Although Alabama is known for running a 3-4 defense -- meaning three defensive linemen and four linebackers -- that doesn't quite describe the practical reality on the field. "We are a 3-4 defense. That does not mean we play the 3-4 all the time," Smart has said. "Last year, we ran the 3-4 front 25 percent of the time. The rest of the time we played 4-3...The reason for the shift is that offenses have been changing, so Saban must change with them. Saban's 3-4 was designed as a run-stuffing defense for traditional attacks, but teams like Texas A&M are far more likely to spread the field. "When we play a two-back team, we are in a 3-4 defense. Georgia and LSU are two-back offenses," said Smart. "If a team is a one-back offense with three or four wide receivers in the set, we match their personnel and play nickel or dime. When we play nickel or dime, we play very little 3-4 defense out of it; we are in the 4-3 front."
