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Saban ran the ball more than he passed last year as well and averaged 185 yards rushing per game and that's against an SEC schedule. He only threw the ball 30 times a game. Our run game this past season was one of the very best in the country. That being said, Najee Harris running behind Alabama's OLine might have been even better. Maybe they didn't use it as much as us so they didn't generate as many yards per game, but it was pretty damn good.

You know who else knows something about football? Urban Meyer and Ryan Day and their teams have that level of physicality and running game year in and year out. It is simply a trademark of both Urban Meyer's teams as well as Saban's teams that they have that every year. There is no team they are afraid to run the ball against.

Now, I don't mean to argue. I would agree 100% that our passing game needs to be light years better than this past year. More dynamic, more quick strike capability and better QB play. Better weapons. But let's be clear, we need that level of physicality and the ability to run the ball against good teams that we had this year. We should have that every year because of how we can recruit those positions. Saban has it every year. Meyer had it every year. Day has it every year. We should have it every year as well and there's no reason we can't.

In years past, we couldn't run against good teams to save our lives. We'd play a good team and be totally inept. Even when we had good backs. Remember a few years ago when we were afraid to try to run it against Georgia? Too afraid to even try. That is embarrassing. It was different this year and the change actually came in the bowl game from last year, Rees's first game as OC. It wasn't a personnel change, it was an attitude change. It was a change of mentality to one of ass-kicking physicality. I saw that change one other time under Kelly...the bowl game we won against LSU running the ball with Procise and I hoped it would stay and it went away again.
That mentality was there all year this past season as well. That needs to stay. That's all I'm saying. And that Saban, for all the truth in what he is saying, knows that is absolutely essential. Meyer always knew it was too. Day knows it. I think our staff knows it now as well.