Alabama picked up the pace last football season, running 192 more offensive plays and 9.2 more plays per game than in the season before.
Does that mean Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is changing his view on faster tempos being dangerous for the game?
“Not at all,” Saban said Tuesday. “I still feel the same way. We also played 174 more plays on defense, and I think our defense kind of limped home and didn’t play very well at the end of the year.
“We were a little worn out, and I think the cumulative effect of pace of play makes you adjust how you practice.”
Alabama set a single-season program record in Lane Kiffin’s first year as offensive coordinator, averaging 484.5 yards per game. Quarterback Blake Sims set a Crimson Tide single-season record with 3,487 passing yards, and Amari Cooper set a Southeastern Conference record with 124 receptions and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.