Old Man Football and the Truth about the Alabama Running Game

Remember the time University of Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson called the SEC’s tough, blue collar style of play “Old man football” after watching an early season Georgia Bulldogs game?

Turns out that “old man football” can sure win a lot of games. In fact it is that style of play, dominating running games and devastating defenses that has delivered the Southeastern Conference the last 6 national championships. During that time, no team has won a national championship without finishing in the top 16 in rushing and a top 10 defense (with the exception of the Auburn Tigers in 2010.).

In a day and age when offenses put up points quicker than hands at a rock concert, the SEC has done its best to not reinvent the wheel. Sure offenses have become more innovative throughout the years, especially during the Urban Meyer era at the University of Florida, but the blueprint has always been the same: rushing and defense.

Every home football Saturday, Public Address announcer Tony Giles proclaims in his booming voice “This is Alabama Football.” When fans think of Alabama football, rampant rushing attacks and tough as nails defenses are the first two things that come to mind.

It is a formula that has not only brought the SEC plenty of success, but  trophies to Tuscaloosa; 14 in fact, including two in the past three seasons. While the Crimson Tide have always been known for their defense it has been the seasons when the running game has been at its peak when the team has performed its best.

During the championship seasons of 2009 and 2011, Alabama ranked 9^th and 16^th nationally in rushing.  In the past five seasons when Alabama did not win a championship, 2007, 2008, and 2010, Alabama’s ground game finished 60^th, 30^th and 30^th.

Where does Alabama rank this year? Back at 30^th.

The first inclination is to assume that Alabama is not rushing the ball, which is not necessarily the case. Currently the Tide are just .5 carries per game from their 2011 average and about 4 carries off from where they were in 2009. No, there is something else missing.

The Crimson Tide do not have a home run hitter in the backfield; a tailback that can strike the fear in opposing defenses by taking it do the endzone on any given play. Rushes of 20+ plus yards are down drastically this season at 13 (the Tide had 33 in 2011), which, if it holds would be the fewest Alabama has had in the Nick Saban era. It should also be noted that 2 of those 20 yard runs were recorded by backup quarterback Blake Sims.

Now, with Western Carolina and Auburn on the horizon, the Crimson Tide have two more chances to reestablish themselves as one of the nation’s scariest rushing attacks. Now is the time to anchor down behind the best offensive line in the country and reestablish this team’s identity as the team opponents hate to play.

As Bear Bryant once said: “The same thing wins, that always won.”