CFB Nerds Breakdown of some of the Offensive Issues - TL/DR Bryce missed some stuff

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Trigger warning - Alabama has 4 potential TDs on their last drive before going into clock-kill mode. Williams is coming wide open at the 30. You have time, and he's open - I'm not sure why Young holds it. Credit 18 for Bama for shaking 5 and giving them a 1st down anyway.

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This is a quick throw to Williams where he shakes a tackle and gets a first. But look to the right - LSU fires a corner blitz and leaves Metchie uncovered. If you don't make people pay (maybe in TDs in this case) for the blitz, you just invite more blitzes.

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Here's the intentional grounding screen call. Given that Williams is covered-up, and the TE #81 (who isn't) doesn't release, their intention has to be hitting #18 or #8 downfield. Here's the thing - #18 is wide open. Young doesn't trust the throw, but this could be a TD.

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And finally, the strip fumble snap. Young starts on the hash at the 46, but he drops so far back (10 yards) that his OTs can't defend the depth - he was fearing 53, but Bama's #4 cuts him well so no need. But look downfield, if Young arm punts this at the snap it's a touchdown.

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If we're being honest those are NFL level reads and throws (NFL timing as well) being dismissed and described as if they are simple and easy misses.

Yea some of them are for sure.

Some of them should have been quick reads and ball out, which has been a bit of an issue all year. Finding the perfect option doesn't work when it's quick hitter or get blown up by a zero blitz. Bryce definitely had some quick throws available that he just didn't make for whatever reason.

We clearly didn't expect them to play old school Jo Lee Dunn on us, but once they did we had a few things called that exploited it. We just didn't make the plays.

Agree. And the line was bad, no doubt, but when the defense brings 7 guys there is no protection that will allow you to hold the ball for more than 2-3 seconds. You have to know where the release is and throw it over a blitzers head. And, credit to them, LSU threw some wrinkles in there with DL dropping and rotating into passing lanes that I think made Bryce think twice before releasing on a few of those.

He'll learn, he's still young. But we were 2-3 good reads and throws in the 1st half from totally frying their game plan and running away with things. But we didn't, and it kind of compounded.

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Some of them should have been quick reads and ball out, which has been a bit of an issue all year.

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Yeah I would say I saw two or three that should have been a quick read which he should have made but didn't.

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but once they did we had a few things called that exploited it. We just didn't make the plays.

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When out OC made adjustments in the second quarter running quick hits inside the tackles and stretching the ball sideways to slow that vertical rush down... he forgets these adjustments by halftime and reverts to dropping back so our QB can either produce magic or get tee'd off on.

BOB is not even semi-competent

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BasedTide

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Perhaps BY isn't playing as well as we're all giving him credit for.

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Dudeeeee

We definitely have a few passing game issues, but man, I can't get over how bad we were running the ball.

Of course, the constant blitzing makes running the ball hard, so hitting some of these misses in the passing game would have helped with the running game.

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Some of those are more convincing than others, but I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t make them play for all the blitzing. My first thought was the play calling, but it does ring at least a bit true.

The last picture especially doesn’t look great; I know the blitz is coming quick, but it you’ve got literally no safety high and two seam-type routes then you’ve got to anticipate it and make the throw. Even if the picture was taken a split-second late, it does seem like the read would have still been there.

However, it’s still a little iffy. We don’t even know for sure what the route tree was on some of them. And some of the other issues have already been mentioned.

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Yep - 100% agree. Some of these are very "look this guy is open" and not taking into account the fact that he's already begun his throwing motion and defenders are reacting to that. Of course the other guy is open. Or, the idea that he should throw it 30 yards down field across his body with a safety late but not very far out of position. Again, that's not a gimmee throw.

However, there are definitely 2-3 that look to be pretty clear pressure release routes or mismatch routes due to the blitzes that we did not take advantage of. We just didn't make them pay for blitzing at all the entire night. Even Jameson's long TD was really just a good route and catch, not really beating the blitz so much.

It's just wild how little we were able to do against a very wild, crazy and super risky defensive approach for 4 quarters. It takes a super collapse at all levels (coaching, QB vision, line play) to pull that off.

Also, do we have screen plays? Do those exist in our arsenal? I know we have SWING plays, but do we have SCREENS?

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We threw a WR screen on third down that resulted in nothing meaningful.

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Should have clarified - classic screen plays. To backs, or even tight ends or WRs across the middle. Not quick throws wide. The ones that take advantage of an overaggressive front 7.