re: So if Alabama 'murderball' is the best way to win, why did they get away from it?

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Gibbs sucked at running between the tackles, but was good at receiving. I don't really recall anyone else in your backfield being someone to be feared as a power runner. Maybe he didn't have what he needed.

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Well, he didn't even try. Nor did he manipulate defenses with motion, movement or mis-direction to improve the odds of finding gaps and stealing yards. And he had a couple of backs who absolutely had the ability (and showed it on occasion) to be adequate power guys (Jase for one). But his issue wasn't run the ball or not, it was how he ran the ball, how basic everything else was and just the general setup of the offense.

He is what he is - he runs an offense that is based around guys making reads of routes pre-play and mid-play and the QB making the same read. It's a style of offense that can still work in the NFL with the right personnel (though isn't adaptive, even there, which is why very few teams run it anymore), which is why the Patriots continuously opted for veterans and almost never had young receivers (and of course had Tom Brady). Smart, experienced WRs and one of the smartest QBs of all time were able to mind-sync, see gaps in coverage pre and mid play, both read it in real time and throw/cut to that spot at the same time. When you have that sort of setup, it's a very difficult (nearly impossible) system to stop.

It is a terrible fit for a college offense that cycles through young players every year and has very few players that retain institutional knowledge of the offense and experiences year over year. He didn't adapt at all, and Saban fricked up by bringing him in. It is what it is.