Well, if you wanted to see the difference between a championship team and a good team, you got the Cliff's Notes version Saturday. What is funny is when you go to your favorite sites, you will see the jealousy masked in comments about Tebow and Meyer. Bottom line, those two are big time player/coach and all the griping about the Spread not winning and all that has to die now. They won. Period.
The Good...
3rd Quarter
I really liked the mentality coming out of the half. They reset and went back to their basic offense- north south running and play action short passing, and they attacked on defense. They kept Florida off the field and chewed up massive amounts of clock while they shut out Florida 10-0 in the 3rd. By the end of the 3rd, the momentum and game were in Bama's court. It just went away at the start of the 4th...
Individual efforts
Justin Woodall, Hightower, McClain, Fanney, Greenwood, Coffee, and Julio Jones all played championship level ball Saturday. I thought the option played well into Fanney's strength (run defense) and they went at him for a bit only to find out he's solid on the corner. Really, I thought the line/LB's played well overall, they didn't get ran over, but you can't beat a 5 man front as good as UF's with 4 guys. I thought Woodall understood the Spread Option well and was in position for most of the night. He didn't shy away from hitting Tebow either, speaking of which, RJ probably would like to not hit Tebow anytime soon, he got rung when the big boy lowered his shoulder to him.
The Julio Jones Celebrity Hour
It was another night of Wilson high right passing. Against Florida's safeties, that means you are going to get popped and it's gonna hurt. Jones likes contact, there ain't much doubting that, but he went after several passes that were just off. Jones makes Wilson look better than he is really, but all good WR do, and he's going to make McElroy better because he goes over the middle and QB's like to throw down the pipe and put it up to where the WR climbs the ladder and gets it. The nice thing is that he's just a freshman and he already plays at a 3rd or 4th year player level.
Gritty effort
Some folks had Florida winning in OU fashion. Some said that Bama couldn't play with Florida. Bama proved it deserved to be there and put their best effort on it, there wasn't a player that didn't give his effort to the game, but sometimes, there are just better teams out there across from you. Florida was that team.
The Bad...
First series on both sides of the ball
If you read the Random Thoughts, you know I thought that Bama had to keep the ball and then get 3 and outs where they can. The first drives of the game weren't that by a long shot. I guess the thing that I didn't like was that when Florida got the ball, Bama looked confused as to what was coming. It was pretty obvious after about the 3rd or 4th play that they weren't going to stop them on that drive. The best thing that could have happened was to get off the field, regroup and start over.
4th quarter
It is rare that Bama doesn't own or pull even in the 4th on teams, even when the Shula teams sucked, but on Saturday when the last round was ready, Florida answered the bell, Bama didn't. 1 yard total offense vs. 14 points tells a story in itself.
CBS ejaculating over Tebow-mania
I don't have a problem with Tebow (more on him later), but I do have a problem with how Tebow is done by CBS. That's where my complaint over Tebow would be is in the constant drum beat by Verne and Gary each and every play. Yes, Tim Tebow is a phenomenal player and he is one of the best leaders I've ever seen, but when he's not on the field, I don't need to be reminded about him.
Javier Arenas
I don't call out players much, at least not directly, but this one has to be. You could see it in his body language, his head wasn't in the game or the team, it was about him showing off against Florida, mission failed. I've mentioned several times that he's the kinda guy that can win a game for you, and he can lose it for you. Saturday, he made about 4 key errors that played into the loss. At some point the staff will lose its patience with Arenas because it is all about the big play and ESPN moment with him and not making the right play every time. Arenas is extremely talented, and he's been big at times, but as we all knew going in, the special teams needed to be solid in all phases, and Arenas' play definitely was a factor.
Tight play calling
Florida's defense is good, I wouldn't call it the best Bama's seen this year, but it is good. I thought Bama's play calling contributed to them looking better than they were though. There were times where it felt like the game's decisions were being vetted 3 or 4 times before it happened like they were trying to out smart Florida and Strong. Why? You beat teams with your game, not the game that you think will win. I liked a lot of what they did during the game, but there were times where it just left a lot to be desired. For example, Bama gets the short field on a punt and penalty, Bama motors down to the red zone and then just stalls out because they call plays that ran straight into Florida's strengths. Of course Ingram cut the wrong way on one, but that was one play in 3 that didn't work.
The Ugly...
Special Teams blunders
Did you ever feel like you were in Groundhog's Day? I bet Saban has felt that for 10 out of 13 weeks where there have been gaffes in the special teams that have changed the momentum and progress of the game. While it wasn't the coach's call to fake the kick, why would it be an option with your punter and kicker? A backup QB or a WR, I could see, but that duo wouldn't get 10 yards on a high school team. My hope is that they will take a lot of time to review where the special teams are going and decide how they want to address it because it is old now.
Random Thoughts
Is Tim Tebow the greatest player ever? For starts, that is a subjective question that an answer is based on your emotion and concept of what makes one great. I'll say this, he's one damn good player and probably the best in the modern BCS cable generation of players. I think the underlying thought that comes in Tebow Hating for Bama fans is the recruiting process. He jilted Bama and the fans hold that against them because they read from "experts" that he was coming to Bama, but he didn't. All Bama got was a linebacker that couldn't play for Troy. So yeah, they have a gripe, but don't let that fool you. He's a really solid player and doesn't have a lot of flaws in his game. Some try to make faults about his passing capacities, nope. He hit 4 or 5 passes that were spot on and he makes reads at a level that only a few can (most were named Manning). He is physical and leads by example. It took guts for him to stand up to the media and say we mailed it in against Ole Miss but it won't happen again. It didn't. He wants to win and he wants Florida to win, that's unique in this era of football where 3 years and out is more likely than 5 years of participation.
I think if someone wanted to make an unbiased opinion, the list of bests at each position would surprise many. I don't think I could because I have my opinions and biases that would weigh into it, but perhaps taking a statistics major who hates football and asking him to develop a method to answer the age old question. Doubt that happens. Regardless, Tebow deserves to be in the discussion because he's gifted and wins. He rubs us all wrong because he has an air about him, but damn, he backs it up.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Andre Smith will stay in school and participate his Senior Year
Sell. With the NFL changing the Rookie salary cap after this year, and the money being less next season, he's more gone than Tubberville. Also gone are Moreno (he's quit going to classes), Stafford, and several USCal players.
Alabama's OL will not lose a beat regardless
Sell. It took this line 3 or 4 years to get it together and its pass protection still leaves something to be desired. I like Fluker, a lot, but a freshman is still a freshman, even Smith had his moments his Fr year. Vlachos will be the Center if Cardwell's injury issues don't improve and that doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings given he is not that tall. In the SEC, the DTs seem to be ranging 6-5ish more these days. 5 inches is a lot to give up. We'll see, but there will be growing pains next season, there always is with new faces.
Ole Miss and Florida will be the pre-season favorites in the SEC
Buy. Of course there are all sorts of who stays and goes stuff, but just on how they played down the stretch, those two are the top of the list with Bama, LSU, and USCar all in the hunt more than likely. UGA will be in rebuild mode, again, and UT will be deconstructing the issues, as will Auburn.
Florida can't contain OU
Hold. Florida hasn't been pressed by an offense all year. They'll get that test finally. However, I think the bigger issue is can OU stop Florida? I don't think they can. I really think the result will be that OU and the Big 12 and their lack of defense and running games will get caught a lot this bowl season.
Bowl Pick'em
Navy vs Wake Forest
EAGLEBANK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
This is a rematch from earlier this year, and the result will be the same. Wake Forrest wins.
Fresno State vs Colorado State
NEW MEXICO BOWL
2:30 PM ET
Probably the worst game of the season, but I'll watch it because it is football and it beats having to talk to my wife, just kidding honey but not really, FSU wins big.
South Florida vs Memphis
MAGICJACK ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
4:30 PM ET
This game could be the high point winner of the season as defense is what other teams do. I like USF on this one because it is practically in their back yard.
No. 16 Brigham Young at Arizona
PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
It has been 10 years since Zona went bowling and this is the BYU classic it seems. BYU has too much offense for a Zona program turning the corner.
Troy vs Southern Miss
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
8:15 PM ET
This one actually will be worth watching because most of us are familiar with both teams. USM continues to be one of those teams that always wins regardless and Troy continues to be that team nobody wants to play OOC. I'd take Troy on this one, USM is gritty, but they aren't playing as well as Troy right now.
No. 9 Boise State at No. 11 TCU
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
This game is an early big game trial for 2 teams feeling jilted by the bigger bowls. Boise is a known commodity and TCU has always skated just under the radar. It also matches strength on strength. This is a pickem if there ever was one, don't put money on it, but I'd take TCU in the upset here. They've been tested more.
Notre Dame vs Hawaii
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL
8:00 PM ET
The luck of the Irish shines on ND again, you suck and you got to go to Hawaii for the reward. The Irish eyes won't be smiling though, Hawaii will run them off the island.
Central Michigan vs Florida Atlantic
MOTOR CITY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Dan LeFevour and the CMU get to splash water on FAU's dream season. Take CMU big on this one because they have played teams well (UGA comes to mind) and are battle ready.
North Carolina vs West Virginia
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a game where you will look back in a year or two and say this is where their march started. Both teams are up and coming teams in a way, but take WVU on the game because they are far more talented on offense than what UNC has seen this year.
Florida State vs Wisconsin
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Once upon a time, this would have been a worthwhile game, this isn't that time, both teams are still hunting their identity and will waller all over each other doing it. FSU because Wisconsin is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
California vs Miami (FL)
EMERALD BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Randy Shannon can't turn water into wine, nor can he make the U defend the run. Cal will take its frustrations of USC's shadow out on Miami.
Louisiana Tech vs Northern Illinois
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
8:15 PM ET
What happens when the SEC and Big 12 can't fill the roster? You get this nugget that could bankrupt the Shreeve....I don't give a damn who wins, but I'd take NIU if you made me.
Rutgers vs North Carolina State
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
3:00 PM ET
Here's a matchup of two teams that rumbled through the 2nd half of their seasons to get there. Birmingham gets its bowl on to a pretty good game, take Rutgers because they have more experience and intangibles at this stage.
No. 21 Missouri at No. 23 Northwestern
VALERO ALAMO BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Missouri was supposed to be in bigger things, and Northwestern was just supposed to lay there and take it this year, neither happened. Missouri wins because the Daniels-Macklin combo will not be stopped by any Big 10 defense.
Nevada vs Maryland
ROADY'S HUMANITARIAN BOWL
4:30 PM ET
Blue field, cold weather, blue balls....that probably has more of a storyline than the game, Nevada wins because Maryland can't decide what it wants to be and them boys ain't known cold like this.....
No. 13 Oklahoma State at No. 17 Oregon
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL
8:00 PM ET
If USF/Memphis doesn't win the high score total, this one probably does. OSU has come close all year to being the fly in the ointment, but didn't happen, same for Oregon. I like OSU in this one because they've been through the big offenses and Oregon won't throw anything they haven't seen, plus they don't have the talent that Texas and OU have.
Western Michigan vs Rice
TEXAS BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Boy, when you want to just spread the wealth, you really have to dig deep to justify this bowl game. Rice hasn't won a bowl since grandpa was spry. Rice wins because WMU is not much more than a MAC sit in.
Air Force vs Houston
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL
12:00 PM ET
We'll remember the coaches in this game more than the game probably as both are young and working up the ladder to better things. These two played earlier in the year, AF won, and the Air Force should win again.
No. 20 Pittsburgh vs Oregon State
SUN BOWL
2:00 PM ET
It isn't the Sun Bowl without Ray Perkins is it? Oregon St should win this one because Pitt really isn't that good.
No. 24 Boston College at Vanderbilt
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL
3:30 PM ET
Vandy goes bowling and they get to do it at home, how nice. Gaylord Focker Bowl sucks for the SEC every year, I wonder if the Coaches and ADs will push to see this one go away when the contract is up? BC big in this one.
Minnesota vs Kansas
INSIGHT BOWL
5:30 PM ET
Sota is riding a wave of cheap wins in, Kansas just wishes their coach didn't look like a blueberry. Kansas wins because Sota sucks.
No. 14 Georgia Tech vs LSU
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
7:30 PM ET
Les Miles wishes that this one didn't have to be. Paul Johnson is smiling from ear to ear. Ga Tech will run the offense that can't beat the SEC defenses for yet another victory over an SEC defense. Oops.
Iowa vs South Carolina
OUTBACK BOWL
11:00 AM ET
Can't be New Years without the Ol Ball Coach, and like most New Year's Day games with Spurrier, Iowa will win.
No. 15 Georgia at No. 18 Michigan State
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
1:00 PM ET
This is a bowl of two teams going downward fast. MSU has the power running game, Georgia has hype. I'd take UGA in a close one.
Nebraska vs Clemson
GATOR BOWL
1:00 PM ET
Dabo has the Tigers moving in the right direction and Nebraska is just happy to not see a team from the southwest...Nebraska wins.
No. 5 USC vs No. 8 Penn State
THE ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY CITI
4:30 PM ET
The Trojan Classic feeds the masses with another poor victim. Don't buy into the JoePa hype, they haven't seen talent yet until they see USCal play, USCal big.
No. 12 Cincinnati at No. 19 Virginia Tech
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL
8:30 PM ET
If there was a sorrier BCS game, I'd love to see it on paper. Fox plus this stinker equals lots of beer to stomach this one. Cincy wins this one because they're better than you think.
No. 7 Texas Tech vs No. 25 Mississippi
COTTON BOWL
2:00 PM ET
Since when did mean nothing bowls get moved this late? Nice matchup though between 2 programs moving up. Take Ole Miss on this one, that gap tooth line thing won't work against that huge NT they have.
East Carolina vs Kentucky
AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL
5:00 PM ET
More attention for the SEC on the 2nd, but it won't be what they wanted. ECU wins because Kentucky has limped into the bowl season and ECU is getting healthy again.
No. 4 Alabama vs No. 6 Utah
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
8:00 PM ET
You really think I'm gonna give it away already?
- January 3, 2009 -
Connecticut vs Buffalo
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
12:00 PM ET
Nothing makes me think college football more than Canada. Maybe the gravy and fries will be good, because the game sucks. The coaches are as good as gone so you know the prep work won't be there. Take UConn.
No. 3 Texas vs No. 10 Ohio State
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Neither team is happy to be here, both thought they were championship teams in August, Texas has a case and a big win against an overrated OSU team that has no business in the BCS this winter. Then again, have they the last 2?
No. 22 Ball State vs Tulsa
GMAC BOWL
8:00 PM ET
Because someone thought meaningless bowl games mean something after New Year's, ugh. Ball State big.
No. 1 Oklahoma vs No. 2 Florida
FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
8:00 PM ET
Interesting matchup and a full month of sitting around having to listen to Tebow mania will be enough motivation for Chokelahoma, but this is Chokelahoma and the Stoops crying marketing campaign comes to an end. Florida has too much speed and defense for OU.
