The Alabama Crimson Tide football team has its back against the wall this season. On the outside looking into a crowded college football playoff picture, the Tide suffered a defeat to Mississippi yet again. With a consistent defense and sometimes woeful offense, the Tide fan base has looked for a scapegoat to cope with the pain of losing to a lesser opponent two years in a row.
They found their man. Lane Kiffin. As offensive coordinator, the stagnant attack must fall completely on his shoulders right? Wrong.
In 2014 Kiffin commanded a high-power offense with an inexperienced quarterback converted from running back, Blake Sims. Sims led Alabama to have the 6th best scoring offense in the entire country, averaging 36.9 points per game. Without the space to make plays created by Kiffin's innovative offense, Sims would not have had the same success.
Amari Cooper was also a driving force for the Tide offense in 2014. Kiffin's offensive scheme can be accredited to his success as well. Screen passes as well as reverse plays allowed for Cooper to get on the edge, one-on-one with a defender, an area where he excelled at the college level. This scheme took Cooper all the way to New York City, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
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So why is the offense struggling this season?
Kiffin's personnel is significantly different from the year before. When recruiting, Kiffin is targeting shifty play-makers good in space and fit for his spread offense. Last year, Amari Cooper and TJ Yeldon fit his mold perfectly.
This season his best play-makers Derrick Henry, and Kenyan Drake are more efficient between the tackles. The offense needs extra time to grow and adapt to a proven system Kiffin brings.
Lane Kiffin is the best fit for the Alabama job. He brings experience from both college and the professional level. Since arriving at Alabama a year ago he has recruited top-level talent that has not had the chance to touch the field. In two years Kiffin will have Alabama back to scoring 36.9 points per game.
Point your fingers somewhere else, haters. Lane Kiffin's previous experiments at Tennessee and Southern California are irrelevant now.
Kiffin has already shown a glimpse of what his offense looks like with players who fit his system. Soon, the swaggy, arrogant Kiffin from a year ago will return.
