Saban wants 'Bama looking long again to snap end zone drought

There's no "secret" to Alabama's success -- the Tide rank in the top five nationally in every major defensive category, are good for more than 200 yards per game on the ground behind the SEC's leading rusher and don't turn the ball over. That's the 'Bama blueprint from time immemorial, and they've hit all of those notes to various degrees in every game of their 8-0 start. But what really made Alabama frightening over the first month of the season was its penchant for the long ball: At the end of September, alleged "game manager" Greg McElroy ranked among the country's top per-capita gunslingers, averaging more than 14 yards per completion and leading the SEC in efficiency thanks to his willingness to get the ball to a variety of receivers downfield, including 35 and 48-yard bombs in the win over Virginia Tech and strikes covering 32, 50 and 80 yards at Arkansas, only one of which was brought in by feted receiver Julio Jones. There ...