December 8, 2008
December 4, 2008
Random Thoughts- Florida
Ok, it is Florida time and everyone wants to act like they understand the Meyer offensive strategy. It isn't just their offense, the real catalyst for the team is their defense, just like Alabama. So, here's the drill....
Alabama's offense vs. Florida's defense
Florida runs a 4-3 defense that relies on strength in the middle and speed to the outside. Their speed almost makes the linebackers like 3 safeties when they are in base formations. Brandon Spikes is the name of the group and we all remember him from recruiting battles long since lost. Spikes is a big guy, and reminds me a lot of Rudd or a slightly less aggressive Derrick Thomas. Jones, Hicks and Doe remind me a lot of Shula type linebackers, smaller, faster, more cover than tackle guys. That works into what Strong is doing at Florida because their defense creates turnovers and the offense puts the points up off those turnovers, so the linebackers play more coverage than attack because teams are forced to go 1 dimensional early and often. Stamper plays a lot, and has started some at OLB, he is Spikes main backup as well.
Don't let the linebackers smokescreen how good their front 4 has been. Carlos Dunlap is a physical tackle/end that is more of a pass rusher than run stopper. He's 290 and is real good with his hands. He swats linemen from engaging him and gets inside the line a great deal. When I was watching the FSU game, he had 2-3 sacks and was beating his side off the end and inside, so he isn't a one trick pony. Jermaine Cunningham plays the other end, and is a pure rush end. he's a bit small at 250, so you'd almost say when he's playing they are running a 3-4 with him up on the line. Terron Sanders is their top interior lineman, but he's not a dominator like Cody (who is) nor is he extremely disruptive. He takes up gaps and clogs which he is good at. He doesn't look like he's a weight room kinda guy though. Marsh plays opposite of him, but is out still hurt but playing. His backup is Antwine and he's big but stays beat up a lot. He has conditioning needs that if he addressed them, he'd stay off the trainers table more, he's out and so is the other tackle Patchan. Patchan is a gritty guy and if he were playing, Bama would not have as much of an advantage as they will with him out. The Gators run a lot of linemen out there, before the season they wanted to run 10 if able, but with the injuries mounting, I'd say the 4 will go most of the night.
The Gator secondary if anything is young and with time and battle scars will be a great group in time. They got picked on by Ole Miss in their lone loss of the year and over pursue at times. Florida fans will probably point to Black as their best, but in my opinion, Major Wright is the centerpiece. The times I've watched Florida, as Wright goes, so does the defense.
So, how to beat them? Well, if you try to go outside to outside with them, you'll lose. You have to establish up the gut running. Bama does that well most of the time. Dunlap is going to give the OL trouble, but I think they will use Walker/McCall as backup support on him and continue running north and south. When you have gotten the safeties and linebackers up in the box, the play action time comes in. Travis McCall and Nick Walker could have big nights because the speed that Florida has will limit the route time that Bama can use. Florida plays little to 0 zone coverage in their packages, they do go zone with their safeties on 3rd down, but the corners play bump man or man release most games. There will be 1 on 1 opportunities for Jones and Stover to establish in space on curls, outs, slants, etc. I don't see the offense excelling if they try to burn them deep because they lack the players to do that kind of offense, but they can wear and smash mouth Florida down the field with balanced run/pass play calling. I would expect to see the Tide use some counter plays as well and pull Marlon Davis and Mike Johnson off the line and follow with the TE as lead blockers for Coffee and Ingram.
Bama's OL is going to have some size and weight advantages, but the key will be engaging the defense before it engages them. Smith and Davis have struggled with speed rushers because they lack the footwork to get around on them. The TE's may have to support more and stay out of routes at time until the play action and run game backs them off. This is not going to be a game where Bama gets 200 yards rushing, I don't think, because this defense swarms in the box and keeps backs from hitting the 2nd and 3rd levels. Don't look for trick plays either. The speed and heady play these guys use would turn a trick play into a major momentum shift with an INT or fumble. I think the key is to confuse the secondary with some different looks and throwing on running situations and running on throwing situations (Bama hasn't been exactly tricky in the play calling but haven't had to because they dominate up front).
Bama wins this battle if they play smart, physical, and take advantage of the Jones v. Haden/Jenkins matchup. Florida wins if they force Wilson to beat them down field and do what they've done all year, create turnovers.
Florida's Offense v. Bama's Defense
Everyone knows Tim Tebow and what he does. His athleticism and physical nature forces teams to play back a bit. That's the main mistake teams make with Florida. You can't out zone them or contain them all day. He's too smart and his running ability is only magnified when you do it. The thing that teams continuously do is try to confuse him, but this offense has so many options and check downs that you just can't beat them with coverage, it takes pressure.
What Florida wants to do with the ball is get match ups. Tebow on a small linebacker, Harvin on a linebacker, Moody on a corner, etc. are all match ups in their favor 9 out of 10 times. They will also run a lot of what I call misdirection plays (counters, direct snaps to the back, option counters) to get the defense flat footed in space and use their speed to punish them for it. It isn't a simple offense from a read perspective. They will run and throw from any formation and unit grouping.
Many fans think because they score 50 points at will, they are a fast offense that keeps their defense on the field. That's farthest from reality. They do score fast on short field drives from turnovers, but they do like to move the field and wear teams out with the option. Tebow will not throw it 50 times nor will he run it 50. Folks have this conception of him, but Florida is performing at its best when he throws about 15-20 times and runs about 7-15 times. The 2 games he passed a lot, Miami and Ole Miss, were the worst games they had. The bulk of their passing game is short and controlled. Consider it like Bama's with more focus on 1 on 1 and less route precision.
Don't get hung up on Tebow-mania just yet, because he's got the best supporting cast in the SEC if not America. He has Percy Harvin (College's fastest player worth a damn), Rainey, Demps, the 2 Moores, and Hernandez the H-Back/TE (McCall 10 pounds lighter and with better hands). Harvin is very important to this offense. If he is out, or reduced to either a RB or WR role, the mystery and trickery is gone. That's what he does for the offense is that he can come out of the backfield and draw a match up favorable, go in motion at WR and take an option handoff/reverse, take direct snaps, throw, be the decoy and open up the flat to Hernandez, and so on. Their run plays are all read/option plays where there are 2 to 4 different scenarios that Tebow and the running backs/WR have in each play called where it could go from draw to sweep to keeper to keeper pitch, etc.
Florida relies on more zone blocking schemes because they use the speed backs to hit the gaps fast and attack the defenses. Don't let the term fool you. It is more like the old Michigan zone blocking and not that piss poor one Bob had. Their guys are all over 300 all 6-5+ and get in the zone fast. Trautwein is an NFL prospect who anchors the end and the Pouncey twins hold the interior for the offense.
On defense, it is all about attacking and discipline. Bama has done that all year on defense but has not faced an offense this diverse, balanced, and gifted. I would say that Bama goes nickel the majority of the night to get more speed on the field and that formation is where they get their best 11 on the field by rotating Sharrief, Ma. Johnson, Woodall, Anders, Chapman, and others in and out. Cory Reamer probably won't see much time on the field unless Florida completely changes its identity for this one. Another thing they may have to go to is the "quarters" formation where they use 3 down (Greenwood/Cody or Chapman/Deaderick) 1-2 backs (McClain/Hightower) and 6-7 DBs (Arenas/Johnson/Jackson/Sharrief/Woodall/Jackson/Rogers or King or Barron). I think they will try to stay in the nickel and press their luck there because the other will expose the run more. The Quarter will use space and speed to keep everything in check, and keep the WR routes congested, but it is more of a prevent type of defense.
The keys for Bama are simple, Cody and the down linemen must close the gaps in the middle and force things to the outside. From that point, the LBs and the S's and Arenas have to be on top of the play fast and tackle soundly. They cannot let the flat get abandoned. A backer or safety has to stay at home and cover the middle of the field because that is where Tebow's home is both running and passing. I wouldn't spy Tebow or Harvin because there isn't one person that ideally can do that with either due to their unique size (TT) and speed (PH) that they possess. Instead, if Bama moves sideline to sideline as their linebackers and star (Arenas) do most nights, they should keep things in play. Saban's philosophy is not to man up directly and have McClain on a tailback exclusively like most 4-3 man coverages require. Instead, he asks the linebackers to read the play and attack from whatever position they are at. I think that plays big into the storyline of the night too. If Bama can mask the blitz or get good penetration from the front 5-7 (depending on formation) they can into Tebow's head some and force him to become uncomfortable.
Ole Miss did that in part, they used their big nose tackle to disrupt the middle and their linebackers and DBs covered the outside well enough that it kept Tebow bottled up. Tebow is much less effective when he's asked to stay at home and not warm up to the flow of the game with his legs. Again, don't get fooled into thinking you beat him by making him just throw, you must still force his throws early or mask the coverage and make him read zone and go man or read man and go zone blitz on top of bottling him.
The biggest "tip" that the offense makes is in its pre-snap motion. When Meyer was at Utah, I could call the play from home based on the motion that occurred as being a run or option or pass based on how the H Back and WR/RB (Harvin) moved pre-snap. When the back goes from slot to back in motion, it is option left a high percentage of the time. When the back goes to slot or isolation it is QB draw or play fake pass. When there is no motion, it is pass. When they go "full house" and have two backs stacked left or right, that is the Tebow keeper, but you have to man cover the TE in short and goal situations.
Special Teams
Florida isn't fancy on special teams, they just execute with Brandon James. Bama's biggest weak spot at times has been coverage, but they've improved in the last month in particular with Pegues and Auburn's tandem being in check. This guy though is the Bentley to those team's Mercury Cougar. James can beat you on his own if he gets space. Bama must hold its lanes in check and punt away from him. I'd call it a moral victory if PJ's punt average is 35 and James' average return is less than 10. Cory Reamer is the biggest thing standing between PJ and disaster and how well he picks up the biggest threat will be key to keeping the defense out of bad situations. Florida wants to get some shanks/blocks early to get the score lopsided and have the Bama offense off its game plan.
Bottom line
It is Florida's speed vs. the power that Bama plays. Florida in the past has wilted against teams that came out hitting them and played disciplined (Auburn, Ole Miss, Miiiiichigan, LSU, UGA) and the offense is not a power option offense. It won't slug out series with others in the way the triple option style teams do (Tech), it can't take that kind of slow methodical beatdown approach and win. They are built for long drives, but it has to be up tempo. Their defense plays lights out and gives up big plays but creates well more than they give. They will try to rush Wilson out and try to get him rattled and throwing low percentage passes (like JPW's last 2 seasons were). They want Wilson to be the guy to beat them and not let the run game dictate the flow. They want to stay off the WRs and react to the ball and try to get in the passing lanes.
Alabama has to play that wear down drag out style and keep Florida's O on the bench because as good as their defense is, they can't keep them pinned all night, they will score. The best series of events that could happen is to have UF get the ball 1st, 3 and out, Bama take a 10 play 6-8 min drive get 7, and get another 3-5 play and out. Then follow that with a long drive with time off the clock and points if you can, but just keeping UF hemmed up on the sidelines will frustrate Meyer more than scoring will.
I think Bama's philosophy has more of a chance Saturday
Bama 24 Florida 17
Alabama's offense vs. Florida's defense
Florida runs a 4-3 defense that relies on strength in the middle and speed to the outside. Their speed almost makes the linebackers like 3 safeties when they are in base formations. Brandon Spikes is the name of the group and we all remember him from recruiting battles long since lost. Spikes is a big guy, and reminds me a lot of Rudd or a slightly less aggressive Derrick Thomas. Jones, Hicks and Doe remind me a lot of Shula type linebackers, smaller, faster, more cover than tackle guys. That works into what Strong is doing at Florida because their defense creates turnovers and the offense puts the points up off those turnovers, so the linebackers play more coverage than attack because teams are forced to go 1 dimensional early and often. Stamper plays a lot, and has started some at OLB, he is Spikes main backup as well.
Don't let the linebackers smokescreen how good their front 4 has been. Carlos Dunlap is a physical tackle/end that is more of a pass rusher than run stopper. He's 290 and is real good with his hands. He swats linemen from engaging him and gets inside the line a great deal. When I was watching the FSU game, he had 2-3 sacks and was beating his side off the end and inside, so he isn't a one trick pony. Jermaine Cunningham plays the other end, and is a pure rush end. he's a bit small at 250, so you'd almost say when he's playing they are running a 3-4 with him up on the line. Terron Sanders is their top interior lineman, but he's not a dominator like Cody (who is) nor is he extremely disruptive. He takes up gaps and clogs which he is good at. He doesn't look like he's a weight room kinda guy though. Marsh plays opposite of him, but is out still hurt but playing. His backup is Antwine and he's big but stays beat up a lot. He has conditioning needs that if he addressed them, he'd stay off the trainers table more, he's out and so is the other tackle Patchan. Patchan is a gritty guy and if he were playing, Bama would not have as much of an advantage as they will with him out. The Gators run a lot of linemen out there, before the season they wanted to run 10 if able, but with the injuries mounting, I'd say the 4 will go most of the night.
The Gator secondary if anything is young and with time and battle scars will be a great group in time. They got picked on by Ole Miss in their lone loss of the year and over pursue at times. Florida fans will probably point to Black as their best, but in my opinion, Major Wright is the centerpiece. The times I've watched Florida, as Wright goes, so does the defense.
So, how to beat them? Well, if you try to go outside to outside with them, you'll lose. You have to establish up the gut running. Bama does that well most of the time. Dunlap is going to give the OL trouble, but I think they will use Walker/McCall as backup support on him and continue running north and south. When you have gotten the safeties and linebackers up in the box, the play action time comes in. Travis McCall and Nick Walker could have big nights because the speed that Florida has will limit the route time that Bama can use. Florida plays little to 0 zone coverage in their packages, they do go zone with their safeties on 3rd down, but the corners play bump man or man release most games. There will be 1 on 1 opportunities for Jones and Stover to establish in space on curls, outs, slants, etc. I don't see the offense excelling if they try to burn them deep because they lack the players to do that kind of offense, but they can wear and smash mouth Florida down the field with balanced run/pass play calling. I would expect to see the Tide use some counter plays as well and pull Marlon Davis and Mike Johnson off the line and follow with the TE as lead blockers for Coffee and Ingram.
Bama's OL is going to have some size and weight advantages, but the key will be engaging the defense before it engages them. Smith and Davis have struggled with speed rushers because they lack the footwork to get around on them. The TE's may have to support more and stay out of routes at time until the play action and run game backs them off. This is not going to be a game where Bama gets 200 yards rushing, I don't think, because this defense swarms in the box and keeps backs from hitting the 2nd and 3rd levels. Don't look for trick plays either. The speed and heady play these guys use would turn a trick play into a major momentum shift with an INT or fumble. I think the key is to confuse the secondary with some different looks and throwing on running situations and running on throwing situations (Bama hasn't been exactly tricky in the play calling but haven't had to because they dominate up front).
