The Alabama – Arkansas battle last Saturday afternoon once again illustrated the most consistent and successful plan for teams to win championships—be able to run the ball when YOU want to run it and be able to control the run game of your opponent. When was the last time a national champion won the title by primarily passing the football throughout the regular season, or one whose defense could not minimize an opponent’s run game?
It sounds relatively simple, but it is very hard to accomplish.
How many times are we impressed by Arena Football-like offensive numbers generated by the passing game? We all love to hear it and talk about it. You can add Razorback QB Ryan Mallett’s stats to that list. Mallet put up an incredible first half, 15 – 22 – 250 and 1 interception, but in the end the big picture showed us that Alabama’s run game, and the inability of Arkansas to control it, provided the margin of victory for the Crimson Tide.
People marvel over Mallett’s 6’6 238 pound frame,...
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