Buffs' Tucker Makes ESPN GameDay Championship Game Appearance

SANTA CLARA Calif. — New Colorado football coach Mel Tucker picked up some national television exposure Monday when he made a special appearance on ESPN's GameDay prior to the CFP national championship game between Alabama and Clemson.

Tucker, of course, has some special insight to the game, having coached both for and against Alabama head coach Nick Saban. That includes this year's SEC championship game, when Tucker was Georgia's defensive coordinator in a game Alabama rallied to win, 35-28.

Asked about Alabama's offense in general, Tucker said, "The most important thing is handling the RPO (run-pass option) game. Alabama does a great job with that. It starts with stopping the run and then the leverage you play on the slots (receivers). You saw last week against Oklahoma, how many times they hit the slant to the slot receiver. That's a huge key."

While Tucker was specifically addressing Monday's game, there were also moments when it wasn't hard to deduce his general philosophy, particularly when it comes to defense.

"Brent (Venables, Clemson defensive coordinator) does a great job defensively because he's a fearless play caller," Tucker said. "He's going to pressure early and often."

As for defending Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Tucker said, "You have to mix the coverages. I think you have to keep him in the pocket and make him be an accurate passer in the pocket. And then a some point he's going to want to make plays. You tell the players to be in position and when your time comes, you're going to have a chance to make plays."

But in the end, Tucker wouldn't stray from his SEC background and the time he spent as a member of Saban's staff.

"I can't pick against Coach Saban," Tucker said. "I can't do it. At the end of the day, they're going to find a way to win the game."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu