Crimson Red Sports

TUSCALOOSA – Trent Richardson was asked who he considers the surprise of this spring for the Alabama football team.

“I couldn’t name one person,” he said diplomatically

Running backs are wise.

Richardson did offer a group, however. “The offensive line,” he said.

Even more diplomacy? Maybe, but he was prepared to back up his answer.

“You can see how they’ve gotten better and more consistent,” Richardson said. “There were times last year they would get tired or frustrated. Now if they get tired or frustrated, they tell each other, ‘Come on, only four more plays, let’s push through it.’

“If I come back to the huddle, they say, ‘Come on Three, let’s go.’ It’s William Vlachos telling me that;  or D.J. Fluker telling me to ‘get some crunk in my system’ or something like that. That’s what they do. They are really the spark of the team right now.”

But they’re not just leading. They’re learning some new blocking schemes under new coach Jeff Stoutland that has them in the classroom as much as they are on the practice field.

http://www2.dothaneagle.com/sports/2011/apr/10/tide-offensive-line-leading-learning-ar-1698471/

This is going to be a special season.  I need to build one of those countdown to game time widgets this summer.

I think our off line play is the key to our offense. We need to be able to run the ball like 2008 & 2009. Last year we struggled to pick up first downs on third and short. Good line play will take a lot of pressure off our new QB.

I agree.  And I think we are going to be much better this year on the O-line.

I think we will be great this year on the O-line and our RBs will make longer runs. I even think TR will be named as a forerunner of the Heisman. RTR!