Bama wins this battle if they play smart, physical, and take advantage of the Jones v. Haden/Jenkins matchup. Florida wins if they force Wilson to beat them down field and do what they've done all year, create turnovers.
Florida's Offense v. Bama's Defense
Everyone knows Tim Tebow and what he does. His athleticism and physical nature forces teams to play back a bit. That's the main mistake teams make with Florida. You can't out zone them or contain them all day. He's too smart and his running ability is only magnified when you do it. The thing that teams continuously do is try to confuse him, but this offense has so many options and check downs that you just can't beat them with coverage, it takes pressure.
What Florida wants to do with the ball is get match ups. Tebow on a small linebacker, Harvin on a linebacker, Moody on a corner, etc. are all match ups in their favor 9 out of 10 times. They will also run a lot of what I call misdirection plays (counters, direct snaps to the back, option counters) to get the defense flat footed in space and use their speed to punish them for it. It isn't a simple offense from a read perspective. They will run and throw from any formation and unit grouping.
Many fans think because they score 50 points at will, they are a fast offense that keeps their defense on the field. That's farthest from reality. They do score fast on short field drives from turnovers, but they do like to move the field and wear teams out with the option. Tebow will not throw it 50 times nor will he run it 50. Folks have this conception of him, but Florida is performing at its best when he throws about 15-20 times and runs about 7-15 times. The 2 games he passed a lot, Miami and Ole Miss, were the worst games they had. The bulk of their passing game is short and controlled. Consider it like Bama's with more focus on 1 on 1 and less route precision.
Don't get hung up on Tebow-mania just yet, because he's got the best supporting cast in the SEC if not America. He has Percy Harvin (College's fastest player worth a damn), Rainey, Demps, the 2 Moores, and Hernandez the H-Back/TE (McCall 10 pounds lighter and with better hands). Harvin is very important to this offense. If he is out, or reduced to either a RB or WR role, the mystery and trickery is gone. That's what he does for the offense is that he can come out of the backfield and draw a match up favorable, go in motion at WR and take an option handoff/reverse, take direct snaps, throw, be the decoy and open up the flat to Hernandez, and so on. Their run plays are all read/option plays where there are 2 to 4 different scenarios that Tebow and the running backs/WR have in each play called where it could go from draw to sweep to keeper to keeper pitch, etc.
Florida relies on more zone blocking schemes because they use the speed backs to hit the gaps fast and attack the defenses. Don't let the term fool you. It is more like the old Michigan zone blocking and not that piss poor one Bob had. Their guys are all over 300 all 6-5+ and get in the zone fast. Trautwein is an NFL prospect who anchors the end and the Pouncey twins hold the interior for the offense.
On defense, it is all about attacking and discipline. Bama has done that all year on defense but has not faced an offense this diverse, balanced, and gifted. I would say that Bama goes nickel the majority of the night to get more speed on the field and that formation is where they get their best 11 on the field by rotating Sharrief, Ma. Johnson, Woodall, Anders, Chapman, and others in and out. Cory Reamer probably won't see much time on the field unless Florida completely changes its identity for this one. Another thing they may have to go to is the "quarters" formation where they use 3 down (Greenwood/Cody or Chapman/Deaderick) 1-2 backs (McClain/Hightower) and 6-7 DBs (Arenas/Johnson/Jackson/Sharrief/Woodall/Jackson/Rogers or King or Barron). I think they will try to stay in the nickel and press their luck there because the other will expose the run more. The Quarter will use space and speed to keep everything in check, and keep the WR routes congested, but it is more of a prevent type of defense.
The keys for Bama are simple, Cody and the down linemen must close the gaps in the middle and force things to the outside. From that point, the LBs and the S's and Arenas have to be on top of the play fast and tackle soundly. They cannot let the flat get abandoned. A backer or safety has to stay at home and cover the middle of the field because that is where Tebow's home is both running and passing. I wouldn't spy Tebow or Harvin because there isn't one person that ideally can do that with either due to their unique size (TT) and speed (PH) that they possess. Instead, if Bama moves sideline to sideline as their linebackers and star (Arenas) do most nights, they should keep things in play. Saban's philosophy is not to man up directly and have McClain on a tailback exclusively like most 4-3 man coverages require. Instead, he asks the linebackers to read the play and attack from whatever position they are at. I think that plays big into the storyline of the night too. If Bama can mask the blitz or get good penetration from the front 5-7 (depending on formation) they can into Tebow's head some and force him to become uncomfortable.
Ole Miss did that in part, they used their big nose tackle to disrupt the middle and their linebackers and DBs covered the outside well enough that it kept Tebow bottled up. Tebow is much less effective when he's asked to stay at home and not warm up to the flow of the game with his legs. Again, don't get fooled into thinking you beat him by making him just throw, you must still force his throws early or mask the coverage and make him read zone and go man or read man and go zone blitz on top of bottling him.
The biggest "tip" that the offense makes is in its pre-snap motion. When Meyer was at Utah, I could call the play from home based on the motion that occurred as being a run or option or pass based on how the H Back and WR/RB (Harvin) moved pre-snap. When the back goes from slot to back in motion, it is option left a high percentage of the time. When the back goes to slot or isolation it is QB draw or play fake pass. When there is no motion, it is pass. When they go "full house" and have two backs stacked left or right, that is the Tebow keeper, but you have to man cover the TE in short and goal situations.
Special Teams
Florida isn't fancy on special teams, they just execute with Brandon James. Bama's biggest weak spot at times has been coverage, but they've improved in the last month in particular with Pegues and Auburn's tandem being in check. This guy though is the Bentley to those team's Mercury Cougar. James can beat you on his own if he gets space. Bama must hold its lanes in check and punt away from him. I'd call it a moral victory if PJ's punt average is 35 and James' average return is less than 10. Cory Reamer is the biggest thing standing between PJ and disaster and how well he picks up the biggest threat will be key to keeping the defense out of bad situations. Florida wants to get some shanks/blocks early to get the score lopsided and have the Bama offense off its game plan.
Bottom line
It is Florida's speed vs. the power that Bama plays. Florida in the past has wilted against teams that came out hitting them and played disciplined (Auburn, Ole Miss, Miiiiichigan, LSU, UGA) and the offense is not a power option offense. It won't slug out series with others in the way the triple option style teams do (Tech), it can't take that kind of slow methodical beatdown approach and win. They are built for long drives, but it has to be up tempo. Their defense plays lights out and gives up big plays but creates well more than they give. They will try to rush Wilson out and try to get him rattled and throwing low percentage passes (like JPW's last 2 seasons were). They want Wilson to be the guy to beat them and not let the run game dictate the flow. They want to stay off the WRs and react to the ball and try to get in the passing lanes.
Alabama has to play that wear down drag out style and keep Florida's O on the bench because as good as their defense is, they can't keep them pinned all night, they will score. The best series of events that could happen is to have UF get the ball 1st, 3 and out, Bama take a 10 play 6-8 min drive get 7, and get another 3-5 play and out. Then follow that with a long drive with time off the clock and points if you can, but just keeping UF hemmed up on the sidelines will frustrate Meyer more than scoring will.
I think Bama's philosophy has more of a chance Saturday
Bama 24 Florida 17
December 1, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Auburn
After a long, long, long period of waiting, we can finally tell our kids that's how it is supposed to be. I will say this, Auburn's defense is good, probably the best one the Tide saw all year, but the Auburn offense was the worst they saw all year too.
The Good.
Seniors showout
One that jumped off the page at me during the course of the game was Nikita Stover. Stover is one of those guys who seems to get up just a little bit more for Auburn. The difference in a 6-0 halftime lead and the 10-0 lead was Stover and his massive block on the outside. TV continues to have a hard time telling 8 and 9 apart from the booth and credited Jones, but it was Stover. He also beat his corner at least 3 times that I saw (once was the TD, second was underthrown to him, third Wilson went to Jones). Another big time game came from RJ. Johnson doesn't have to rack up the stat lines, but what I see that is vastly improved is how well he is seeing the play before the snap. The 2 senior tight ends had a nice day blocking as well. The staff is starting to use the McCall rub route as a bread and butter play each week. Have you noticed that McCall has more touches down the stretch than Walker? Bobby Greenwood got into the game from all ends on run defense, pass rush, and the blocked kick.
Defensive dominance
When Bama went up 10, the game was over. The truth is that Bama's 2nd string defense could have made for better television against Auburn, maybe, but the 1's on 1's was not even a contest. They held Auburn to less than 200 yards for the game and I'd say the 2nd half total yards was probably 50 or 75 yards at most. I thought all 11 starters, and the key reserves had their best game as a whole as well. The only blip on the radar was the last drive of the 1st half where they got flat footed because Burns started running and it caught them off guard a bit. After that, there wasn't much more heard from the Auburn offense other than groans of getting beat at the line and the sound of the ball hitting the soggy turf.
Run Bama Run
When the weather is horrible, bad, etc. you better have a running game worth a damn. Bama had one worth it. Coffee continues to really shine as the feature back on the team. When he was recruited, he was kinda the other guy behind Upchurch and Ford. Now, he's the guy that people will know for a while. Mark Ingram has probably the best footwork of any Bama running back since Alexander was on campus. His capacity to shift and keep body control allows him to gain an extra 5 to 10 yards at will. I think the offseason conditioning will do him wonders. Upchurch came in, made a great move to the outside, but you could tell he's not game ready yet. They need him as the change of pace between the 2 north south guys.
The best pass came at the last pass
To be honest, there wasn't exactly great quarterback play Saturday. Kodi Burns is horrible and needs about 5 years coaching before he'll be ready. Wilson has days where he's on target and days where the football looks like it is flying kites. Saturday was the second option. So, when McElroy put a rope down the right side to Maze, it was near perfect. I just wonder how many will scream Darrah, Darrah, Darrah or (fill in name here) over and over this winter when the clear heir to the QB job is McElroy? I thought the last 2 games Greg's played he's shown a better grasp of the offense and made some nice passes in traffic and under pressure. The big thing that will be different from him and Wilson will be his progression checks. Of course in mop up duty they always look good against a beaten team, but he does check down and finds the open guy where as Wilson looks for 1 maybe 2 and then tucks.
O Line play
Early on it looked iffy at times, but as the game wore on, they OL got on track and had its way with the defense. Credit the staff for finding something in film study that said Auburn would stack left and to run right. I thought this was Davis and Davis's best week and they seemed to know that they were the go to side and stepped it up. Marlon being on his last shot at Auburn seemed to have a sense of urgency on several pull plays and he cleared at least 2 lanes that I remember seeing. Drew did a good job on pass protection and continued to improve his run blocking as well.
Classy exit
I hope the recruits were around and paying attention to the game and not the tit willows when the starters got the curtain call in the 4th. It is probably one of the more memorable moments for me from the Iron Bowl in recent years.
The Bad.
Passing game
While he didn't have any turnovers, he had 2 that should have been. Wilson continues to get by on his play, but with Florida coming, he's got to step up and play like he did against Clemson, Tennessee, and Georgia. He underthrew several and overthrew the rest for a lucky 50% completion ratio. That's becoming an issue too. Go back and watch how well the offense flowed when he's hitting 60+% and how it chugs and clunks when he hits 50%. It is also why he's got 1 TD in the last 5 games and 2 ints.
Special Teams
Ugh. They were doing better, really, they were, but then it just goes back to its natural habitat of sucks. Shank punts, blocked extra point, and a few gaps on returns made for yet another typical game for the specialists. How an extra point gets blocked is beyond me, that's the easiest score in the game. There will be some stadium running for a few. Yes, Saban got all over Fitzgerald, but it isn't just him. PJ hasn't had a great year, he's had a good 2 or 3 games going into Auburn, so you can't expect miracles every week, just this coming week I hope....
The Ugly.
none
Random Thoughts
As I watched the 2 replays on CSS, it hit me that Auburn isn't far off from being back where they were. Their defense is good, it just wears out from playing so long. The only thing they need on defense is depth building. Offensively, man where to start? They don't have a fluid system right now. Period. Burns is starting to spite Tony Franklin who would go with Todd. Todd is a better QB hands down than Burns, he isn't Jason Campbell but he's better than the alternatives. What confuses me about Auburn's philosophy is their best player gets 8 touches tops. I still feel like Tubberville has packed his bags and went on cruise control to get out the door. However, I wouldn't go around yelling how bad Auburn is going to be for years to come, just yet, because with a QB and a gameplan on offense, they'll be in the hunt again.
Eventually, the story on Sly Croom will come out. My gut feeling at first was that they told him to clean the house out and Croom again said no and was ousted then. Second gut feeling says he quit to avoid the resume saying fired at MSU. Now, the debate will rage for years on these sites about Croom and how good or bad he is. Let's be fair and divorce our minds of the Alabama factor in it (at least the off field part) and look at what he inherited and where it ended up. He took a program on probation, with no in roads to recruiting talent, discipline problems galore, etal and while the W-L record doesn't show it, he developed a system of conditioning and discipline that paid dividends last year, but a lack of offensive talent and strategy failed him in the end. ESPN did have a good point, Black coaches are getting shitty jobs and being asked to make something out of them like Croom did in part at State and Turner Gil is doing at Buffalo. UT, Clemson, and others won't seriously look at a Black coach because they want status quo names like the ones being mentioned and hired. Personally, I think Croom would do better at a UCLA or Washington or Clemson than in the SEC right now.
Ding dong Fulmer is gone. I told my dad and brother Saturday that the perfect Saturday needed Kentucky to beat UT. Sadly, I'll have to wait. Fulmer thinks he can coach somewhere else and be successful, but I hate to tell him it won't happen if he doesn't rededicate himself to recruiting. I'd hire Croom over Fulmer because the stench is less. Hell, I'd hire Tubberville over him, Tubberville hasn't gone through the ups and downs nearly as much as Phil has. I would hire Fulmer over Mike Shula or Mike Price or Mike Dubose though, but that isn't saying anything.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The Big 12 is the best conference in the nation.
BUY. Earlier this year I said the SEC was. The SEC has tripped on its ego I'm afraid. The problem is that you have Bama and Florida, but then the distance between them and Georgia, the next best team, is pretty far. Truth is, the SEC is down this year. It is why the SEC champ is the only BCS contender this year, whereas last year UGA had an outside shot, because their schedules and victories aren't that great looking at the end as they were at the time they played. That is why Bama isn't getting as much love as OU and Texas are because Bama's big wins are against a 6 win Clemson, a 7 win LSU, a 5 win UT, and a 9 bad win UGA team. Same goes for Florida. FSU isn't as big as it used to be, they don't have a wow factor on their resume either, but the style points and the beat downs they've given get them there.
