Texas’ defense will be tested by the Alabama rushing attack of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, and even Roy Upchurch. The Longhorns’ defensive line is where it all has to start, but they haven’t seen an offensive line like Alabama’s and vice versa.
Everyone wants to put out the weakness of the Texas offensive line, which was actually thought to be a strength coming into the season, but it didn’t turn out that way. Texas got manhandled by Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska up front and everyone jumped to the conclusion that Alabama’s defensive line would do the same with Terrence Cody. The 360 pound “Mount” Cody is not Ndamukong Suh. Suh was his team’s leading tackler, Cody only has 25 tackles this season and is just a space-eater and run stuffer.
The problem for Texas might be the physicality of the game and it might have helped that Nebraska was very physical with them. Alabama dominated Florida physically and Nebraska’s physicality gave Texas a lot of trouble. Texas, like Florida, will also have to adjust to Alabama’s offense after seeing so many spread offenses.
Alabama came out against Florida in the spread and McElroy in the shotgun. It caught the Gators off guard and they weren’t ready. If Alabama tries to spread it out against Texas, it’ll be playing towards Texas’ strength in the secondary. Alabama has great corners in Javier Arenas and Kareem Jackson, but they lack experience and consistency at safety while Texas has arguably the best defensive back in the nation in safety Earl Thomas along with Blake Gideon, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown, and Aaron Williams.
I’ve seen that Alabama likes to run a lot of crossing routes and I think the Texas speed in the secondary will help them cover those routes with Julio Jones and Marquis Maze who is thrown to out of the slot a lot on third downs. They have quite a few long developing pass plays since McElroy has gotten such great protection all year so the Texas defensive line which has 28 of Texas’ 39 sacks will have to create pressure to cause McElroy to struggle.
Texas is more of a base defense that relies on the front four to get pressure but can disguise coverages and blitzes. Alabama is one of the most blitzing teams and is very good at confusing teams with their looks. One analyst put it like this though, that Alabama and Texas are identical in defensive scheme.
Will Muschamp, Texas Defensive Coordinator, is the best in the nation and he will go against the man, Nick Saban, who he won a national championship coaching for in 2003 at LSU. Muschamp learned everything from Saban and knows his tendencies. Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart also worked with Muschamp. Texas Quarterbacks/Running backs coach Major Applewhite served as the Offensive Coordinator for Saban in his first year at Alabama in 2007. Maybe Applewhite remembers a thing or two about Saban’s methods.
On offense, the two coordinators are going to be playing chess with the great defensive minds involved in this game. Greg Davis for Texas is one of the best coordinators at adjusting and engineering long drives. Jim McElwain for Alabama is sure to have some new wrinkles that Texas has never seen, but after showing the spread already against Florida, a big surprise might be in store. Without a run game for Texas, Davis can really only do so much with his offense, well McElwain can use his balanced attack to his advantage. But if Texas has a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, they will. Davis is the best at calling game-winning drives and he has a guy in McCoy, a great leader, to execute it. McCoy has led 12 fourth quarter comebacks while McElroy’s only one was the biggest game of his life against Auburn when he led a seven minute drive that ended with a play action fake and pass to wide open Upchurch in the flat. The play action is also a big weapon for Alabama that Texas will have to be able to read quickly and adjust.
For the run game, Texas is going to have Tre’ Newton healthy from his concussion be the featured running back. Newton is said to have the most upside of the group of backs Texas has, but he and the explosive Fozzy Whittaker are both little guys going against a vaunted defense. Texas has power back Cody Johnson who was successful when featured earlier in the season and I would like to see him get more carries up the middle and fight for yardage. Johnson may be the only back that can match up physically with Alabama. Newton however is the best receiver out of the backfield and the best blocker which is likely why Mack Brown gave him the nod to get the most snaps.
If Texas can’t get yardage out of their backs, they are going need McCoy to run the ball more than he has before. A lot more designed runs for Colt are probably coming, but I don’t if a draw play works when you have Rolando McClain right there for Alabama. Texas will have to have a back with McCoy and use him as a lead blocker. I would also not be surprised to see several more zone-read plays and the option utilized as well.
What almost every close ballgame comes down to is special teams. Both have excellent special teams units and outstanding return man. For Alabama it will be Javier Arenas on both kickoffs and punts. Arenas is the most dangerous return man in all of college football. For Texas, Jordan Shipley will be the punt returner and he’s taken two to the endzone already, while the big story is that the freshman D.J. Monroe returns for Texas after being suspended earlier for a DWI charge, which was later dropped. Monroe was the nation’s second best kick returner before being suspended and had already returned two kicks for touchdowns. Texas is excellent on special teams coverage and will have to continue that to contain Arenas, while Alabama’s coverage units have been shaky this season so Texas could get good field position and will have to capitalize on it. Two of the best kickers are in this game: Hunter Lawrence (Texas) and Leigh Tiffin (Alabama) and either one could ultimately be the difference.
For Alabama, they win if Ingram runs over Texas and the play action gets going and McElroy, who’s only thrown four interceptions, doesn’t make mistakes. Texas’ defensive line will come after McElroy, but this is an Alabama offensive line that has not had a holding penalty called on them since September. The secondary again is suspect for Alabama, they have allowed 30 plays of 20 or more yards against them. Texas’ deep threat is Malcolm Williams who has been inconsistent but could be a star and needs to have a big game. Jordan Shipley will run the underneath stuff for Texas, but if Alabama takes him away, that could be all she wrote for the Texas passing game if McCoy can’t throw the ball down the field.
For Texas, they will need to move up-tempo on offense and keep Alabama on its heels, but to do that will also need a running game. They will also need to be aware of the blitz packages and protect Colt McCoy. No quarterback can lead any offense if not given time. Texas should also look for Javier Arenas on defense and know where he is. Arenas is second on the team in sacks coming from the corner. On defense, they have to keep an eye on Julio Jones for Alabama who is a big physical receiver. Texas will have to force turnovers and make big plays on special teams to win. Texas leads the nation in non-offensive touchdowns with 11.
In the past two seasons, Alabama has gone 25-2, Texas 26-1 and both teams came one win shy of playing for a BCS title last year. This year one of them will join Ohio State (2002) and Boise State (2009) as the only teams ever to finish 14-0 and either Nick Saban or Mack Brown will win his second national championship as a college coach.
Along with all that, Colt McCoy will look to finish his college career and solidify himself as a legend by becoming only the second quarterback to win four bowl games in his career.