Top Alabama Football Questions, No. 1: Defensive Communication

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Alabama football fall camp began on Monday afternoon after several weeks of uncertainty about the viability of this college football season. Many questions about testing, player safety, a college football semi-bubble, etc. have yet to be answered, but this series will focus on the most pressing on-field questions for the Crimson Tide in 2020.

I narrowed down the top-10 questions I'd like to ask coach Nick Saban entering fall camp, and we revealed two per day, Monday through Friday. Make sure to catch up on the questions you might've missed by clicking on the links below.

10. "How important is it that an experienced player plays the Money position, and how does DeMarcco Hellams' skill set fit what you're looking for there?"

9. "When Alex Leatherwood had to play guard for a year because your tackle spots were set, you called it a 'sacrifice.' Do you view Evan Neal's situation the same way?"

8. "With the young depth you have on the defensive line and the lack of experience at outside linebacker, did you ever consider having LaBryan Ray take some reps at outside linebacker like he did as a freshman?"

7. "If there was a position group that could have used more depth last year, it was probably tight end. With Jahleel Billingsley getting a year under his belt and Carl Tucker coming in from UNC, how are you feeling about that group?"

6. "What did you see out of Trey Sanders during his rehab, and what can he bring to the offense when he's fully healthy?"

5. "Last year you mentioned Christian Barmore's interior pass-rush ability. How ready is he to be an every-down player and to play both the pass and the run?"

4. "How did Josh Jobe handle the adversity he faced last season and where is he in his ability to control his emotions and not try too hard?"

3. "You've spoken before about the importance of winning the team. How have Mac and Bryce shown their abilities to win the team in the midst of losing spring practice and the uncertainty surrounding this season?"

2. "What have you thought of the job Coach Ballou and Dr. Rhea have done so far?"

1. "Which was the primary issue last year on defense: communication among the players on the field or between the players and the sideline? And aside from Dylan Moses returning to the field, how can it get better this year?"

This question could be for Saban or defensive coordinator Pete Golding, and it is the foundation of not only this Alabama football season but the entire mystique and brand of the Alabama dynasty.

Think about it: What is Alabama's reputation as a football team? It's superior athletes dominating the line of scrimmage and controlling the game through a combination of mental toughness and mastery of the offensive and defensive systems.

Did it feel like Alabama dominated the line of scrimmage in 2019? The defense finished with 32 sacks, its fewest in five years. Did it feel like Alabama had the same mental toughness? The Crimson Tide's 7.31 penalties per game ranked in the top 20 in the FBS. It was the first time since 2006 that the team had even averaged six penalties per game, let alone seven.

Did it feel like, without fifth-year senior Joshua McMillon and Butkus Award finalist Dylan Moses at inside linebacker, Alabama's defense had a mastery of its scheme? The blown coverages and last-second adjustments indicate not.

When Golding addressed the disappointing 2019 defense on Thursday, his final comment was that the most logical defensive call may not always be the best call based on personnel, especially when that personnel has barely played at the college level.

"As a defensive guy, as a coach, as a competitor, you always want to put your guys in the best position, right? You always want to have the best call, right, defend it the best, let’s have the best game. ... And I think by doing that at times, yeah, it looks really good on the board and it should work and it does," Golding said. "However, who’s doing it? Who’s got the pen? And I think that’s the biggest thing for me last year. ... Looking back at it, it’s understanding, hey, who’s our personnel? What have we got? How can simplify this thing to let these kids play fast?"

Golding also addressed the uncharacteristic unforced errors from last season, especially missed tackles, saying the lack of discipline was what hurt him the most.

"As a coach, I mean, that makes you sick, and you feel like that’s something you should be able to control," Golding said. "... I think that was the biggest thing this offseason in all the studies that we did is make sure we’re going back, ‘Alright, did we have that drill set up? All these missed tackles, a lot of them are in similar situations. Well, did we drill it? Did we put them in the situation? How can we do a better job of coaching and preparing the kids to where we get the product that we want on Saturday?' Bottom line, it’s on me. It’s not on anybody else."

Fans have been quick to blame Golding for the defense's regression in 2019, and he embraced the criticism head-on.

His final comments of his press conference on Thursday night were his most spirited: He described what he had learned (the above quote about putting players in the best positions), called last season "unacceptable" and closed by saying "we've got to get back to" the championship standard of the Alabama defense.