Bama did run up the score on Auburn
SELL. For me, there is no such thing as running up the score when you are playing rivals or conference foes. The only time such occurs is against the Sister Mary of the Blind, Deaf, Mutilated, Impotent, and Homosexually challenged games. You line up and play 1st strings and 2nd strings the full 60 minutes when you play conference games. It isn't your job to stop yourself short, that's the opponent's job.
Those who said Paul Johnson couldn't coach in the SEC should line up for crow.
BUY. Is it stylish or going to get a Julio Jones or top end QB? No. Is it going to wear out teams, score points, and win games? Yes. When Tech beat MSU like a drum, we all kinda dismissed it as State. When they unloaded 200 yards rushing in the 3rd quarter alone, damn that's some yards gained, it was worth noting. Johnson is a good coach and is a lot like Bobby Johnson, he can take talent overlooked by the big brothers and make winners out of them. Could he win a NC or SECC? Dunno, he'd be 2nd in the East right now though.
The Big 12 tiebreaker is flawed and should be scrapped.
BUY. How on earth do you say a team that got beaten thoroughly goes ahead of the team that thumped them? I like the SEC's system better that says if 2 teams are within 3 spots of each other it reverts back to H2H. That would have put Texas, the rightful contender, in the B12C again. Instead, we now have the issue of who deserves to play the SEC champ in January? OU or Texas? What happens if Missouri finds a miracle, and it seems to happen a lot in the 12 championship games (Tx beat NU in the 1st, aTm upset KSU, CU beat Tx), who goes then? Texas, the jilted champion? USC, the quiet army from the west? The loser of the SECC? Seriously, what happens if say Bama wins on a last second field goal or TD and wins by 1? Is Florida not worthy in that case, or not as worthy as Tx or USC? That is why I hate the BCS.
LSU is on the way down with Auburn.
HOLD. Here's the history lesson for all to remember: where was Alabama and Florida this time last year? It can amaze me that folks think offseasons only work for their team and not others. I'd hold judgement on LSU and others until we see what they are playing with in August. I do think both might be in trouble if they don't find some depth on defense though.
Stay tuned around Wednesday or Thursday, I'll have a Florida/Bama breakdown.
The Good.
Seniors showout
One that jumped off the page at me during the course of the game was Nikita Stover. Stover is one of those guys who seems to get up just a little bit more for Auburn. The difference in a 6-0 halftime lead and the 10-0 lead was Stover and his massive block on the outside. TV continues to have a hard time telling 8 and 9 apart from the booth and credited Jones, but it was Stover. He also beat his corner at least 3 times that I saw (once was the TD, second was underthrown to him, third Wilson went to Jones). Another big time game came from RJ. Johnson doesn't have to rack up the stat lines, but what I see that is vastly improved is how well he is seeing the play before the snap. The 2 senior tight ends had a nice day blocking as well. The staff is starting to use the McCall rub route as a bread and butter play each week. Have you noticed that McCall has more touches down the stretch than Walker? Bobby Greenwood got into the game from all ends on run defense, pass rush, and the blocked kick.
Defensive dominance
When Bama went up 10, the game was over. The truth is that Bama's 2nd string defense could have made for better television against Auburn, maybe, but the 1's on 1's was not even a contest. They held Auburn to less than 200 yards for the game and I'd say the 2nd half total yards was probably 50 or 75 yards at most. I thought all 11 starters, and the key reserves had their best game as a whole as well. The only blip on the radar was the last drive of the 1st half where they got flat footed because Burns started running and it caught them off guard a bit. After that, there wasn't much more heard from the Auburn offense other than groans of getting beat at the line and the sound of the ball hitting the soggy turf.
Run Bama Run
When the weather is horrible, bad, etc. you better have a running game worth a damn. Bama had one worth it. Coffee continues to really shine as the feature back on the team. When he was recruited, he was kinda the other guy behind Upchurch and Ford. Now, he's the guy that people will know for a while. Mark Ingram has probably the best footwork of any Bama running back since Alexander was on campus. His capacity to shift and keep body control allows him to gain an extra 5 to 10 yards at will. I think the offseason conditioning will do him wonders. Upchurch came in, made a great move to the outside, but you could tell he's not game ready yet. They need him as the change of pace between the 2 north south guys.
The best pass came at the last pass
To be honest, there wasn't exactly great quarterback play Saturday. Kodi Burns is horrible and needs about 5 years coaching before he'll be ready. Wilson has days where he's on target and days where the football looks like it is flying kites. Saturday was the second option. So, when McElroy put a rope down the right side to Maze, it was near perfect. I just wonder how many will scream Darrah, Darrah, Darrah or (fill in name here) over and over this winter when the clear heir to the QB job is McElroy? I thought the last 2 games Greg's played he's shown a better grasp of the offense and made some nice passes in traffic and under pressure. The big thing that will be different from him and Wilson will be his progression checks. Of course in mop up duty they always look good against a beaten team, but he does check down and finds the open guy where as Wilson looks for 1 maybe 2 and then tucks.
O Line play
Early on it looked iffy at times, but as the game wore on, they OL got on track and had its way with the defense. Credit the staff for finding something in film study that said Auburn would stack left and to run right. I thought this was Davis and Davis's best week and they seemed to know that they were the go to side and stepped it up. Marlon being on his last shot at Auburn seemed to have a sense of urgency on several pull plays and he cleared at least 2 lanes that I remember seeing. Drew did a good job on pass protection and continued to improve his run blocking as well.
Classy exit
I hope the recruits were around and paying attention to the game and not the tit willows when the starters got the curtain call in the 4th. It is probably one of the more memorable moments for me from the Iron Bowl in recent years.
The Bad.
Passing game
While he didn't have any turnovers, he had 2 that should have been. Wilson continues to get by on his play, but with Florida coming, he's got to step up and play like he did against Clemson, Tennessee, and Georgia. He underthrew several and overthrew the rest for a lucky 50% completion ratio. That's becoming an issue too. Go back and watch how well the offense flowed when he's hitting 60+% and how it chugs and clunks when he hits 50%. It is also why he's got 1 TD in the last 5 games and 2 ints.
Special Teams
Ugh. They were doing better, really, they were, but then it just goes back to its natural habitat of sucks. Shank punts, blocked extra point, and a few gaps on returns made for yet another typical game for the specialists. How an extra point gets blocked is beyond me, that's the easiest score in the game. There will be some stadium running for a few. Yes, Saban got all over Fitzgerald, but it isn't just him. PJ hasn't had a great year, he's had a good 2 or 3 games going into Auburn, so you can't expect miracles every week, just this coming week I hope....
The Ugly.
none
Random Thoughts
As I watched the 2 replays on CSS, it hit me that Auburn isn't far off from being back where they were. Their defense is good, it just wears out from playing so long. The only thing they need on defense is depth building. Offensively, man where to start? They don't have a fluid system right now. Period. Burns is starting to spite Tony Franklin who would go with Todd. Todd is a better QB hands down than Burns, he isn't Jason Campbell but he's better than the alternatives. What confuses me about Auburn's philosophy is their best player gets 8 touches tops. I still feel like Tubberville has packed his bags and went on cruise control to get out the door. However, I wouldn't go around yelling how bad Auburn is going to be for years to come, just yet, because with a QB and a gameplan on offense, they'll be in the hunt again.
Eventually, the story on Sly Croom will come out. My gut feeling at first was that they told him to clean the house out and Croom again said no and was ousted then. Second gut feeling says he quit to avoid the resume saying fired at MSU. Now, the debate will rage for years on these sites about Croom and how good or bad he is. Let's be fair and divorce our minds of the Alabama factor in it (at least the off field part) and look at what he inherited and where it ended up. He took a program on probation, with no in roads to recruiting talent, discipline problems galore, etal and while the W-L record doesn't show it, he developed a system of conditioning and discipline that paid dividends last year, but a lack of offensive talent and strategy failed him in the end. ESPN did have a good point, Black coaches are getting shitty jobs and being asked to make something out of them like Croom did in part at State and Turner Gil is doing at Buffalo. UT, Clemson, and others won't seriously look at a Black coach because they want status quo names like the ones being mentioned and hired. Personally, I think Croom would do better at a UCLA or Washington or Clemson than in the SEC right now.
Ding dong Fulmer is gone. I told my dad and brother Saturday that the perfect Saturday needed Kentucky to beat UT. Sadly, I'll have to wait. Fulmer thinks he can coach somewhere else and be successful, but I hate to tell him it won't happen if he doesn't rededicate himself to recruiting. I'd hire Croom over Fulmer because the stench is less. Hell, I'd hire Tubberville over him, Tubberville hasn't gone through the ups and downs nearly as much as Phil has. I would hire Fulmer over Mike Shula or Mike Price or Mike Dubose though, but that isn't saying anything.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The Big 12 is the best conference in the nation.
BUY. Earlier this year I said the SEC was. The SEC has tripped on its ego I'm afraid. The problem is that you have Bama and Florida, but then the distance between them and Georgia, the next best team, is pretty far. Truth is, the SEC is down this year. It is why the SEC champ is the only BCS contender this year, whereas last year UGA had an outside shot, because their schedules and victories aren't that great looking at the end as they were at the time they played. That is why Bama isn't getting as much love as OU and Texas are because Bama's big wins are against a 6 win Clemson, a 7 win LSU, a 5 win UT, and a 9 bad win UGA team. Same goes for Florida. FSU isn't as big as it used to be, they don't have a wow factor on their resume either, but the style points and the beat downs they've given get them there.
Bama did run up the score on Auburn
SELL. For me, there is no such thing as running up the score when you are playing rivals or conference foes. The only time such occurs is against the Sister Mary of the Blind, Deaf, Mutilated, Impotent, and Homosexually challenged games. You line up and play 1st strings and 2nd strings the full 60 minutes when you play conference games. It isn't your job to stop yourself short, that's the opponent's job.
Those who said Paul Johnson couldn't coach in the SEC should line up for crow.
BUY. Is it stylish or going to get a Julio Jones or top end QB? No. Is it going to wear out teams, score points, and win games? Yes. When Tech beat MSU like a drum, we all kinda dismissed it as State. When they unloaded 200 yards rushing in the 3rd quarter alone, damn that's some yards gained, it was worth noting. Johnson is a good coach and is a lot like Bobby Johnson, he can take talent overlooked by the big brothers and make winners out of them. Could he win a NC or SECC? Dunno, he'd be 2nd in the East right now though.
The Big 12 tiebreaker is flawed and should be scrapped.
BUY. How on earth do you say a team that got beaten thoroughly goes ahead of the team that thumped them? I like the SEC's system better that says if 2 teams are within 3 spots of each other it reverts back to H2H. That would have put Texas, the rightful contender, in the B12C again. Instead, we now have the issue of who deserves to play the SEC champ in January? OU or Texas? What happens if Missouri finds a miracle, and it seems to happen a lot in the 12 championship games (Tx beat NU in the 1st, aTm upset KSU, CU beat Tx), who goes then? Texas, the jilted champion? USC, the quiet army from the west? The loser of the SECC? Seriously, what happens if say Bama wins on a last second field goal or TD and wins by 1? Is Florida not worthy in that case, or not as worthy as Tx or USC? That is why I hate the BCS.
LSU is on the way down with Auburn.
HOLD. Here's the history lesson for all to remember: where was Alabama and Florida this time last year? It can amaze me that folks think offseasons only work for their team and not others. I'd hold judgement on LSU and others until we see what they are playing with in August. I do think both might be in trouble if they don't find some depth on defense though.
Stay tuned around Wednesday or Thursday, I'll have a Florida/Bama breakdown.
November 29, 2008
Random Thoughts
With visions of turkey dancing on my mind, I take a moment to give thanks that I can log on here and see arguements about Corey Smith and who's bitch is who's....
Best since 1985
Here's a fun discussion, who is the best at what position since 1985? Here's my top 5s for each. Yes it is a slow week....Here is the criteria- W/L, stats, victories over AU, UT, LSU, etal.
Quarterback
1. Jay Barker. There will be this theory that he's not 1 because his freshman and sophomore year statistically were poor. That's a true statement, but with a defense like the 91-92 teams had, he didn't have to do much. Also, when Mal Moore is your coach, do you really expect greatness? The bottom line is he never lost to UT, AU, or LSU. His stat lines were good in the end because Homer taught him the way, but the W/L matters more.
2. Gary Hollingsworth. Won an SEC championship, beat UT, but not Auburn. Was statistically probably one of the best QBs on the team.
3. Brodie Croyle. Statistically, he is the best in class. Win and loss, not quite so much. If he had beaten Auburn once, he probably finishes 2nd to me, but he didn't. He also stayed on his back or on a sling a lot.
4. Tyler Watts. I'm a homer for Watts really. However, he's a big cog in the SEC title in 99 and beating UT and the 10 win season in 02. The thing about him is that he had heart and gave it every play. His career is embodied in the Milons reverse where he hunts 2 UF defenders and clears them out of the lane so that Freddie houses it.
5. Mike Shula. He was more grit than talent if you really get down to it. He was one of the better field generals in Bama's time and lead Bama to 2 last second wins vs. UGA and AU. Statistically, he was tops on the list until Croyle came along.
Honorable Mention- Freddie Kitchens Zow, and JPW, who if he wins Saturday could have a valid case for number 5.
Worst QBs- Brandon Avalos, Brian Burgdorf, Spencer Pennington, Marc Guillon, Lance Tucker
Running Back
1. Bobby Humphrey. No one player has ever been more dominant on the offensive side of the ball in the modern era at Bama than Humphrey. His stats, great games, wins over UT, AU, LSU, were all large and the biggest thing was he was a bruiser as well as a sprinter.
2. Shaun Alexander. Stats wise, he's the top of the chart, but he also was feast and famine. He has an SEC title and the rushing records, but if you watch him and Humphrey side by side, there is no comparison to me that he's not quite as good. Not saying he sucks, but Humphrey was a horse every Saturday.
3. Sherman Williams & Derrick Lassic. The tie goes to these two because they practically worked together every year. Williams was the scatback and Lassic was the north south runner. Both had excellent careers in both wins and stats and big games.
5. Dennis Riddle. May be a shocker for the stat junkies and younger folks that Darby isn't here, but Riddle was just as good and had big plays in big games and wins over Auburn and UT (1994).
HM- Darby, Sh Williams, S Stacy, G Coffee, G Jelks
Worst- Shaun Bohannon
Wide Receivers and TEs
1. David Palmer. No brainer here. The most dynamic player of the 90s led the Tide to big wins and a NC in many ways. Had about as many TDs and kids, but that doesn't detract to his greatness as a player.
2. Al Bell. Those of you younger than say 20, probably don't know Bell, but Al was a catch magnet in the 80s and caught the winning TD against UGA.
3. Freddie Milons. The system made him great, but when the ball was in his hands, good things usually happened. He was probably the 3rd best return man of the period behind Palmer and Arenas.
4. DJ Hall. Stats push him this high, his demeanor and play push him downward.
5. Toderick Malone. He was Barker's go to man in 94 and a real vertical threat his time at Bama.
Top TE- Patrick Hape & Howard Cross.
Worst- Zeke Knight but in his defense, he shouldn't have played WR. Pierre Goode, fast as fleas but hands of rock.
Offensive Line
1. Chris Samuels. He was just as dominant in the huddle as on the field. When you took him out of the equation, they weren't as good or as confident.
2. Andre Smith. Dre is a rare find at any level when you consider he started from day one and was ready.
3. Evan Mathis. He wasn't as big a name as Smiley or Britt, but he was a better ball player.
4. Antoine Caldwell. He's the best OL talent wise since Samuels because he can play all 5 spots if needed.
5. Larry Rose & Neighbors. Back when linemen didn't weigh 300 pounds or have to be 6-6 to play it and were in shape and mean, these two were fine as you could find.
HM- A Ephraim, Smiley, Britt, Patterson
Worst- Von Ewing (biggest waste of scholarship ever when you look at the names you could have gotten), Lannis Baxley, Charlie Dare, Bart Raulston, you know what, the list is extremely long.
Defensive Line
1. John Copeland. I think some kinda kick his name a bit because he had Eric Curry next to him a lot, but I think that defense would have been just as good with just Copeland.
2. Eric Curry. Same for Curry as with Copeland, he was a beast on his own.
3. Jarrett Johnson. Morehead and King got all the recruiting hype, but this guy was the lunch pale, I'll kick your ass guy that made those defenses good.
4. Michael Myers. By far the best pound for pound lineman in a while. He did what Cody is doing plus got to the QB on a regular basis. He'd be higher if he hadn't messed up with the NCAA.
5. Kindal Morehead. He was undersized but was a pure rush end and had a motor that ran 4 quarters.
HM- Antwan Odom, Mark Anderson, Kenny King
Worst- Loescher. What a worthless turd he was off field.
Linebackers
1. Cornelius Bennett. If you are from the ESPN SportsCenter culture that says sacks make you a great player, he wouldn't be on the top of the list, but as far as being the most well rounded player, he was it.
2. Derrick Thomas. The all time leader in a lot of categories, and owner of one of the finest games I've ever seen v. PSU.
3. DeMeco Ryans. A true throwback player to the days of Jordan and Lowe for sure. I just wonder how good he'd been if Kines put him at MLB?
4. Wayne Davis. A name forgotten because of McCants and the top 2 there, but this guy was just as good as Ryans in a lot of ways.
5. Antonio London. Another name forgotten because of those around him, but this guy was the ultimate OLB in the 90s. Always around the ball, always around the QB, and always in position.
HM- Roach, R McClain
Worst- You know, my memory is fuzzy because I can't put my finger on one. Maybe you can refresh me?
Defensive Back
1. George Teague. Langham got press, but Teague was the reason he could gamble. This is the guy that your kids need to watch and learn from.
2. John Mangum. John was a coach's favorite at all levels because he hustled every down and probably touched more footballs in 4 years than 3 defensive backs combined.
3. Antonio Langham. Despite how his career at Bama ended, he was one of the last great cover corners they've had.
4. Tommy Johnson. Another member of the 92 defense mostly forgotten, but this guy was just as good as the rest of the pack. He just didn't have the stat lines they did.
5. Kermit Kendrick. The 80s secondaries are kinda no name for the most part, but Kendrick was a fine DB to compliment the front 7 those teams had.
HM- Peprah, Harper, S Castille
Worst- Kecalf Bailey and the whole host that came through from 1998-2001ish.
Special Teams
1. Van Tiffin. Need I say more?
2. Daniel Pope. When you hit around 44 per kick, you are a game changer.
3. Phillip Doyle. Every bit as good as Tiffin just didn't have the game winners he did.
4. Lane Bearden. Toughest kicker I ever saw.
5. Michael Proctor. A true big legged kicker for the championship teams.
HM- Chris Mohr.
Worst- Hamp, Tank, and about everyone that punted for Curry.
Coaches
Keep in mind, Bear has already passed away by 1985.
1. Gene Stallings. He won, won a lot, didn't do it pretty or clean exactly, but you can't put anyone above the guy who has a championship ring.
2. Nick Saban. No other coach has had the fanfare or the results.
3. Ray Perkins. Perkins was an ass to people, but that doesn't take away from the turn around job he did. I still think he'd won a championship if he hadn't left.
4. Mike Dubose. You'll see his name twice....
5. Bill Curry. Ugh, the coaches have been that bad haven't they?
Worst- Any coach named Mike can be here.
Best since 1985
Here's a fun discussion, who is the best at what position since 1985? Here's my top 5s for each. Yes it is a slow week....Here is the criteria- W/L, stats, victories over AU, UT, LSU, etal.
Quarterback
1. Jay Barker. There will be this theory that he's not 1 because his freshman and sophomore year statistically were poor. That's a true statement, but with a defense like the 91-92 teams had, he didn't have to do much. Also, when Mal Moore is your coach, do you really expect greatness? The bottom line is he never lost to UT, AU, or LSU. His stat lines were good in the end because Homer taught him the way, but the W/L matters more.
2. Gary Hollingsworth. Won an SEC championship, beat UT, but not Auburn. Was statistically probably one of the best QBs on the team.
3. Brodie Croyle. Statistically, he is the best in class. Win and loss, not quite so much. If he had beaten Auburn once, he probably finishes 2nd to me, but he didn't. He also stayed on his back or on a sling a lot.
4. Tyler Watts. I'm a homer for Watts really. However, he's a big cog in the SEC title in 99 and beating UT and the 10 win season in 02. The thing about him is that he had heart and gave it every play. His career is embodied in the Milons reverse where he hunts 2 UF defenders and clears them out of the lane so that Freddie houses it.
5. Mike Shula. He was more grit than talent if you really get down to it. He was one of the better field generals in Bama's time and lead Bama to 2 last second wins vs. UGA and AU. Statistically, he was tops on the list until Croyle came along.
Honorable Mention- Freddie Kitchens Zow, and JPW, who if he wins Saturday could have a valid case for number 5.
Worst QBs- Brandon Avalos, Brian Burgdorf, Spencer Pennington, Marc Guillon, Lance Tucker
Running Back
1. Bobby Humphrey. No one player has ever been more dominant on the offensive side of the ball in the modern era at Bama than Humphrey. His stats, great games, wins over UT, AU, LSU, were all large and the biggest thing was he was a bruiser as well as a sprinter.
2. Shaun Alexander. Stats wise, he's the top of the chart, but he also was feast and famine. He has an SEC title and the rushing records, but if you watch him and Humphrey side by side, there is no comparison to me that he's not quite as good. Not saying he sucks, but Humphrey was a horse every Saturday.
3. Sherman Williams & Derrick Lassic. The tie goes to these two because they practically worked together every year. Williams was the scatback and Lassic was the north south runner. Both had excellent careers in both wins and stats and big games.
5. Dennis Riddle. May be a shocker for the stat junkies and younger folks that Darby isn't here, but Riddle was just as good and had big plays in big games and wins over Auburn and UT (1994).
HM- Darby, Sh Williams, S Stacy, G Coffee, G Jelks
Worst- Shaun Bohannon
Wide Receivers and TEs
1. David Palmer. No brainer here. The most dynamic player of the 90s led the Tide to big wins and a NC in many ways. Had about as many TDs and kids, but that doesn't detract to his greatness as a player.
2. Al Bell. Those of you younger than say 20, probably don't know Bell, but Al was a catch magnet in the 80s and caught the winning TD against UGA.
3. Freddie Milons. The system made him great, but when the ball was in his hands, good things usually happened. He was probably the 3rd best return man of the period behind Palmer and Arenas.
4. DJ Hall. Stats push him this high, his demeanor and play push him downward.
5. Toderick Malone. He was Barker's go to man in 94 and a real vertical threat his time at Bama.
Top TE- Patrick Hape & Howard Cross.
Worst- Zeke Knight but in his defense, he shouldn't have played WR. Pierre Goode, fast as fleas but hands of rock.
Offensive Line
1. Chris Samuels. He was just as dominant in the huddle as on the field. When you took him out of the equation, they weren't as good or as confident.
2. Andre Smith. Dre is a rare find at any level when you consider he started from day one and was ready.
3. Evan Mathis. He wasn't as big a name as Smiley or Britt, but he was a better ball player.
4. Antoine Caldwell. He's the best OL talent wise since Samuels because he can play all 5 spots if needed.
5. Larry Rose & Neighbors. Back when linemen didn't weigh 300 pounds or have to be 6-6 to play it and were in shape and mean, these two were fine as you could find.
HM- A Ephraim, Smiley, Britt, Patterson
Worst- Von Ewing (biggest waste of scholarship ever when you look at the names you could have gotten), Lannis Baxley, Charlie Dare, Bart Raulston, you know what, the list is extremely long.
Defensive Line
1. John Copeland. I think some kinda kick his name a bit because he had Eric Curry next to him a lot, but I think that defense would have been just as good with just Copeland.
2. Eric Curry. Same for Curry as with Copeland, he was a beast on his own.
3. Jarrett Johnson. Morehead and King got all the recruiting hype, but this guy was the lunch pale, I'll kick your ass guy that made those defenses good.
4. Michael Myers. By far the best pound for pound lineman in a while. He did what Cody is doing plus got to the QB on a regular basis. He'd be higher if he hadn't messed up with the NCAA.
5. Kindal Morehead. He was undersized but was a pure rush end and had a motor that ran 4 quarters.
HM- Antwan Odom, Mark Anderson, Kenny King
Worst- Loescher. What a worthless turd he was off field.
Linebackers
1. Cornelius Bennett. If you are from the ESPN SportsCenter culture that says sacks make you a great player, he wouldn't be on the top of the list, but as far as being the most well rounded player, he was it.
2. Derrick Thomas. The all time leader in a lot of categories, and owner of one of the finest games I've ever seen v. PSU.
3. DeMeco Ryans. A true throwback player to the days of Jordan and Lowe for sure. I just wonder how good he'd been if Kines put him at MLB?
4. Wayne Davis. A name forgotten because of McCants and the top 2 there, but this guy was just as good as Ryans in a lot of ways.
5. Antonio London. Another name forgotten because of those around him, but this guy was the ultimate OLB in the 90s. Always around the ball, always around the QB, and always in position.
HM- Roach, R McClain
Worst- You know, my memory is fuzzy because I can't put my finger on one. Maybe you can refresh me?
Defensive Back
1. George Teague. Langham got press, but Teague was the reason he could gamble. This is the guy that your kids need to watch and learn from.
2. John Mangum. John was a coach's favorite at all levels because he hustled every down and probably touched more footballs in 4 years than 3 defensive backs combined.
3. Antonio Langham. Despite how his career at Bama ended, he was one of the last great cover corners they've had.
4. Tommy Johnson. Another member of the 92 defense mostly forgotten, but this guy was just as good as the rest of the pack. He just didn't have the stat lines they did.
5. Kermit Kendrick. The 80s secondaries are kinda no name for the most part, but Kendrick was a fine DB to compliment the front 7 those teams had.
HM- Peprah, Harper, S Castille
Worst- Kecalf Bailey and the whole host that came through from 1998-2001ish.
Special Teams
1. Van Tiffin. Need I say more?
2. Daniel Pope. When you hit around 44 per kick, you are a game changer.
3. Phillip Doyle. Every bit as good as Tiffin just didn't have the game winners he did.
4. Lane Bearden. Toughest kicker I ever saw.
5. Michael Proctor. A true big legged kicker for the championship teams.
HM- Chris Mohr.
Worst- Hamp, Tank, and about everyone that punted for Curry.
Coaches
Keep in mind, Bear has already passed away by 1985.
1. Gene Stallings. He won, won a lot, didn't do it pretty or clean exactly, but you can't put anyone above the guy who has a championship ring.
2. Nick Saban. No other coach has had the fanfare or the results.
3. Ray Perkins. Perkins was an ass to people, but that doesn't take away from the turn around job he did. I still think he'd won a championship if he hadn't left.
4. Mike Dubose. You'll see his name twice....
5. Bill Curry. Ugh, the coaches have been that bad haven't they?
Worst- Any coach named Mike can be here.
November 17, 2008
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- MSU
When Coach Saban puts the challenge out to fans to be loud, to summarize in PG format, there is only one thing to do. You send the RLB 3 down to step up for the crowd. Yeah, we'd been there if he'd said sit your asses at home and leave the stadium empty. I'll say this, things have changed a bit when you go to a game from when I first went 25 years ago, but I digress....
The Good...
The fans got loud for a change
Bryant Denny has a habit of sounding more like a Country Club bar than a football stadium at times. Season ticket holders will balk and say they yell and blah blah blah blah blah, but we've all sat at home and can confess, when the stadium is loud, you know it, when it is not, you know it too. I really wish that it could be that noisy and up tempo each home game. We'll see if the mold is broken or if it was a special guest appearance by the fans. It was colder than a well digger's ass, but I didn't give a shit either.
Defense keeps things in check
The biggest winner of the night was Bama's defense, again, because they pretty well clogged up and shut down Mississippi State for all but about 3 series. On those three, one was the TD, the other two stalled out thanks to MSU's lack of execution. The rest of the game the defense really flexed its muscle for the national television audience. They aren't flashy, and they aren't like the 92 or any host of the 70s defenses, but they can win games like all those did. The biggest thing this defense does is they move well to the ball. Sitting in the stands, you could see all the safeties and linebackers flow to the play and not get frozen on their assignments. In the past, the defenders would stick to their assignment even if the play had already been put in motion and their guy wasn't the play. Rashad Johnson and Rolando McClain are a big part of this, as well as the growth of Hightower, of course ridding themselves of Marcus Carter didn't hurt matters because Woodall and the others really hunt the ball every play.
Special Teams
It isn't normal for them to be here, but against MSU, they did have their best game of the year. Taking out Arenas's touchdowns, which were great but you can't use that to evaluate because it won't happen every week, the key was keeping Pegues bottled up as well as possible. The punts were high and kept things in play, the field goal kicking was straight (hallelujah!), and the coverage units had minimal mistakes (Prince Hall's nub arm tackle was it). For once, the special teams led the way and didn't keep the game in play for the opponent.
Sightings
There was a Darius Hanks sighting or three, and the Internets will buzz about him again, there was a Griffin sighting, and he'll be there with Darrah on the Internets, and we saw a whole host of backups doing some mop up work. That's always good because you can see what a player has in actual game situations and not just on A Day. I thought most mentioned and participated looked good. Boswell has real big potential at RT, Vlachos did fine with the center/quarterback exchange and the shotgun snaps were okay, you could tell he was excited to play. Griffin is a nice north south runner that may get more looks if Upchurch and Grant have issues.
