who liked the 3 linebacker set yesterday?

I hope that all who didn't think our base D is a 4-3 were paying attention...

Well, without watching the replay yet, and missing the first quarter, I noticed Hatcher with less time, and Francois with more, so I liked it.

Something I've been wondering after re-watching the games this year is how would Rasco do at a LB position? He has looked great in cleanup duty, and made a good tackle on special teams yesterday.

Could he be the kind of MLB, or even strong side, that would be ideal for an offense like Alabama's?

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is how would Rasco do at a LB position? He has looked great in cleanup duty, and made a good tackle on special teams yesterday.

Could he be the kind of MLB, or even strong side, that would be ideal for an offense like Alabama's?

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you cant throw a kid into a different position hes never played in the biggest game of season. i think hatcher has shown, transition into a new position is hard

I get your point.

If it were a serious consideration for Alabama, we would still have 2 games prior to that game, but my point is more about the fact that I would give consideration to Rasco possibly filling a role at a LB position in the future versus a power running team.

Hatcher showed that transition into any position is hard. Even your given one.

With the depth we have at DE, and Rasco not redshirting, the staff obviously felt he's too good not to see the field. I'm surprised that I haven't heard any talk of him not being considered at a LB'er position. Did he put that much weight on? I remember talk of him being offered by other schools at LB.

Either way, he definitely looks like he hasn't had much of a problem with the transition to the college game.

I think the point being made is that our base defense is 4-3, and this is the set that will have the best chance to defend against Bama.

Leaving Minter in, with five DB's, leaves only one other LB. Simon and Claiborne are arguably interchangeable in my book. I've seen Simon moved to the other side due to poor tackling on Claiborne's part in the WV game. So, I don't disagree that Simon doesn't deserve to sit over Claiborne, but we will need one less DB and one more run stopper with Alabama, for sure.

Using the eyeball test, it looks possible to me that Rasco is the same weight as Mingo and Sam, just not as tall. Sam plays the run well, whereas Mingo will get destroyed by Bama's run game. We need more size against Bama from the LB position. Chavis has had some 250 lb LB's that play on Sundays.

Now, Rasco may not have the footspeed or problems with angles, but not from what I have seen on the field.

I thought simon got hurt on one play. He stepped back then started holding his ankle. Not sure we saw him after that.

Yes, that would be ideal. And there's no reason to think we may not have some in the pipeline.

But, keep in mind, with the spread having become more prevalent, these hybrid type players have been necessary.

You can't undervalue the job Chavis has done. If he comes up with the right recipe for Bama at the LB position, it could be the defense's compliment to the QB position for our offense versus Bama.

Real LB's may have struggled with some of the offenses we have faced. Now, it's a given they probably wouldn't have fared any worse than Hatcher. But, the need for flexibility in scheme is understood.

IMO, very similar to what we will need from the QB position to beat a defense like Bama's. All the bitching on this site about Jefferson should give readers a litmus test on posters they should ignore when it comes to understanding of the game that coaches play, as opposed to the one that most fans watch.

You have to beat Bama at their own game, and we have the personnel and scheme to do it. If Bama's offense had a mobile QB, they could beat their own defense. We can beat Bama at the point of attack, and they won't have anyone test them prior to us.

What gives me confidence that our defense will have success against Bama is we do not have to account for the QB as a runner, and we have four down linemen with four quality backups, equal to what Bama starts at those positions.

Alabama's strength is LB, which is off the ball, or outside, farther from the point of attack. If Saban finds he needs more bodies at the point of attack, we can move it, and still keep it on the ground, because we have a mobile QB.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we can have more success forcing the pass than Bama can, and I like our chances if this holds true. And if it does, Saban will have to make adjustments that will result in it making things easier for us to pass the ball.

Schematically, we have an advantage, all things personnel being equal. I think Saban would prefer our DL, but he is playing to his team's strength, the LB position, and we have maybe the only type of offense they will see this season, to put them to the test.

Lawrence Taylor was an OLB
The only team i can think of that i want the 4-3 most of the time in is bama. everyone else i think Mathieu serves us better playing basically OLB at the nickle, and Simon out at Corner.