For Alabama OC Bill O'Brien and QB Bryce Young, Trust is the Key to Success
DALLAS — When it comes to trust in the world of college football quarterbacks, the first instance that pops into media and fans' heads is often the relationship between a quarterback and his offensive line.
Another relationship might be between the team's signal caller and his wide receivers. On the quarterback's side, he needs to trust that his receivers can find space for him to get the ball to them. For the wide receivers, it's their trust that their quarterback can get the ball to them in order for them to make plays.
However, there is another shared trust with the quarterback that is not talked about nearly as much. That relationship? The trust between him and his offensive coordinator.
Prior to the 2021 season, Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien spoke about how that trust is crucial in running a successful offense. Before O'Brien had coached a single game for the Crimson Tide, he noted that he and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young's mutual trust was going to be a big factor in the team's success in the upcoming season.
“The quarterback position, the way it has evolved over time, it’s really a coach on the field," O'Brien said to the media back in early August. "That’s the way it’s been here at Alabama and Alabama’s offense, and that’s the offense we’re running. We’re running Alabama’s offense. [...] There has to be a trust developed. Not only a trust of me trusting the quarterback but the quarterback trusting our offensive staff and me that we’re putting them in the right position to make the right decision.
"It’s a two-way street when it comes to trust, and that’s why that position is so much fun to coach.”
13 games later and just days ahead of Alabama's appearance in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, and it's safe to say that O'Brien and Young were able to form that trust.
While just a sophomore, Young had one of the best single seasons for a quarterback in Alabama program history. With 4,322 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, Young is set to break both of the stats' single-season program records before the season is done. Along with winning the Heisman Trophy — the first Crimson Tide signal caller to do so — Young also won multiple player of the year honors.
On Tuesday, O'Brien spoke with the media for the first time since that day in early August. With an opportunity to let his voice be heard, the Alabama OC didn't hesitate to follow up on the trust that he and Young had built over the course of the team's 13 games.
"I mean, there has to be a trust," O'Brien said. "And from day one, you know, when Bryce walked in the office when I got to Alabama, he had a really good knowledge of the offense, which is a testament to last year's coaching staff and also Mac Jones and his ability to mentor Bryce last year. So Bryce had a good understanding, and we started talking about the offense. And it was a good relationship right from the start, and it developed a bond and a trust right from the start.
"When you're dealing with a quarterback of talent level but also the intelligence of Bryce, you know, that trust is easy. And he's able to be involved in the game plans. And it's just been really a great experience for me, one of the best experiences of my career."
While O'Brien underwent some criticism from fans for his play calling abilities this season, there's no doubt that the Crimson Tide's offense had a solid season. Despite having multiple first-round talent depart Tuscaloosa after last season, the offense picked up right where it left off with both a new offensive coordinator and new starting quarterback.
When you consider all the offensive personnel that O'Brien had to replace upon his arrival, it's easier to understand why there was an adjustment period.
Young explained the trust level that had to be built between him and O'Brien over the course of the offseason.
"Obviously at first, I hadn't met him before he got here," Young said. "So at first, for me, I'm working to build that trust to kind of learn him, how he likes to look at things, how he likes to call plays. He's trying to learn me, and I think just the amount of communication we've had and amount of honest dialogue we've been able to have, the amount of dialogue back and forth up until this day is really what has kind of pushed our relationship forward.
"So just for him to have that attitude when he first got here and us to be able to build and grow off that throughout the year, I'm eternally grateful for that. O'Brien's been here and helped me out so much throughout the year."
Alabama still has at least one game left to play in Friday's Cotton Bowl against Cincinnati. Should the Crimson Tide prevail, it will face either Georgia or Michigan in the CFP National Championship Game. For now, though, both Young and O'Brien are solely focused on taking down the Bearcats before they have the opportunity to win the program's 19th national title.
In order for that to happen, that trust between an offensive coordinator and his quarterback will be a key factor.
