1. Your cited "burned" on a 26 yd TD pass. Yes Barron is unable to make a play on the ball, a blot against him, but how is the fact that he made a perfect read on the pass and got into a position to make the play considered "burned". That was perfect safety play until the missed breakup.
Not even close. Yes he was burned, and in fact he didnt made a perfect read on the pass, he made a p1ss poor read, thats why the ball sailed over him and into the receiver's hands. Perfect safety play? a decent safety at least breaks that up. I dont even want to imagine what would happen in the NFL with that "perfect read on the pass".
That missed breakup is the exception that proves the rule. Barron has exceptional ball skills and there is plenty of Youtube evidence to support that - in fact the example you cite is the only one you'll find on the internet I suspect (because I haven't seen any others).
Its more like Barron has a great front seven in front of him, the best in the country, which plenty of times forced the QB to throw all kinds of garbage into the air, which then got picked off by Barron, and wow, what a great safety he is. I'm not impressed, especially after the Kareem jackson experiment. I certainly would have liked to see how Barron plays with an average front seven, like the one in Notre Dame. What happened if the alabama's front seven couldnt get to the QB, and the Qb has enough time to throw a quality throw? Well, barron gets burned for a 26yard TD.
The youtube "evidence" is more like evidence of what a great front seven system alabama defence has, than what a great safety Barron is.
Want to see how great the alabama front seven unit system is? well, they made even a NFL JAG (kareem jackson) look like a shutdown CB.
Player Bio: Kareem Jackson - ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE - University of Alabama Official Athletic Site
Veteran cornerback Kareem Jackson has excelled on the field in 2009 ... started all nine games and proven to be a shutdown corner as the Tide secondary ranks second nationally in pass efficiency defense (90.43) ... has 27 tackles, an interception - which was returned 79 yards - and nine pass breakups in 2009 ... ranks fifth in the SEC in passes defended (10) and tied for third in pass breakups.
I'm sure that the Texans fans will tell you how much of a shutdown CB KJ is in the NFL.
2. The missed tackles:
The runner has three blockers ahead of him and the only defender on that side of the field is Barron. This play should have been an automatic TD but as the commentator says, Barron avoids all three blockers and makes enough of a play on the runner to slow him up long enough for cover to get across. Barron also forces the runner to the sideline making the defensive play easier. Barron saved a TD with that play. Finally, watch that play again. Every defender bites on the reverse save one. Guess who?
BS commentary. The fact is, Barron was not blocked, he had both his hands on the runner, but still blew the tackle.
And thats absolutely BS that every defender bites on the reverse. In fact, at least 2 start to follow the reverse at the same time as Barron, as soon as the ball is received by the runner, and in fact 1 of those 2 makes the TD-saving tackle, which Barron missed. If that alabama defender did as you suggested, bit on the reverse, that would have been a TD, cause Barron blew the tackle.
Well if you count rolling across the first down marker getting a first down then I suppose so. The rules of football don't however. I notice you ignore the very next play where Barron penetrates the LOS and stops the back in the backfield.
The very next play in the vid is the 1st down, so the opposition had no problem to convert the easy 3rd and short, and it was 3rd and short because Barron made a poor tackle.
The very next play alabama was stacking the box against the run, and Barron "penetrated" the LOS completely unblocked, so I'm not sure why should I give him a medal for this.
One final argument against yours, that video is of the 2010 season, two years ago - his play was much improved in 2011 (and btw with two exceptions, that was some damn good play by Barron in his junior year.
I respect the fact that you took time the to provide your analysis, and yes, the vid is from 2 years ago, but it highlights that Barron is not that great in run support as you are making him out to be. And once again, his youtube highlights are more of a highlight of what a great front seven system alabama has. No less than 8 of alabama's defence starters will be NFL players, and many are projected in the first round. They played great as a unit, in saban's system, and blew their opponents away as a unit, but taken individually, some are not that great and can easily became like Karreem Jackson, JAGs.
And ofcourse, the fact still remains that Barron didnt face any QB in the top15 in this draft this season, while H Smith went up against the best of them, Luck, and did very well.
Andrew Luck vs Notre Dame 2011 - YouTube
H Smith is #22, and Luck couldnt burn him deep.