Sorry for the wordy post in advance. Really take a close look at the recruiting class Butch and staff are assembling. Get behind the numbers so to speak. The class will mesh personality and chemistry wise as well as athletically. All this recruiting class ranking stuff just flew out the window as far as I am concerned. I am a true sunshine pumper on recruiting.
My biggest concerns when Butch was hired was with the staff he states was the best. In order of concern was Jancek, Mahoney and Elder. Jancek has progressively improved his scheme, play calls, and player development. I no longer have that concern. After Pittman's success I doubted Mahoney would be nearly as good. But the stats indicate that the running game is getting better as the season progresses and the line is giving Worley enough time to throw. So Mahoney is off my worry meter. Elder has only one experienced TE to work with - so there is nothing to grind on him about, especially since he received two commitments from top TE's including the #1 rated.
The only mild concern I have is with Coach Jake. The silly stuff - the continued screens with a line that is too slow to block in space, the bubbles that everybody knows about, the telegraphed swing passes, the delayed hand off running plays, the roll out to the left with throws on the run - it just does not work well. To shake it up use them once a game, but not a steady diet that gives you nothing but 3 & outs. He is just not using the most important short pass there is - the WR slant. Very few dig routes, check downs, etc. Those are throws that get an inexperienced QB in rhythm. Then you can go to the fades, sidelines, go routes, streaks, etc. with a QB and WR's that are in sync. I hope they figure this out because Bama already knows these tendencies and Saban has already set his D up to stop what has already been shown not to work countless times. Not wanting to be a buzzkill, I just want us to have our best shot at pulling the upset of the year off this weekend.