Get Off My Lawn said:
Against this Bama: break but dont bend defense. Assume you have 3 downs to stop them and leave it at that. Regardless of where they are on the field. If you stop them 50% of the time with a stout defense and constant pressure - you give your offense the chance to determine the outcome.
Sure you get a basketball score out of it, but the 4th quarter Bama grind is brutal against all defenses. Unless a team has outscored them by 3 touchdowns coming in to the 4th, I assume that Bama's march has worn out the defense too much to pull off the W.
They win when you play their game. So play a different game. Onside kick. Max pressure. Go for it on 4th down (heck, field position doesn't matter if you run a rigid defense). Maybe you fail spectacularly - but history shows us that going toe to toe with a team as talented / strong / deep / developed as Bama doesn't work out very often.
That's the Clemson philosophy from the 2 title games, but we're not Clemson.... and we don't have Deshaun Watson.
Jimbo Fisher is going to try and keep his team in the game by running the football, running the play clock, trying to keep the ball away with the short-intermediate passing game and then hoping his defense plays sound fundamental football and hopefully doesn't give up too many plays. Watch his game at FSU against Bama last year when he had his QB in the first half.
Jimbo's teams RARELY get blown out, and it's because he's not getting in Big 12 track meets with a team like Bama.
Make a few big plays yourself, make some plays in the kicking game and force some turnovers and it's a 1-2 score game going into the 4th. Based on our coach's history, I think that's the way he'll play it.
