re: Bama v. AU - My Perspective

The funny part is that Freeze's RPO triple option is very similar to Gus's system that has given us trouble over the years.

Difference with modern football schemes now the tightly bunched receivers is that just like in the Georgia game it can confuse our defense on who to cover. But also the motion used from these formations can be used to open holes in the run game.

They really attacked us with option football right off the tackle, but removed a lot of our outside tackling help with motions before the snap.

Plus we tend to "attack" down on defense so they scripted up a lot of plays that really abused us with misdirection.

I think one run where they used the WR, was the first carry he had all season. He scored a TD. They had been saving it for that moment

Yeah the more interesting concept from the game that actually has me worried for the Georgia game is on the other side of the ball.

Auburn had no intention of pressuring Milroe before the red zone. When we were ahead and the game was comfortable, Auburn would literally drop everyone in zone and keep everything underneath wide arse open.

Milroe early in the game just checked it down and took our first downs marching down the field until we got into the red zone.

After that they moved up and played some underneath man with a spy, and asked Milroe to throw it into tight windows to get a TD.

We could not do it, ultimately ending with up a lot of FGS.

That being said a lot of those drives we could have ran the ball and forced them out of it in the red zone, but a few penalties really killed those drives. However once we got to 3rd or 6 or more in that part of the field we really struggled to move the ball forward.

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Also kicking a FG to start the second half was really deflating. That was a win for AU.

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Kicking that FG was the moment when I starting getting nervous about that game being a 4 quarter, last possession affair. I felt fairly confident that if we ever got the lead out to double digits we'd be in good shape - they were not in any way shutting down our offense and their offensive plan was not going to consistently churn out TDs.

But, we didn't. And then we gave up a TD. And then we missed a FG.

That being said about the defense Auburn ran. I am not sure Georgia or us would even attempt it. Because we have a "philosophy" of making them fight for every yard. Thus we would rather give up the big play then a bunch of empty yardage. But Milroe is a big play waiting to happen, so Auburn took that away.

Not sure Georgia will ask their defense to do that, as that goes against their very foundation as a defense.

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Looking back at the game they had 2 big RB runs for 56 and 42, then their next 3 best runs were by Thorne for 22, 19 and 14. Then 12 and 11 yard runs by RBs. They had 11 runs over 6 yards.

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Yep - and we basically controlled their running back run game in the 2nd half. However, Thorne hurt us multiple times on QB draws.

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Not sure Georgia will ask their defense to do that, as that goes against their very foundation as a defense.

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Similar to what I was talking about earlier in the thread about our defense and "taking away the run". It's just compatible with the general Saban/Smart philosophy of defense.

Basically midline option out of the gun and forced us to play assignments and we played slow most of the day. They mixed in some power schemes for the QB runs as well. Good game plan

I hate facing Freeze… not going to lie. Gave us fits at OM too