Arenas time
The MSU game reminded me a lot of the Tulane game. The offense was under performing and the defense was getting left out on the field a bit too much, but Arenas generated the offense for them. It isn't a great plan to live on, but when it works, it works. The thing that I notice is when Arenas has a return, he's usually got Marquis Johnson leading him to the seam. Both returns had Johnson at convoy running him to the gap and in the past few weeks where Arenas has struggled, he's been on his own. I don't necessarily think Johnson lead blocking was the difference, but it seemed to help Arenas calm down and not press as much to see another player make the gap and him follow suit. I do think that Arenas knew his leash was short and the returnman role was not his in stone. Sometimes, that will motivate you more than anything else is knowing you can lose your job.
Bobby Greenwood
Some folks want Zo Washington to start, some want Dareus, some want Santa Claus or whomever. That's just the way fans are, they always want the backup to be the man. See Bobby Greenwood. Here's the guy who was a big splash as a freshman, but then had a sophomore slump, played out of position his junior year, and this summer everyone was going to beat him out. You could roll out the post logs across the Internets to find nobody wanted him to start long if at all, because he had underperformed. Well, thankfully, football is played on the field still and not in the minds of some. The big things for Greenwood aren't surprising as far as why he's stepped up. One, he's back at rush end where he needed to be all along. He, like Gilberry before him, are not guys that can play inside the tackle because their frames and style aren't made for that. Second, he's a senior and he knows this is it, his name and mark will be remembered for the 12-14 games he plays this year. So, when you see him playing all out, it isn't a surprise, it is just getting the right guy in the right spot.
The Bad...
Offensive Line play
I don't know who the end was that played against Andre Smith was, but the guy probably upped his stock because he whipped Smith a good bit of the night. MSU is physical, no questioning that, and they know how to play, but then there is the fact that this defense is bottom feeding in the SEC. This is the defense that gave up 500 yards and a slew of points to Georgia Tech, 400 to LSU, and so on. There wasn't a valid excuse as to why the OL could not get things done. Don't try the crowding the box routine, that doesn't explain why Wilson got flushed out seemingly all game long, nor should you say that the DL was that good, they weren't. It was just a bad night for the OL, no sugar coating about it.
The stadium couldn't swallow McCoy fast enough
I don't know if he'll be benched or put in a lower role. I do know that the staff's patience with him is worn thin. McCoy is just one of those guys that looks good in practice, but when the lights and the roar of the crowd hits him, he wilts. Call it the Zeke Knight complex, he always was great in practice and then in the game he couldn't catch crabs at a crab shack. He isn't alone, but he is the starter on the WR core and he could stand to have a game that justifies him being that player. If you need proof of what I'm saying, why do you think they are courting every big name WR prospect? It isn't depth, they're hunting playmakers and Bama is way short at WR in playmakers. That includes Gibson, Maze, McCoy, and the rest.
The Ugly...
Post Game show
I am starting to see why fans at other schools say Bama fans are whiners. Bama gets a win over a MSU program that really was a big boulder off its back. They are 1 game away from a perfect regular season. What do fans want to talk about on the radio? Florida. Geez. I guess the Iron Bowl needs to be canceled and just let Bama have a 1-0 win. I doubt UGA would tell you they are easy this morning. What's worse is that the calls weren't about that game but more about complaining about "respect" and how they should beat Florida. I did get amused that nobody wanted to ask Stewart a question, it is a waste of time because he's useless, but really how many times can you ask Tyler Watts about that game when Auburn, your most hated rival, the team that has beaten Alabama 6 straight, the team that stands between you and destiny, etal. is right there ahead of you? Just curious because I haven't even started looking at Florida yet.
One big empty patch in the stadium
Kinda like a hideous mole on an otherwise hot chick, it pissed me off. Going off rumor and assumptions, I'm guessing it was the "block" of the frat in question. Now, there may be valid issues involved in it, but that's not real important if your frat/sorority is built on school spirit and involvement. You suck it up and deal with the politics Monday thru Friday, but on Saturday when America watches Alabama, you better see a united Damn front. I guess things have changed since I went to school because the frats usually dealt with the business internally and the school and athletic programs never really had to deal with much or knew about it. Greek justice used to be swift and unmerciful, that must be antiquated like looking for the ball, and going to the game to watch the game.
Random Thoughts
Gameday has changed a lot over 25 years. I enjoyed the Walk of Champions and the entire atmosphere that brings to the game. The players seem to enjoy the moment too, which is key. I do hope that they keep it special and not just a thing you do before the game. Don't think that happens, ask Clemson how cheap the walk is now. Dabo had to make it special again since he took over because some didn't even follow the ritual, they just went on down in waves, not as a team, and it left a lot to be desired by fans' expectations. The one thing that bothered me, and maybe it was just where I was, was the number of roaming around fans there were. Like I said, it might have just been where I was, but it seemed like I was having to reorganize and move to let people in and out most of the night. My family and I were entertained by the drunk in U4 that decided to show us his ass crack and dance. He summarily pissed off the guy under the rail that he was grinding on and was escorted out. Drunks were nothing new to BDS, but they used to be contained to their seats and didn't roam as much. I guess when you add seats, you add to the atmosphere? One other thought, when they add another 10,000 seats, they'll have to develop a bypass or more lanes for 59/20 because it took 3 hours to get to Birmingham. I hope that is in the works down there because it is a real problem for a road system that is already in poor shape.
Now, about Florida. I took a second to think on them and after watching the highlights of them v. USCar, I can understand why the media thinks they can beat Bama. I think anyone who says they can't is probably the only people in the conversation not keeping it real. Instead of the reasons why Bama could lose, I'll tell you how you beat Florida. (Cutting out the typical givens like not turning it over, playing mistake free, etc.)
First, you better be ready to pressure them. You can't zone out Tebow and the option game. You have to force them to pitch or run the play faster by pressuring off the ends. If your DE's can do it, then you can leave the LBs off in space to corral the play. If you have to send the linebackers, you will have to do it with the faster options and it will need to come through the ends and not up the gaps in the line because the option moves away from the gaps and puts those blitzers out of position fast. They also tend to tip their hand faster and give the QB a chance to check out of the play or make his decision on the hand off. So, you must go off the ends and clog the middle with your down linemen. The middle shouldn't be an issue with Cody and Chapman and Dareus there, but the outside might cause a problem because Arenas or Sharrief can't bring down Tebow alone.
Second, when the spread goes to pass mode, you still must pressure. However, a zone blitz is highly effective because the speed that Florida brings is going to make it hard for Bama defenders to keep up step by step. It also can fool the QB into seeing something that isn't really there because he won't see a lineman or linebacker sliding back into the flat.
Third, on offense, you can't let a deficit get to you. If you are down 10 or more to them, early, you can't abandon the basics of who you are. I see teams do this a lot with Florida and Texas Tech. It is a true statement that their offenses are their best defense because they change the game in a hurry at times. Staying to what you do best is going to be the best way to survive and win. Bama can't go into a pass on all downs mode and expect to win. Bama must establish the run and run between the tackles because Florida's speed is going to force it middle. Running straight ahead neutralizes the speed and gives you some chances to pop the backers and safeties in the jaw. That usually slows them down after about 5 or 6 good licks. Running to the outside only plays into the Gators strength and gives them momentum.
Last, you cannot let the speed get to you. Yes, they are fast. Yes, they can turn a 2 yard play into a long touchdown. Yes, they are that good on both sides of the ball. However, if you play sound and play how you have played all season, that speed will stay in front of you. You beat speed by keeping it in front of you and not chasing after it. Alabama can't out race Florida, I don't think anyone will say so. They can use their power and speed to force Florida to react faster than they'd like and force the play to move in front of the defenders more. I don't think you can rush either safety and survive Florida because Tebow has a big enough arm to throw one deep under pressure. The pressure must force the play into the teeth of the defense to create turnover or short yardage results. Pressuring just to flush Tebow isn't enough because he's good on the run. Also, on short yardage plays, Tebow will go left, stack the left side, keep man coverage on the TE's and WR in their jumbo package for the jump pass.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Anyone feel stupid for bad mouthing Javi now?
Sell. One, fussing about his lack of concentration to fair catch, hold the ball, not put the offense behind the 10, etc. is valid. Two, if that is bad mouthing, you need to spend a week in practice somewhere, that's soft compared to what coaches yell on an average day.
Fire Gottfried!
Hold. But not long, I think the time and patience thing is short this year. He is really out of excuses and a loss to Mercer which is about as big as UAB or Birmingham Southern is embarrassing. I think the results will be needed soon or else Mal will have to actually do something for a change. Of course, putting Mal on a coach hunt is like putting a two peckered tomcat in a room full of cats in heat.
The offweek will be good for all.
BUY. The players look worn down right now and the pressure of the BCS and SEC are starting to take their toll. LSU and MSU came loaded for bear and put their best foot forward, and there is nothing telling me Auburn and Florida won't either. This week will be good to get Cody, Upchurch, and some others the rest time to get them back to as close to 100% as a player can be during the season. The thing to remember is that when you are an active player, you are always going to be hurt, every team is hurting by now, but there is a big difference in hurting and being injured. Teams with a lot of injuries tend to fail down the stretch, teams that are hurt can overcome and win.
Jeramie Griffin will be a big contributor in the future.
Sell. Griffin can contribute, but I knew sitting in the stand that fans would start hyping him up on here and on the other sites. The problem isn't him or his capacity, it is the players in front of him. Next fall, Coffee and Upchurch return for their senior year, Ingram will be a sophomore, and Trent Richardson should be contributing to the rotation too. They are all just better options on the field. It isn't anything bad and when you start signing top end players, these things happen. It is good for the team, good for fans, but kinda sucks when you are good but not good enough. I do see him in a jumbo type situation or a receiving fullback role maybe, but at tailback, I don't see him in a big role without injury problems. Yes I left out Grant because...
Terry Grant will still be around next year.
Hold. If he wants to play and has aspirations to the NFL or whatever, it won't be at Alabama outside of return team roles. If he wants to get an education and be able to say he played at a top school, he has that covered as is. Grant hasn't played well when he's played, and the excuses can flow as to why, but it is what it is. So, does he stay or transfer? Hard to say without knowing his mind. I won't be surprised either way. Like mentioned above, when you start getting top end players, the next tier often gets left out and that's bad for some but good for more.
The Good...
The fans got loud for a change
Bryant Denny has a habit of sounding more like a Country Club bar than a football stadium at times. Season ticket holders will balk and say they yell and blah blah blah blah blah, but we've all sat at home and can confess, when the stadium is loud, you know it, when it is not, you know it too. I really wish that it could be that noisy and up tempo each home game. We'll see if the mold is broken or if it was a special guest appearance by the fans. It was colder than a well digger's ass, but I didn't give a shit either.
Defense keeps things in check
The biggest winner of the night was Bama's defense, again, because they pretty well clogged up and shut down Mississippi State for all but about 3 series. On those three, one was the TD, the other two stalled out thanks to MSU's lack of execution. The rest of the game the defense really flexed its muscle for the national television audience. They aren't flashy, and they aren't like the 92 or any host of the 70s defenses, but they can win games like all those did. The biggest thing this defense does is they move well to the ball. Sitting in the stands, you could see all the safeties and linebackers flow to the play and not get frozen on their assignments. In the past, the defenders would stick to their assignment even if the play had already been put in motion and their guy wasn't the play. Rashad Johnson and Rolando McClain are a big part of this, as well as the growth of Hightower, of course ridding themselves of Marcus Carter didn't hurt matters because Woodall and the others really hunt the ball every play.
Special Teams
It isn't normal for them to be here, but against MSU, they did have their best game of the year. Taking out Arenas's touchdowns, which were great but you can't use that to evaluate because it won't happen every week, the key was keeping Pegues bottled up as well as possible. The punts were high and kept things in play, the field goal kicking was straight (hallelujah!), and the coverage units had minimal mistakes (Prince Hall's nub arm tackle was it). For once, the special teams led the way and didn't keep the game in play for the opponent.
Sightings
There was a Darius Hanks sighting or three, and the Internets will buzz about him again, there was a Griffin sighting, and he'll be there with Darrah on the Internets, and we saw a whole host of backups doing some mop up work. That's always good because you can see what a player has in actual game situations and not just on A Day. I thought most mentioned and participated looked good. Boswell has real big potential at RT, Vlachos did fine with the center/quarterback exchange and the shotgun snaps were okay, you could tell he was excited to play. Griffin is a nice north south runner that may get more looks if Upchurch and Grant have issues.
Arenas time
The MSU game reminded me a lot of the Tulane game. The offense was under performing and the defense was getting left out on the field a bit too much, but Arenas generated the offense for them. It isn't a great plan to live on, but when it works, it works. The thing that I notice is when Arenas has a return, he's usually got Marquis Johnson leading him to the seam. Both returns had Johnson at convoy running him to the gap and in the past few weeks where Arenas has struggled, he's been on his own. I don't necessarily think Johnson lead blocking was the difference, but it seemed to help Arenas calm down and not press as much to see another player make the gap and him follow suit. I do think that Arenas knew his leash was short and the returnman role was not his in stone. Sometimes, that will motivate you more than anything else is knowing you can lose your job.
Bobby Greenwood
Some folks want Zo Washington to start, some want Dareus, some want Santa Claus or whomever. That's just the way fans are, they always want the backup to be the man. See Bobby Greenwood. Here's the guy who was a big splash as a freshman, but then had a sophomore slump, played out of position his junior year, and this summer everyone was going to beat him out. You could roll out the post logs across the Internets to find nobody wanted him to start long if at all, because he had underperformed. Well, thankfully, football is played on the field still and not in the minds of some. The big things for Greenwood aren't surprising as far as why he's stepped up. One, he's back at rush end where he needed to be all along. He, like Gilberry before him, are not guys that can play inside the tackle because their frames and style aren't made for that. Second, he's a senior and he knows this is it, his name and mark will be remembered for the 12-14 games he plays this year. So, when you see him playing all out, it isn't a surprise, it is just getting the right guy in the right spot.
The Bad...
Offensive Line play
I don't know who the end was that played against Andre Smith was, but the guy probably upped his stock because he whipped Smith a good bit of the night. MSU is physical, no questioning that, and they know how to play, but then there is the fact that this defense is bottom feeding in the SEC. This is the defense that gave up 500 yards and a slew of points to Georgia Tech, 400 to LSU, and so on. There wasn't a valid excuse as to why the OL could not get things done. Don't try the crowding the box routine, that doesn't explain why Wilson got flushed out seemingly all game long, nor should you say that the DL was that good, they weren't. It was just a bad night for the OL, no sugar coating about it.
The stadium couldn't swallow McCoy fast enough
I don't know if he'll be benched or put in a lower role. I do know that the staff's patience with him is worn thin. McCoy is just one of those guys that looks good in practice, but when the lights and the roar of the crowd hits him, he wilts. Call it the Zeke Knight complex, he always was great in practice and then in the game he couldn't catch crabs at a crab shack. He isn't alone, but he is the starter on the WR core and he could stand to have a game that justifies him being that player. If you need proof of what I'm saying, why do you think they are courting every big name WR prospect? It isn't depth, they're hunting playmakers and Bama is way short at WR in playmakers. That includes Gibson, Maze, McCoy, and the rest.
The Ugly...
Post Game show
I am starting to see why fans at other schools say Bama fans are whiners. Bama gets a win over a MSU program that really was a big boulder off its back. They are 1 game away from a perfect regular season. What do fans want to talk about on the radio? Florida. Geez. I guess the Iron Bowl needs to be canceled and just let Bama have a 1-0 win. I doubt UGA would tell you they are easy this morning. What's worse is that the calls weren't about that game but more about complaining about "respect" and how they should beat Florida. I did get amused that nobody wanted to ask Stewart a question, it is a waste of time because he's useless, but really how many times can you ask Tyler Watts about that game when Auburn, your most hated rival, the team that has beaten Alabama 6 straight, the team that stands between you and destiny, etal. is right there ahead of you? Just curious because I haven't even started looking at Florida yet.
One big empty patch in the stadium
Kinda like a hideous mole on an otherwise hot chick, it pissed me off. Going off rumor and assumptions, I'm guessing it was the "block" of the frat in question. Now, there may be valid issues involved in it, but that's not real important if your frat/sorority is built on school spirit and involvement. You suck it up and deal with the politics Monday thru Friday, but on Saturday when America watches Alabama, you better see a united Damn front. I guess things have changed since I went to school because the frats usually dealt with the business internally and the school and athletic programs never really had to deal with much or knew about it. Greek justice used to be swift and unmerciful, that must be antiquated like looking for the ball, and going to the game to watch the game.
Random Thoughts
Gameday has changed a lot over 25 years. I enjoyed the Walk of Champions and the entire atmosphere that brings to the game. The players seem to enjoy the moment too, which is key. I do hope that they keep it special and not just a thing you do before the game. Don't think that happens, ask Clemson how cheap the walk is now. Dabo had to make it special again since he took over because some didn't even follow the ritual, they just went on down in waves, not as a team, and it left a lot to be desired by fans' expectations. The one thing that bothered me, and maybe it was just where I was, was the number of roaming around fans there were. Like I said, it might have just been where I was, but it seemed like I was having to reorganize and move to let people in and out most of the night. My family and I were entertained by the drunk in U4 that decided to show us his ass crack and dance. He summarily pissed off the guy under the rail that he was grinding on and was escorted out. Drunks were nothing new to BDS, but they used to be contained to their seats and didn't roam as much. I guess when you add seats, you add to the atmosphere? One other thought, when they add another 10,000 seats, they'll have to develop a bypass or more lanes for 59/20 because it took 3 hours to get to Birmingham. I hope that is in the works down there because it is a real problem for a road system that is already in poor shape.
Now, about Florida. I took a second to think on them and after watching the highlights of them v. USCar, I can understand why the media thinks they can beat Bama. I think anyone who says they can't is probably the only people in the conversation not keeping it real. Instead of the reasons why Bama could lose, I'll tell you how you beat Florida. (Cutting out the typical givens like not turning it over, playing mistake free, etc.)
First, you better be ready to pressure them. You can't zone out Tebow and the option game. You have to force them to pitch or run the play faster by pressuring off the ends. If your DE's can do it, then you can leave the LBs off in space to corral the play. If you have to send the linebackers, you will have to do it with the faster options and it will need to come through the ends and not up the gaps in the line because the option moves away from the gaps and puts those blitzers out of position fast. They also tend to tip their hand faster and give the QB a chance to check out of the play or make his decision on the hand off. So, you must go off the ends and clog the middle with your down linemen. The middle shouldn't be an issue with Cody and Chapman and Dareus there, but the outside might cause a problem because Arenas or Sharrief can't bring down Tebow alone.
Second, when the spread goes to pass mode, you still must pressure. However, a zone blitz is highly effective because the speed that Florida brings is going to make it hard for Bama defenders to keep up step by step. It also can fool the QB into seeing something that isn't really there because he won't see a lineman or linebacker sliding back into the flat.
Third, on offense, you can't let a deficit get to you. If you are down 10 or more to them, early, you can't abandon the basics of who you are. I see teams do this a lot with Florida and Texas Tech. It is a true statement that their offenses are their best defense because they change the game in a hurry at times. Staying to what you do best is going to be the best way to survive and win. Bama can't go into a pass on all downs mode and expect to win. Bama must establish the run and run between the tackles because Florida's speed is going to force it middle. Running straight ahead neutralizes the speed and gives you some chances to pop the backers and safeties in the jaw. That usually slows them down after about 5 or 6 good licks. Running to the outside only plays into the Gators strength and gives them momentum.
Last, you cannot let the speed get to you. Yes, they are fast. Yes, they can turn a 2 yard play into a long touchdown. Yes, they are that good on both sides of the ball. However, if you play sound and play how you have played all season, that speed will stay in front of you. You beat speed by keeping it in front of you and not chasing after it. Alabama can't out race Florida, I don't think anyone will say so. They can use their power and speed to force Florida to react faster than they'd like and force the play to move in front of the defenders more. I don't think you can rush either safety and survive Florida because Tebow has a big enough arm to throw one deep under pressure. The pressure must force the play into the teeth of the defense to create turnover or short yardage results. Pressuring just to flush Tebow isn't enough because he's good on the run. Also, on short yardage plays, Tebow will go left, stack the left side, keep man coverage on the TE's and WR in their jumbo package for the jump pass.
Buy/Sell/Hold
Anyone feel stupid for bad mouthing Javi now?
Sell. One, fussing about his lack of concentration to fair catch, hold the ball, not put the offense behind the 10, etc. is valid. Two, if that is bad mouthing, you need to spend a week in practice somewhere, that's soft compared to what coaches yell on an average day.
Fire Gottfried!
Hold. But not long, I think the time and patience thing is short this year. He is really out of excuses and a loss to Mercer which is about as big as UAB or Birmingham Southern is embarrassing. I think the results will be needed soon or else Mal will have to actually do something for a change. Of course, putting Mal on a coach hunt is like putting a two peckered tomcat in a room full of cats in heat.
The offweek will be good for all.
BUY. The players look worn down right now and the pressure of the BCS and SEC are starting to take their toll. LSU and MSU came loaded for bear and put their best foot forward, and there is nothing telling me Auburn and Florida won't either. This week will be good to get Cody, Upchurch, and some others the rest time to get them back to as close to 100% as a player can be during the season. The thing to remember is that when you are an active player, you are always going to be hurt, every team is hurting by now, but there is a big difference in hurting and being injured. Teams with a lot of injuries tend to fail down the stretch, teams that are hurt can overcome and win.
Jeramie Griffin will be a big contributor in the future.
Sell. Griffin can contribute, but I knew sitting in the stand that fans would start hyping him up on here and on the other sites. The problem isn't him or his capacity, it is the players in front of him. Next fall, Coffee and Upchurch return for their senior year, Ingram will be a sophomore, and Trent Richardson should be contributing to the rotation too. They are all just better options on the field. It isn't anything bad and when you start signing top end players, these things happen. It is good for the team, good for fans, but kinda sucks when you are good but not good enough. I do see him in a jumbo type situation or a receiving fullback role maybe, but at tailback, I don't see him in a big role without injury problems. Yes I left out Grant because...
Terry Grant will still be around next year.
Hold. If he wants to play and has aspirations to the NFL or whatever, it won't be at Alabama outside of return team roles. If he wants to get an education and be able to say he played at a top school, he has that covered as is. Grant hasn't played well when he's played, and the excuses can flow as to why, but it is what it is. So, does he stay or transfer? Hard to say without knowing his mind. I won't be surprised either way. Like mentioned above, when you start getting top end players, the next tier often gets left out and that's bad for some but good for more.
November 12, 2008
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly- LSU
I had to take a mini-vacation after this past week's game. As far as the game goes, this was one that the team needed for several reasons. First, they had to prove to the rest of college football they could take a real punch, check. Second, they had to put the whole Saban-LSU thing to bed for 12 months, a loss would have only continued to fuel that flame, check. Third, the players needed to see themselves overcome in November, check for now. As to the game, there were several G's, B's, and U's, but I'll try to narrow down to worthwhile discussion material.
The Good...
Weathering the storm
To be honest, Alabama well deserved to either be down big at the half or lose the game when you look at how poorly they played in the first half. When you take the turnovers and poor execution and that deer in the headlight look they had through the game until RJ got his pick six, it was a small miracle they were tied at the half and not down. The good in it is that they held on and weathered through to stay in position to win the game. The Bama teams from the last 3 or 4 years would have gone down in flames due to the pressure.
Help from LSU
Bama wasn't alone in mental errors. LSU helped Alabama out a lot. They put a freshman QB out to the wolves too often and it led to 4 picks. They misused their timeouts in the 4th. They went away from the run to the point you thought they couldn't, yet had 4 yards a carry at will. It may be just me, but I'd ran the shit out of Scott and Williams before I'd thrown 20 times with a young QB, especially if the run is working.
Julio Jones
Let's be honest, if Alabama didn't have Julio, do you think they beat LSU? I wouldn't even begin to argue that one, but luckily they have him and he continues to write his resume with hard nosed play. Right now, the rest of the WR core has really fell off the map and Julio is about the only option that Wilson can rely on to be consistant. I really don't know what Bama's record would be without him, but it wouldn't be 10-0. The thing I like most about his play is that he never settles for just the yards on the route, he almost always turns upfield and tries to get the extra 3 or 4 yards.
Rashad Johnson
Earlier in the year, I would have said RJ had been the lesser of the two safeties playing. I thought at times he got lost in coverage and was really playing down more than up. The last 3 weeks or so have been his best football in his college career. It wasn't just the INT's, that's a sportscenter culture reflex to be honest, it is the other things. Being in the right place to break up passes, make tackles, moving players and reading plays, etc. that has been where Johnson has really improved his play in the last month.
Getting the running game going for at least 1 drive.
I'm just one of those people who says that if a team stacks the box, you answer the challenge. I thought too often the play calling helped LSU because they knew they could slow down Alabama if they took out the run. Bama's 3rd quarter scoring drive got back to basics and back to what Bama does well when they are moving the ball- they run right at you. Now, stat junkies will puke out how many yards Coffee had, and that's true, but after his first run of 31 yards, he maybe had 15 to 20 yards the rest of the half. The scoring drive he had around 40 or so on just that one. It also was the best looking drive they had all game. After that drive, it was up and down for the run game with all the worthwhile runs being to the left still. My fear is that Florida or whomever down the road will stack left and force Bama to run right which has been rough at best.
PJ Fitzgerald
It may be the only time he ever gets here with me, but his big punt early in the 4th quarter really turned momentum back. Of course, it was momentary as LSU scored on their best looking drive of the day. He was about it for the special teams.
Defense in the 2nd half
In the first half, LSU gashed the defense. Credit LSU for using that huge OL to make things happen. You could tell that LSU wanted to test Cody's stamina and see if he was healthy or not. He was healthy, but I would be willing to bet even Cody would tell you he's not in game shape. They took advantage of that early, but at half, they made a few key adjustments like keeping the linebackers back off the line and using some of the other DT's and DE pairs to slow down LSU's running attack.
The Bad...
Mental Farts Gallore!
The first one being Wilson's cellphone moment. For starts, they shouldn't be finding players numbers and harassing them, but still you gotta be bigger than that. That penalty took the wind out of the team's momentum and sent them down hill fast. I don't care who else did what, by the way what the hell are we five with all this so and so did it stuff?, but a senior leader needs to set an example. Then there were the turnovers and Javy Arenas' continued struggle to understand his role as returnman. Alexander's fumble I am ok with because he was hustling but you stretch with 2 hands, Wilson's INT never should have been thrown, Arenas's fumble was more doghouse material for him, the bizzare sandlot play where the quick toss to Ingram was muffed, the special team woes, and more were all enough for LSU to beat them and Florida will if they pull that crap again.
Secondary play outside of Johnson
I guess I come from an older antiquated time where you looked for the football. Jackson is still going through his sophomore slump, and teams have begun to pick on him. It seems like every good corner Bama finds goes through it and most don't return to form, for Bama to win out, they need him to step up and get his head in the game and away from the past mistakes. LSU did what I was afraid of, they put a tall athletic WR on Marquis Johnson. It was shades of FSU all over, minus the long TD plays, and really I'm surprised they didn't target him more. I thought Woodall probably had his worst game as he seemed out of position a lot on backside help situations. When Bama goes cover 2 and the corner releases, Woodall's job is to pick him up. He, for reasons unclear, never really picked up the zone gap and LSU's passes in the 4th were attributed to that. Part of their struggle came from the lack of pass rush. Anders has been solved by film study and the rest are not great rushers. Greenwood missed Chapman being there most of the game to help him get inside faster. With the run being effective, it bit back the pass rush options and LSU did a good job of protecting their QB most of the game, both led to the secondary being on an island more (shades of 07).
The Ugly...
Special Teams
Getting really tired of having to go here, but the unit as a whole continues to be the problem spot and came real close to costing the game. I really wonder if Tiffin's name were Scott or Jones or Smith, would he still be the kicker? I worry that legacy is trumping performance because he's missed enough kicks now to warrant a tryout during practice. Arenas is a great weapon to have, but he lacks the understanding that not every return is a highlight reel moment. His muff this week was just sloppiness on his part. It is basic fundamentals that you cover the ball in traffic. I'm gonna be blunt, if it comes down to special teams being the difference in a Bama win or Florida win, Florida will win. Bama's failure to improve special teams from last year to this year is about the only disappointment fans should and will have this year. Most years, that wouldn't be that big a deal, but with anything from the SEC to the National Title in range, fans won't reflect much on what all was good, but how this kick or this play changed the year.
Random Thoughts
I don't feel sorry for Fulmer. Paybacks are hell and he's getting his back to him. The fall of the Fulmer isn't real hard to see, he got lazy in his recruiting. He thought with Bama out of the way and the Carolinas and Virginia easy pickings for him, he'd have his inroads for a long time. Well, with Groh, Davis, Saban, Bowden, Spurrier and even Bobby Johnson cutting off parts of West TN, his map got changed. He never worked harder than those coaches for the players and began to recruit the way Shula did, he took what he could get. Could you see Crompton or Stephens there back when they tried to recruit? No. The second half is that he went away from his basic offense that still worked. This "spread" thing they jumbled up has no flow or coordination to it. It is just a play by play getting by thing. When you are scripting drives, you have to have some flow to it. Their play calling looked like two kids playing XBox 360. So, the fate that Fulmer has is his own, he dug it, and the SEC and ACC helped push him in it.
The bowl picture begins to clear, but the BCS is still muddy. The SEC will send Bama, UF, UGA, USCar, LSU, Ole Miss, KY Jelly, and possibly Vandy if they can get 1 more win. Auburn, Arkansas and MSU could go if they win out, but only Arkansas has a faint shot at that. The SEC looks to send 2 teams to the BCS, which is the max, and will if Bama and UF win their remaining regular season games. Their matchup in Atlanta will determine one of the two BCSC spots, and probably the champion. The loser will go to the Sugar Bowl and face off against an At-Large pick, likely Boise St/Utah. So, my updated guess at it is:
BCS- Bama/UF- if you asked me today, I'd say Florida just because they've unloaded on everyone after their slip up against Ole Miss. They'll play Texas Tech because OU has 0 defense.
Sugar- Loser of SECC vs. Boise St.
Cotton- LSU v. OU (should be a worth watching game)
Cap 1- UGA v. OSU (a battle of true underachievers)
Outback- USCar v. Michigan St
Chick Fil A- Ole Miss v. UNC
Liberty- Vandy or Kentucky if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Tulsa
Music City- Kentucky or vacant if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Ga Tech
The rest the conference will not seat because they don't have enough teams this year. The strongest conference has eaten its young....
What did this game teach me...
TCU v. Utah- Utah has a lot of grit. They could have lost this game real easy, and TCU isn't a bad team, but Utah will probably get the snub from the BCS because Boise is roaming with better wins and SOS.
OSU v. Texas Tech- Tech has proven itself to be a real player in the BCS hunt. Beating Texas was not a fluke, but the letdown factor was present but not accounted for because Tech blistered OSU without mercy.
PSU v. Iowa- Reality catches up to you eventually. PSU was a pretender and we all saw it, they had no resume and no claim other than beating OSU (who hasn't) and fate stepped in to cure the BCS mess slightly. Ferentz is a guy that I'm surprised UT hasn't started sniffing around at, he'd be good for the style they like to play.
UGA v. Kentucky- Bad football is contagious. If you watched this one, you realize how bad UGA is when you get down to it. That much talent should not have to struggle with KY, but they lack discipline.
Wyoming v. UT- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, but your medicine is good for you Vols.
Ark v. USCar- USCar is starting to get that look in their eyes again. Their defense is imposing its will on opponents and they look real good winning 6 of their last 7. If they can get some consistancy on offense, they probably would threaten UF more.
UF v. Vandy- The powerful reign supreme. This game was over before the 1st quarter was over. You could see their swagger and confidence and they imposed it. They are as hot as anyone right now because they've found their rythem.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The blocked FG wasn't Tiffin's fault.
SELL. The kick was low, period. I know some flock out here to do spin control and damage control on things because some players hold special places with you, but the block was on him, not the line, not the hold (stupid), not the moon or earth rotation, etc. If he gets on it right, that ball should be able to clear the pile easily, and from that close it has no reason not to. Thankfully, they overcame and went for the win and not the FG in OT. I doubt he'd made it if they trotted him out in OT.
Bama fans are getting real whiny these days.
BUY. Alabama wins a big game, what do they talk about? Wilson's penalty being total bull or that the ref pushed him trying to get him out of the student section or what some talk show host said that wasn't 100 percent pro-Bama, or that ESPN/CBS did this or is at fault for that. Who cares? To answer the questions though, Wilson't penalty was legit, the Ref didn't push him just because he wanted to, he was trying to get him out of the student section before they threw stuff, I don't want every newscaster or talk show host to be for Bama, it would be boring that way. I also don't care what ESPN or CBS says or does, they keep paying the SEC who pays Alabama good money. I don't care if they mispronounce a name, they aren't Eli and mystery assistant, they don't have to remember every jersey and name. Geez.
Without Julio Jones, Bama wouldn't have a descent WR.
HOLD. It is hard to say without him how they'd do. As I said, I don't think they'd be where they are, but at the same time, I'd hope/pray/think that someone would step up in that spot to be there. Nick Walker where are youuuuuuuuuuu.....
Saturday we will get a good look at how Florida will do against us when they play USCar
BUY. I think if there was any litmus test for the SECC preview this would be it. Outside of who they practice against, USCar is the only other D in the SEC or nation that is similar to Bama's. I would say Bama has several bodies focused on breaking down the film on this game afterwards because Florida is doing the same with the LSU (the team most like them) film.
The Good...
Weathering the storm
To be honest, Alabama well deserved to either be down big at the half or lose the game when you look at how poorly they played in the first half. When you take the turnovers and poor execution and that deer in the headlight look they had through the game until RJ got his pick six, it was a small miracle they were tied at the half and not down. The good in it is that they held on and weathered through to stay in position to win the game. The Bama teams from the last 3 or 4 years would have gone down in flames due to the pressure.
Help from LSU
Bama wasn't alone in mental errors. LSU helped Alabama out a lot. They put a freshman QB out to the wolves too often and it led to 4 picks. They misused their timeouts in the 4th. They went away from the run to the point you thought they couldn't, yet had 4 yards a carry at will. It may be just me, but I'd ran the shit out of Scott and Williams before I'd thrown 20 times with a young QB, especially if the run is working.
Julio Jones
Let's be honest, if Alabama didn't have Julio, do you think they beat LSU? I wouldn't even begin to argue that one, but luckily they have him and he continues to write his resume with hard nosed play. Right now, the rest of the WR core has really fell off the map and Julio is about the only option that Wilson can rely on to be consistant. I really don't know what Bama's record would be without him, but it wouldn't be 10-0. The thing I like most about his play is that he never settles for just the yards on the route, he almost always turns upfield and tries to get the extra 3 or 4 yards.
Rashad Johnson
Earlier in the year, I would have said RJ had been the lesser of the two safeties playing. I thought at times he got lost in coverage and was really playing down more than up. The last 3 weeks or so have been his best football in his college career. It wasn't just the INT's, that's a sportscenter culture reflex to be honest, it is the other things. Being in the right place to break up passes, make tackles, moving players and reading plays, etc. that has been where Johnson has really improved his play in the last month.
Getting the running game going for at least 1 drive.
I'm just one of those people who says that if a team stacks the box, you answer the challenge. I thought too often the play calling helped LSU because they knew they could slow down Alabama if they took out the run. Bama's 3rd quarter scoring drive got back to basics and back to what Bama does well when they are moving the ball- they run right at you. Now, stat junkies will puke out how many yards Coffee had, and that's true, but after his first run of 31 yards, he maybe had 15 to 20 yards the rest of the half. The scoring drive he had around 40 or so on just that one. It also was the best looking drive they had all game. After that drive, it was up and down for the run game with all the worthwhile runs being to the left still. My fear is that Florida or whomever down the road will stack left and force Bama to run right which has been rough at best.
PJ Fitzgerald
It may be the only time he ever gets here with me, but his big punt early in the 4th quarter really turned momentum back. Of course, it was momentary as LSU scored on their best looking drive of the day. He was about it for the special teams.
Defense in the 2nd half
In the first half, LSU gashed the defense. Credit LSU for using that huge OL to make things happen. You could tell that LSU wanted to test Cody's stamina and see if he was healthy or not. He was healthy, but I would be willing to bet even Cody would tell you he's not in game shape. They took advantage of that early, but at half, they made a few key adjustments like keeping the linebackers back off the line and using some of the other DT's and DE pairs to slow down LSU's running attack.
The Bad...
Mental Farts Gallore!
The first one being Wilson's cellphone moment. For starts, they shouldn't be finding players numbers and harassing them, but still you gotta be bigger than that. That penalty took the wind out of the team's momentum and sent them down hill fast. I don't care who else did what, by the way what the hell are we five with all this so and so did it stuff?, but a senior leader needs to set an example. Then there were the turnovers and Javy Arenas' continued struggle to understand his role as returnman. Alexander's fumble I am ok with because he was hustling but you stretch with 2 hands, Wilson's INT never should have been thrown, Arenas's fumble was more doghouse material for him, the bizzare sandlot play where the quick toss to Ingram was muffed, the special team woes, and more were all enough for LSU to beat them and Florida will if they pull that crap again.
Secondary play outside of Johnson
I guess I come from an older antiquated time where you looked for the football. Jackson is still going through his sophomore slump, and teams have begun to pick on him. It seems like every good corner Bama finds goes through it and most don't return to form, for Bama to win out, they need him to step up and get his head in the game and away from the past mistakes. LSU did what I was afraid of, they put a tall athletic WR on Marquis Johnson. It was shades of FSU all over, minus the long TD plays, and really I'm surprised they didn't target him more. I thought Woodall probably had his worst game as he seemed out of position a lot on backside help situations. When Bama goes cover 2 and the corner releases, Woodall's job is to pick him up. He, for reasons unclear, never really picked up the zone gap and LSU's passes in the 4th were attributed to that. Part of their struggle came from the lack of pass rush. Anders has been solved by film study and the rest are not great rushers. Greenwood missed Chapman being there most of the game to help him get inside faster. With the run being effective, it bit back the pass rush options and LSU did a good job of protecting their QB most of the game, both led to the secondary being on an island more (shades of 07).
The Ugly...
Special Teams
Getting really tired of having to go here, but the unit as a whole continues to be the problem spot and came real close to costing the game. I really wonder if Tiffin's name were Scott or Jones or Smith, would he still be the kicker? I worry that legacy is trumping performance because he's missed enough kicks now to warrant a tryout during practice. Arenas is a great weapon to have, but he lacks the understanding that not every return is a highlight reel moment. His muff this week was just sloppiness on his part. It is basic fundamentals that you cover the ball in traffic. I'm gonna be blunt, if it comes down to special teams being the difference in a Bama win or Florida win, Florida will win. Bama's failure to improve special teams from last year to this year is about the only disappointment fans should and will have this year. Most years, that wouldn't be that big a deal, but with anything from the SEC to the National Title in range, fans won't reflect much on what all was good, but how this kick or this play changed the year.
Random Thoughts
I don't feel sorry for Fulmer. Paybacks are hell and he's getting his back to him. The fall of the Fulmer isn't real hard to see, he got lazy in his recruiting. He thought with Bama out of the way and the Carolinas and Virginia easy pickings for him, he'd have his inroads for a long time. Well, with Groh, Davis, Saban, Bowden, Spurrier and even Bobby Johnson cutting off parts of West TN, his map got changed. He never worked harder than those coaches for the players and began to recruit the way Shula did, he took what he could get. Could you see Crompton or Stephens there back when they tried to recruit? No. The second half is that he went away from his basic offense that still worked. This "spread" thing they jumbled up has no flow or coordination to it. It is just a play by play getting by thing. When you are scripting drives, you have to have some flow to it. Their play calling looked like two kids playing XBox 360. So, the fate that Fulmer has is his own, he dug it, and the SEC and ACC helped push him in it.
The bowl picture begins to clear, but the BCS is still muddy. The SEC will send Bama, UF, UGA, USCar, LSU, Ole Miss, KY Jelly, and possibly Vandy if they can get 1 more win. Auburn, Arkansas and MSU could go if they win out, but only Arkansas has a faint shot at that. The SEC looks to send 2 teams to the BCS, which is the max, and will if Bama and UF win their remaining regular season games. Their matchup in Atlanta will determine one of the two BCSC spots, and probably the champion. The loser will go to the Sugar Bowl and face off against an At-Large pick, likely Boise St/Utah. So, my updated guess at it is:
BCS- Bama/UF- if you asked me today, I'd say Florida just because they've unloaded on everyone after their slip up against Ole Miss. They'll play Texas Tech because OU has 0 defense.
Sugar- Loser of SECC vs. Boise St.
Cotton- LSU v. OU (should be a worth watching game)
Cap 1- UGA v. OSU (a battle of true underachievers)
Outback- USCar v. Michigan St
Chick Fil A- Ole Miss v. UNC
Liberty- Vandy or Kentucky if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Tulsa
Music City- Kentucky or vacant if Vandy doesn't get 6 wins v. Ga Tech
The rest the conference will not seat because they don't have enough teams this year. The strongest conference has eaten its young....
What did this game teach me...
TCU v. Utah- Utah has a lot of grit. They could have lost this game real easy, and TCU isn't a bad team, but Utah will probably get the snub from the BCS because Boise is roaming with better wins and SOS.
OSU v. Texas Tech- Tech has proven itself to be a real player in the BCS hunt. Beating Texas was not a fluke, but the letdown factor was present but not accounted for because Tech blistered OSU without mercy.
PSU v. Iowa- Reality catches up to you eventually. PSU was a pretender and we all saw it, they had no resume and no claim other than beating OSU (who hasn't) and fate stepped in to cure the BCS mess slightly. Ferentz is a guy that I'm surprised UT hasn't started sniffing around at, he'd be good for the style they like to play.
UGA v. Kentucky- Bad football is contagious. If you watched this one, you realize how bad UGA is when you get down to it. That much talent should not have to struggle with KY, but they lack discipline.
Wyoming v. UT- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, but your medicine is good for you Vols.
Ark v. USCar- USCar is starting to get that look in their eyes again. Their defense is imposing its will on opponents and they look real good winning 6 of their last 7. If they can get some consistancy on offense, they probably would threaten UF more.
UF v. Vandy- The powerful reign supreme. This game was over before the 1st quarter was over. You could see their swagger and confidence and they imposed it. They are as hot as anyone right now because they've found their rythem.
Buy/Sell/Hold
The blocked FG wasn't Tiffin's fault.
SELL. The kick was low, period. I know some flock out here to do spin control and damage control on things because some players hold special places with you, but the block was on him, not the line, not the hold (stupid), not the moon or earth rotation, etc. If he gets on it right, that ball should be able to clear the pile easily, and from that close it has no reason not to. Thankfully, they overcame and went for the win and not the FG in OT. I doubt he'd made it if they trotted him out in OT.
Bama fans are getting real whiny these days.
BUY. Alabama wins a big game, what do they talk about? Wilson's penalty being total bull or that the ref pushed him trying to get him out of the student section or what some talk show host said that wasn't 100 percent pro-Bama, or that ESPN/CBS did this or is at fault for that. Who cares? To answer the questions though, Wilson't penalty was legit, the Ref didn't push him just because he wanted to, he was trying to get him out of the student section before they threw stuff, I don't want every newscaster or talk show host to be for Bama, it would be boring that way. I also don't care what ESPN or CBS says or does, they keep paying the SEC who pays Alabama good money. I don't care if they mispronounce a name, they aren't Eli and mystery assistant, they don't have to remember every jersey and name. Geez.
Without Julio Jones, Bama wouldn't have a descent WR.
HOLD. It is hard to say without him how they'd do. As I said, I don't think they'd be where they are, but at the same time, I'd hope/pray/think that someone would step up in that spot to be there. Nick Walker where are youuuuuuuuuuu.....
Saturday we will get a good look at how Florida will do against us when they play USCar
BUY. I think if there was any litmus test for the SECC preview this would be it. Outside of who they practice against, USCar is the only other D in the SEC or nation that is similar to Bama's. I would say Bama has several bodies focused on breaking down the film on this game afterwards because Florida is doing the same with the LSU (the team most like them) film.
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