The two undisputed heavyweights in the SEC this year win football games with defense and a strong running game.
Basic SEC football. Our recruiting has focused on skill position players since 2007. Bama and LSU have been stockpiling talent along both lines and at LB. This is where the games are being won. By blowing up the lines and keeping containment with superior LB play, these guys are negating the spread advantage. One of the announcers last night noted that Bama's secondary doesn't even bother playing the fake on the play-action because they KNOW that the front 7 has shit under control.
With a dominating offensive line, an average QB can look like a world beater because his stable of RBs have been setting up the play action.