re: QB difference between this year and years past?

I think you're underselling some of the progress that has been made with Bama over the last few years. Nobody would have called the '09 team an offensive juggernaut. 2010 was a distinct improvement. The '11 team was clearly famous for its defense, but the offense was actually quite good. Nussmeier kicked it up a notch and gave McCarron far more freedom to gunsling. And now Kiffin is improving things even more. I suspect the real trend is that Saban has been adapting and demanding a more versatile offense for at least 5 years, and hiring/coaching accordingly.