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Alabama needs diverse offense to stay on track

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Updated Nov 9, 2009 12:45 PM ET
     
 
CFN's Instant Analysis of Alabama's 24-15 victory over LSU:

Good, not great

You say Alabama, I say Iowa. Iowa needed two blocked kicks to beat Northern Iowa; Alabama needed two blocked kicks to beat Tennessee. Iowa got a ton of national respect thanks to one big road win against Penn State; Alabama got a ton of respect for one big win over Virginia Tech. Iowa needed a ton of breaks to get to 9-0 before getting tagged by Northwestern; Alabama keeps on winning despite being not quite as good as you think it is. LSU is fine, but it's not special. We're all supposed to think LSU is special, because it's LSU, but this year, it's just a very good team, nothing more. Take out an injured Jordan Jefferson and replace him with Jarrett Lee, get help from a complete and utter brain cramp by Les Miles, who chose to go for an unnecessary two-point conversion, and get some more help from a missed call on what should've been ruled an interception by Patrick Peterson, and Alabama is living a charmed life. Sure, the Tide made things happen on its own to get the win, from Mark Ingram's running and the brilliant catch-and-run for a 73-yard score by Julio Jones, but don't make the mistake that just because of the great record and just because of a win over LSU that this is an unbeatable team. Everyone made excuses for Iowa during its long winning streak, and now everyone will apply the "Just win, baby" standard to Alabama. Watch out against a Mississippi State team with two weeks off to rest and prepare, and really be careful of Auburn trying to make a big statement in a home Iron Bowl. Alabama is too good not to be 12-0 on the way to facing Florida for the SEC title game, but is this really a team good enough to beat both Florida and Texas? Not at the moment, it's not. — Pete Fiutak

More Jones needed

Somehow, some way, the Alabama coaching staff has to devise unique ways to get the ball into the hands of wide receiver Julio Jones before the Dec. 5 showdown with Florida for the SEC championship. That, along with not stumbling en route to Atlanta, has to be the Tide's primary goal over the next three regular-season games. Sure, the Tide has worked to get the sophomore sensation more involved with the offense, but it has to work harder and become more inventive. A national championship might depend on it. The Alabama offense has issues, especially in the red zone or whenever QB Greg McElroy has to make too much happen in the passing game. That's patently obvious to anyone who has watched the attack operate over the past month. And while running back Mark Ingram has been otherworldly in traditional sets and taking direct snaps, he's going to need more help in December and January. That's where Jones has to become a bigger factor down the stretch. Alabama was on its heels and faced with a deficit in the fourth quarter when Jones turned a short route into a 73-yard, game-winning burst down the sideline. Let that be a lesson for Nick Saban and the boys in games with Mississippi State, Chattanooga and Auburn. They're going to need Jones to be a bigger threat in order to have any success against the nasty Gators D next month. — Richard Cirminiello

Better manager won

1. Les Miles. You chased an extra point in the middle of the third quarter. Gary Danielson and the rest of America's football fans can do their simple math, but not you. Ah, another afternoon of Les Miles game management. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 2. Yes, there's going to be another replay controversy in the SEC (the SEC and Big Ten want to see who can be worse on a regular basis), but let's remember this: Miles can't manage a game well, and Nick Saban can. Moreover, everyone on Alabama contributed in some way to this win. Mark Ingram led the charge, but Greg McElroy didn't get too down on himself after first-half struggles, and Julio Jones made his presence felt as well. The Tide's defense looked mortal in the third quarter, but battened down the hatches in the fourth. Saban and Mack Brown of Texas are doing incredibly good work on an annual basis at blue-chip, brand-name programs. After seeing Saban mop up the floor with his LSU counterpart, the officiating stench doesn't offend the senses all that much — not in the wake of this SEC West-clinching Crimson flood that just washed through Tuscaloosa. — Matt Zemek

Hello, offense

After two weeks in hibernation, the Alabama offense finally gave the vaunted Crimson Tide D some air cover, and the Tide took its final step toward the SEC title game. Now, 'Bama wants more than just a spot in the game. It wants an undefeated showdown with Florida, but in order to get there, it needed to stop LSU, and while the Crimson Tide defense wasn't totally stifling, as it had been several times this year, it looked great in a step up in competition. Meanwhile, Greg McElroy returned to the forefront with a strong game, which is usually possible when you have Julio Jones to throw to. Alabama needed to overcome a shaky first half, and it did so with a statement-making, 81-yard drive to begin the second half. Although it might have been interesting to see what would have happened if Jordan Jefferson had stayed in the game, the Tide's defense banged him around so much he finally had to leave the game. Let's face it; backup QB Jarrett Lee is not going to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It's possible the Tide could stumble before reaching Atlanta, since it does have to go to Starkville and Auburn, but if the Tide offense is going to be as balanced as it was against the Tigers, then this should be a three-game victory tour for Alabama and quite a head of steam heading into the showdown with Florida. — Michael Bradley
Tagged: Mississippi State, Colorado, LSU, Texas, Auburn, Iowa, Florida, Virginia Tech, Alabama

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