Balanced Offensive Attack Wins Championship for Bama, Lack Thereof Hooks Horns

Both defenses, I thought, played extremely well over all in Alabama's win over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. But one big thing gave Alabama the advantage, and it wasn't that Texas QB Colt McCoy was knocked out of the game (although that was a factor). The major advantage was that Alabama could run the football effectively and the Horns couldn't.

It helped the Tide to have the school's first Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram as their starting running back. He didn't disappoint, as he scored the deciding touchdown with just over 2 minutes left in the game after Bama Defensive End Eric Anders sacked Texas QB Garret Gilbert forcing a fumble which was recovered by the Crimsnon Tide.

When Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban decided to throw for a first down instead of punt deep in the Tide's own territory, and it resulted in a Texas interception, I thought that would lead to a Texas victory and Saban would be haunted by that decision for the rest of his life. He had to have been watching Boise St. and TCU last Monday Night. It was a shame that Texas starting QB Colt McCoy could not finish the game. Give Credit to Alabama's Marcel Dareus for the hard hit on McCoy. Gilbert, McCoy's backup, didn't do that badly. He did lead the Longhorns back to within 3 points with a touchdown pass to Jordan Shipley.

To me , the turning point in this game happened with :15 left in the first half. Texas had the ball on their own 37. Instead of taking a knee, which would have been the prudent move, Head Coach Mack Brown decided to call time out. Gilbert's shuffle pass to D.J. Monroe was fumbled and run back by the Tide's Marcel Dareus for a touchdown. Bama's running game was solid with Mark Ingram and the other RB, Richardson. QB Greg McElroy didn't have to do much in this game. All he had to do was not turn the ball over and manage the game. He didn't turn it over and he managed the game well. One stat about McElroy is that he has still never lost a game as a starter since 8th Grade.

It was a good, competitive game. Texas had their chances, but the Longhorn Wide Receivers weren't able to make the clutch catches. Both defenses played well, but the Crimson Tide just made more plays. It was 1992 when Alabama, under Gene Stallings, one their last National Championship when they beat Miami. Bama now has a total of eight national titles in football, and Head Coach Nick Saban has now won national titles at two SEC schools, the other being when at the helm at LSU in 2003.