00:00We'll take a look at Ty Simpson going up against the Heisman winner in Fernando Mendoza.
00:05Coach, very intriguing game when you look at it.
00:08Ty Simpson did play well in the second quarter,
00:12straight through the victory against John Mateer in Oklahoma.
00:15Thoughts about who has the quarterback matchup and edge in this ballgame?
00:21Well, I think Mendoza basically, I mean, he got the Heisman trophy for a reason.
00:25His statistics are outstanding.
00:28He showed he can be there pressure-wise, show poise in a big game
00:33where you've got to make a big throw to win the game.
00:35Did that twice against Penn State, against Ohio State.
00:39Numbers were good, interceptions and turnovers were low.
00:43He showed great leadership ability, and I don't think there's a whole lot of people
00:46that did not think he should win the Heisman.
00:50But he does have a great surrounding cast.
00:53And Ty Simpson, as the season progressed, he moved higher and higher up into the Heisman category
01:00until he had some tough games, and it showed where he made mistakes and didn't play as well down the road.
01:05So he showed there's still a little bit of improvement there.
01:08So quarterback-wise, it's hard to go against Mendoza.
01:12I think he gives them the quarterback edge.
01:14And in his offense, it's not required that he go out there and throw it and win it.
01:19Ty Simpson is a much more important figure in this football game, though.
01:22How he performs, how close could he play towards his best, because with a limited running game,
01:29a lot more of it's going to come up to Ty Simpson.
01:31It will, and so let's talk about how potentially Alabama attacks this game,
01:37because to your point, they have one of the worst rushing offenses in Alabama history,
01:42dating back to pre-Nick Saban.
01:44They're only averaging about 120 rushing yards per game, well under four yards per carry.
01:50Couldn't run the football consistently in the second half against Oklahoma.
01:54Oklahoma has one of the best rush defenses in college football.
01:57So does Indiana.
01:58How do you attack this if you're Kalen DeBoer and you're Alabama's offensive staff?
02:05Do you utilize a little tempo?
02:07And can they be in this game, especially if Indiana jumps up early?
02:13If Indiana jumps up early, this game has a chance to be, of all the games left, to me,
02:19has a chance to be more like the SEC championship game, where Georgia just dominated Alabama.
02:24I think Indiana has the team that's fundamentally sound in so many areas that it can go that far.
02:31But I will say this, Alabama, you've got one of the second leading top ten rush defenses in the country,
02:38number two scoring defense.
02:39I think Stephen Daly, one of their top defensive linemen, is out for the game.
02:43But they have a lot of quality defensive linemen there and their ability to stop the run.
02:48To me, if I'm Alabama, six out of ten times on first down, I'm throwing the football.
02:53I think that's the way you start the game.
02:55You don't start the game saying, we've got to run it.
02:57But you don't start it by doing exactly what they're good at stopping.
03:01You at least make them think pass, pass, and get to that run as fast as you can.
03:06And you've got to do that on first down.
03:07That's the only down that the defense does not know what you are going to do first down.
03:12So I think the key is that they throw that ball because they do have outstanding wide receivers at Alabama.
03:18That is their chance.
03:19To me, when you have a great one-on-one route by a receiver, it's not 11 players against 11.
03:26It's get rid of the ball fairly early, but get that ball to a one-on-one where you can win that battle and make a big play.
03:32So I think Alabama's got to be willing to say, Ty Simpson's got to play a great game.
03:36But we've got to mix in that pass with the run because we do not run it well enough
03:41to go out there and try to make a statement by going out there and trying to run it every down to start with.
03:47I know Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman, but you know Kurt Cignetti.
03:51You know his blue-collar mentality.
03:54Does he look to punch Alabama in the mouth and just run it right down their throat early and often?
04:00No.
04:00Well, he'll mix it up.
04:01I don't think anybody that understands offense, he's going to run the football.
04:05No matter what, he's going to run the football.
04:07But there has to be a good mix.
04:09You can't say, I'm just going to run it every down or I'm just going to pass it.
04:12There's got to be a good mix.
04:13But I do think he has the ability to run well.
04:16He's almost 50-50 yard-wise what he does offensively.
04:20I mean, run game and pass game.
04:23So he'll mix it up.
04:24That's just what he does.
04:26I don't think he ever goes out there and says, I'm going to go just with the passing game, just with the running game.
04:32He has a great job of mixing it up and mixing those plays constantly and giving you a little bit of a guesswork about what he's going to do.
04:40And when you look at Indiana, dominant rushing attack led by Roman Henby and Kay Leon Black.
04:46They're averaging 221 rushing yards per game, 5.8 yards per carry, and 29 rushing touchdowns.
04:53Coach, I'll take the points with Alabama.
04:55How do you see it playing out before we go?
04:57No, I'm going the other way.
04:59I think Indiana, like this one, I think Alabama's kind of reached their limit.
05:02I think this one's more like the SEC-Georgia game.
05:05I think this one goes Indiana and has the biggest chance to be not a runaway, but a large victory.
