Slow Down for Saban

Football is a naturally fast game. Grown men hurtle full speed at each other, colliding with each other and crashing to the ground with the force of a car crash.  Passes fly 40 yards for a touchdown in the blink of an eye, the celebrations starting before you even start cheering. In recent years, the game has continued to speed up, with up-tempo, no-huddle offenses becoming the popular new trend in college football. Teams like Oregon, Auburn, and Baylor have used this high-tempo scheme to wear down the opposing defense and put up massive amount of points. For some of the more old-school coaches such as Nick Saban, this faster style of play is not a great fit for the college game. It only makes sense that Saban would be one of the largest supporters of a proposed rule change that would limit the ability for an offense to run at a high-tempo.

Come on guys! Slow it down a bit

This new rule, rightly nicknamed "the Saban Rule" would force an offense to wait until 10 seconds have run off the play clock before snapping the ball. Under the current rules, teams are allowed to snap the ball as soon as the players become set. With the proposed new rule, the defense could would be able to substitute players more easily, taking away the advantage that the offense had by playing quickly. The main argument for this proposed rule change is that it would improve player safety. Saban and other argue that this up-tempo style of play increases the risk of fatigue-related injuries for the defensive players who can't get off of the field in time. The proposed rule will be presented to the Playing Rules Oversight panel on March 6th, so until then, both sides of the argument will be voicing their opinions. The debate as already become heated, as both sides have gone public on their opinions of the opposing arguments and supporters. 

It only makes sense that this rule has been nicknamed "the Saban Rule" as he has been pushing for limits to no-huddle offenses for years. It is a well known fact that Saban prefers the old-school "grind it out on the ground" style of offense, one that is slow and methodical. He claims that it is for player safety, but many say these claims are baseless. Many more believe that his motivations for passing this new rule is to help his defense, which has consistently struggled against no-huddle offenses. While the Alabama offense will consistently win them games, their defense has been known for its let downs. If Saban was able to slow down the game, he would give the edge back to his defense, making Alabama a seemingly unbeatable team. 

One of the best things about college football is how even the most heavily favored team can be beaten by the underdog on any given Saturday. The high-tempo offense gives a smaller team the ability to play the role of David in taking down Goliath. It would be a great shame to limit the speed of the game. I say let the boys play, even if it is a bit too fast for Saban.

Speed beats strength