It’s been almost two months since Alabama’s national title victory over Georgia, a 26-23 win thanks to a 41-yard touchdown pass from freshman QB Tua Tagovailoa. The perfect throw was made on 2nd and 26, fooling everyone including the Bulldog safety:
Alabama declares February 26 a holiday because of the title game
Sure, why not.
Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images
Given that today is February 26th, Alabama decided to declare it a national holiday thanks to it being the same number as the down and distance the touchdown pass happened:
When you’re the national champs, any day you want can be a holiday, really!
But back to this touchdown pass. One of the reasons the play, called Seattle, was so successful is the challenge it presents to defensive backs:
The Tide call it “Seattle,” Saban said after the game. It’s more widely known as “four verticals,” which is just what it sounds like. Four guys go deep, with a couple of them running at angles that are designed to force defensive backs into hard choices.
There are different ways to run the play. Here’s how it looks in Alabama’s playbook out of a formation with three receivers — “trips” — to one side of the field.
Four verts doesn’t mean four receivers run in a straight line to the end zone. That might work sometimes, but it would be easy for defenses to diagnose the play. If everyone’s going deep, a safety can adjust easily to the ball in the air. Instead, the play includes inside receivers running post, corner, or crossing routes to make safeties decided whether to stay deep or cover something underneath.
Happy 2/26 day, Tide fans.
See More:
