As far as the game plan, offensively I question the personnel. Harris/Mallory/Rambo/Harley/Smith isn't a scary lineup. Rambo is overrated and a non-factor (I said that when we got him & said I would've rathered Samauri Tourre who went to Nebraska. Rambo was being phased out at Oklahoma for a reason). X-Man did more when he got in than Harley could (and King looked for him often). Mallory is another non-factor. Chaney is clearly better than Harris, and it isn't close IMO.
Our screen game is terrible. Again, personnel plays a part. Why are screens going to Harris or Mallory? Why don't we ever run bubble screens or tunnel screens?
I am not sure what the idea of running into the stacked box was. I especially don't get the 3rd & 7. The RPO isn't as scary if you don't have the threat of King taking off, and he clearly isn't 100% (whether it is physically or mentally). Granted, King handed off in the RPO a few times when he shouldn't have, but in general I don't like relying on RPO when the defense is as disciplined and fast as Bama is. That split second where King has to make a decision doesn't work as well when 31 is coming off the edge and Donaldson is being pushed back into you.
Defensively, I get why people are ragging on the soft zone. I would guess the game plan was to try to confuse a young QB and force him to make the proper reads. He did, and he beat us. It was an uphill battle from the start, and you have to try something. The poise Young showed was unreal, especially after the reports out of Bama fall camp were that Young was having timing issues and struggling a bit.
I didn't get to watch SteveO's whole clip yet, but the part I did see highlights Bubba ******* up on an A-gap blitz. Had Young for a sack, didn't make it. The tackling was horrendous all day. I suppose you can blame the coaches for that if you want, but to me the players have to go out and execute.
We were outclassed. I think D$ said it on the podcast - the key is to not let Bama beat you twice.