Alabama Three Keys: Louisville

Three-keys-Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide get their 2018 season underway as part of the Camping World Kickoff as they face Louisville in Orlando. Nick Saban’s team is the No. 1 ranked squad in the country and the Tide is again loaded across the board as they hunt a second straight national championship.

By Steve Wright

Here are the three keys:

Disrupt Jawon Pass

Lamer Jackson is now a Baltimore Raven and the Cardinals are turning to Pass in their attempt to find a passer to replace the once in a generation former quarterback. Pass is a player that Saban knows well – he was recruited by Alabama at one point – so the Alabama head coach surely knows Pass’s weaknesses as well as his strengths. Given that Saban has had the best part of nine months to game plan for this moment, Pass could be in trouble here.

Appearing in mop-up duty for Jackson last season, Pass completed 23-of-33 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama has studied game film and the defense knows that Pass is dual-threat who can both pass and run the ball. Expect Saban to throw everything at the young quarterback, testing both his ability to read coverage schemes and his elusiveness when the ‘Bama front seven is attacking from all angles.

Have a plan at quarterback

You get the feeling that Saban loves to control he has over the media when it comes to the Alabama quarterback situation. On the depth chart for the first game of the 2018 season, Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa were separated on the same line by nothing more than a slash. While it is notable that Tagovailoa was in front of Hurts on the line, that could just as easily mean nothing as Saban told the media not to “assume anything”.

You have to think that Saban’s mind has been made up for weeks – if not months – as to who his starter will be. Not announcing this just makes it harder for Louisville to game plan for Alabama, with Hurts likely to direct a ground based assault and Tagovailoa being by far the better passer. Whatever the plan is – and you can be assured there is a plan – Saban just needs to stick to his guns on Saturday and try not to get too cute.

Don’t let the Louisville offensive line dominate

One of these days teams will stop talking smack about Alabama. This, though, is not one of those days.

After the Crimson Tide finished to 2017 season first in the nation in rushing defense and 13th in the country in sacks, fifth-year senior guard Lukayus McNeil said that the Louisville offensive line is “capable of going out, starting off fast and dominating their D-line.”

It is a big call, but the Cardinals have some reason to think those words can be backed up. With an obvious set of linemen in place, this is an experienced and aggressive bunch that manhandled Florida State up front last season. There is also the argument that Alabama lost a ton of talent to the NFL (again) and that the linebacker position is worryingly light (again) at the start of the season.

Having said all that, this is Alabama. If the defense doesn’t get into the backfield and run over the Louisville offensive line, then it will be the first time in a minute that Alabama didn’t control the battle of the trenches.

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