Hayes: Bill O’Brien has all the right answers, no matter the QB or the opponent
By Matt Hayes
Published:
There was a moment last weekend where all that Bill O’Brien has quietly and efficiently accomplished at Alabama came into focus.
A struggling backup quarterback, a team on the edge, and a call to save the game — and potentially the season.
Jalen Milroe to Ja’Corey Brooks. A backup quarterback and a struggling wide receiver, and the play call that led to the winning points against Texas A&M.
More important, the play call that may have saved a young quarterback.
“Jalen played with a lot of anxiety,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said earlier this week at his weekly press conference. “I don’t think he allowed himself to let his training sort of guide him, and trust and believe in it so that he could have success in executing plays.”
Enter, the (so far) call of the season from O’Brien, Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The situation: 3rd-and-6 from the Texas A&M 29. Milroe, filling in for injured Heisman winner Bryce Young, had completed just 1 of his previous 4 passes, had thrown a bad interception into double coverage and fumbled twice — the turnovers leading to 14 Aggies points.
He was shaky. The offense was sputtering. But for a 28-yard run from Tide tailback Jahmyr Gibbs and a personal foul call that moved the ball to the Aggies’ 32, the first drive of the 3rd quarter would’ve been as disastrous as the previous 3 (10 plays, 3 yards, 3 turnovers).
Knowing Milroe’s struggles of the previous quarter, O’Brien called a shallow cross with Brooks — a former 5-star recruit who has struggled much of this season — and gave Milroe an easy throw to convert on third down. Brooks caught the ball in stride, and used his speed to run past the secondary and into the end zone.
A perfect play call for the right situation — and the stress of the game falling off the shoulders of a first-time starting quarterback. Milroe didn’t turn the ball over in the second half, he played within the system and Alabama got out of a difficult situation.
Fast forward to this week, and the reality that Milroe could start against Tennessee makes last week’s play call — and resetting Milroe’s confidence — that much more important.
But at this point, after O’Brien’s work last year with Young (also a first-time starter), are we really surprised? Young won the Heisman Trophy following Mac Jones’ record-breaking season in 2020 by breaking Jones’ records.
Were it not for 2 untimely injuries to top receivers John Metchie III and Jameson Williams in the SEC Championship Game and National Championship Game, Alabama could have won its second straight national title in O’Brien’s first season as offensive coordinator.
“Bill’s done a great job for us here,” Saban said.
But for how much longer? O’Brien will be a hot candidate in college and the NFL, and will likely have his choice of jobs.
A long way from where he was when he arrived in Tuscaloosa last season and told Saban he would stay at Alabama for at least 2 years.
“It was one of those things where, when you get fired in coaching, you find out really right away that maybe you don’t have as many friends as you thought you did have,” O’Brien said in August. “I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve had various roles in coaching, so obviously (job offers) come up. But I’ve made a commitment to coach Saban and I love coaching here.”
O’Brien was run out of the NFL 2 years ago despite a successful track record and summarily toxic because of his inability to get along with 2 superstars (Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins) and poor personnel moves once he was also named general manager and given full roster control.
But his offensive knowledge and development of quarterbacks at the college and NFL levels has never been questioned. Tom Brady with the Patriots, Watson with the Texans, Matt McGloin of Penn State from former walk-on to NFL starter.
So when Saban needed an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after the 2020 season, he asked Patriots coach and longtime friend Bill Belichick about O’Brien and eventually hired him.
It didn’t take long for O’Brien’s impact to be felt. Young has raved about O’Brien’s coaching and offense, and the relationship they’ve built in 2 seasons.
“Me and O.B. are really close on and off the field,” Young said in July at SEC Media Days. “We’re always on the same page. He has been very important to my development. Whatever happens (on the field), he has an answer for it.”
Just like last weekend against Texas A&M, when Milroe was sinking and desperate for support. O’Brien had the play call that not only scored but reset Milroe and the offense.
Now it’s could be Round 2 for Milroe, this time against surging Tennessee, and the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation (46.8 ppg.). Alabama won’t have the luxury of playing an offense that struggles to score points (Texas A&M), and may have to keep pace with the Vols.
That means more production from Milroe, and from the wide receivers and offensive line, both of which have had an uneven first half of the season.
The Tide’s leading receiver is tailback Gibbs, who has 22 catches. Brooks leads the team in receiving yards (223 yards) but has only 12 catches.
The offensive line, which has cut down on the 40 sacks it allowed in 2021, still allows too many pressures and forced Milroe to play off schedule for much of last week’s game.
But no matter the inconsistencies in the offense, it’s still about the quarterback and his ability to make throws.
“You can’t turn the ball over and not execute plays like they’re designed relative to the read of what you should and shouldn’t do,” Saban said. “We’ve got skill guys that can make plays. We’ve got to distribute the ball at the quarterback position so we can.”
They saved the season once last week. Why not again this week — on the road, in a difficult environment and against a rival they have beaten 15 consecutive times?
“I believe in our team,” Saban said. “It’s kind of everybody’s choice to try and get it right, and it’s our responsibility as coaches to help them get it right.”
One play at a time.
Matt Hayes is a national college football writer for Saturday Down South. You can hear him daily from 12-3 p.m. on 1010XL in Jacksonville. Follow on Twitter @MattHayesCFB
