So, now we are coming off the half and UF is getting the ball down 6. This is the quarter where the Tide either establish their dominance or allow Tebow to hang in there and survive like he did last year.
After another contained kickoff, the Gators start their 1st drive. Bama really needs to keep it short and sweet and get the offense out on the field and get them going again.
1st and 10- Tebow over left tackle for 4 Good
Given that his last 3 or 4 runs were all over 5 yards, keeping him short is a good start. Florida lines up with the tailback at Tebow's hip again, it is a high percentage run tip. Hernandez is lined up off line as an h back. Bama is in nickle but have made 2 adjustments right away. First, they are standing up Anders and not rushing him at end. McClain again goes inside and allows Tebow outside where Barron is no match, but a gang tackle effort cuts him short.
2nd and 6- Rainey rushes for a loss of 1 Good
Florida comes out in the same spread formation with Rainey on Tebow's hip. Tebow reads the corner blitz and the option dive is on. The problem Florida had with this is that Cody and Deaderick/Washington/Dareus collapsed the middle all night. This play was no different. Taking the dive away from Florida makes the spread option less of a threat because you know it is now a stretch offense and not the multiple threat.
3rd and 7- Tebow to Cooper for 6 yards Good and Bad
UF goes 5 wide. The two problems that this causes for Bama is that you have to respect Tebow taking the snap and calling his own number and you can't zone a 5 receiver formation. Bama goes dime, as it has all year, on 3rd down. They bring the slot in motion and that frees McClain to rush. The pass pressure is mild again but it is enough to move Tebow and he finds Riley Cooper for 6. The good is that they stopped them, but they were playing a little soft in coverage and almost let Cooper get a 1st.
Henry kicks his worst ball of the night, but it nets out about what it would have if Arenas fields it. Overall the defensive series is a good confidence building series. Remember in the 2nd quarter they couldn't stop them hardly. This time, they get the ball back in a hurry and let the offense take over in a descent spot.
1st and 10- Ingram rushes for 7 yards Good
Bama takes over and comes out in the I formation. Bama starts out with a dive play with the OL shifting left after the snap and Ingram shows good patience to find the gap that Dial helps create. He ends up following Vlachos who dozed through his man and got to the 2nd level. Nice start and it sets the tone that Bama is going to wear down the defense like last year. Unlike last year, they have a lead that they can salt.
2nd and 3- Ingram rushes for 2 yards Bad
Bama lines up in the Ace Shotgun with Williams and Peek at the TE spots. This time Vlachos pulls right as the lead blocker but Spikes unloads on him and it is a small gain but a manageable 3rd and 1. There were 2 blocks needed from the right end and the lead block, and neither made their block, both were stood up. This is where Vlachos struggles because he's not real smooth when he runs, he looks out of control, and he can't get down and get his pad level where it needs to be in these situations. He's better off just going north and south and getting to the next level from there.
3rd and 1- Ingram for 5 Good
This play almost evaporated before it started. Maze lines up out of position, so he doesn't know the play. When Greg gets him in position, the real motion, Jones to tackle, is rushed because the play clock is running short. The play is a good one for the Tide, it worked about all night, it is a dive play where the TE and Jones seal the left and the OL shifts right and Carpenter, Johnson and Vlachos create the run lane for Ingram to hit. It is an easy 5.
1st and 10- McElroy to Maze for 28 yards Good
Bama lines up in the shotgun with Dial split left by himself. It smells like run. From the snap it looks run, Johnson pulls right and McElroy presents the ball out to Ingram but it is play action. He does a good job of feeling the pressure and taking a hop step back to buy time. He's got man coverage on the 2 options he has. Jones running a slant to the middle or Maze on a sideline streak/wheel route. Maze ended up on a linebacker and Greg threads it. The throw has to be on the money because the linebacker is much taller than Maze, an underthrow is a pick and an overthrow is in the bench. Big play.
1st and 10- McElroy to Ingram incomplete, 15 yard late hit penalty Good and Bad
Good because the penalty gets them easy yards, but bad because the play was a bust. UF read the play and attacked it, McElroy does a nice job of evading the blitz and does a nice job of dumping it to the turf because there was not a real option out there. I know some UF fans felt the penalty was a ticky tack call, but the lineman had plenty of time to pull up and didn't. That gets called in August and December.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for the TD Good
His best pass of the night comes at a big point in the game. Florida is on the ropes now, 3 straight first downs, a bad penalty, and they are on the verge of defeat and they know it. The play itself should look familiar, fans have clammored for it all year, it is the Wildcat. The only difference is that McElroy is in the gun and not Ingram. They line up Peek and Jones to the left and Williams on the line, Maze split right. Jones goes in motion and they fake the handoff. With Ingram this is the point where the dive starts, but with McElroy, this is a sliding pocket play. The entire line moves right to draw the D in right. Peek runs a fade route and McElroy throws a 40 yard pass for 17 yards and the score. Great concentration on Peek's part to catch one over the shoulder. A nice sig would be after the catch, they cut to the sideline and Meyer's headset is over his eyes. The key to the play is the motion, Gary calls it the Shoot Screen, most of you who played in any imaginative offense had this play it is called the shit screen because if you let the WR/TE free, like UF did, the first word out of your HC's mouth is shit.
Overall this is a big point in the game and this drive is a big drive. They now have eliminated the major worry of the missed extra point for the time being. A 13 point lead gives them some breathing room to open up the defense and start the grinding and ground and pound that Bama does when it gets a 2 score lead.
Bama does another good job on kickoff coverage and with James out, the threat is much less.
1st and 10- Tebow to Nelson for 9 Bad
This is a play that Bama has used about 5 times and Bama isn't ready for it either. They move Hernandez in motion and he is the lone receiver to the left. Trips are to the right and Rainey is his lone back. Bama's coverage is way too soft again. The nearest corner or safety is 7 or 8 yards off the LOS. There is 0 pressure and as a result Tebow has time to check down. Nelson is the safety route and is at the LOS, with nobody around him. That is a bust on Arenas or Johnson.
2nd and 1- Tebow rush for 5 Bad
The option read is on where the play is the hb sweep off tackle or QB dive. Bama is rushing the edges pre snap so this is an easy read for a veteran QB like Tebow. He also sees that Cody is out on a breather so this is all day. Dareus and Chapman get displaced fast and the yardage is easy.
1st and 10- Tebow sacked by Washington Good
This is a good play for Washington and the front line. They get a good surge and keep Tebow in front of them. Nobody loses containment on the play. Bama confuses UF on the play because they rush 3 and drop 8. The line follows left where Chapman and Deaderick are, and Anders is playing spy at the line. Washington is given 1 on 1 with the RT and gets inside his pads and drives him into Tebow where he feels the heat and trips.
2nd and 12- Tebow Incomplete to Thompson Good
Bama again rushes only 3 and drops Anders off as the spy now and McClain is now playing the flat cover area. The play is suppose to be a WR Screen or a slip screen type thing to Nelson but the coverage and confusion continues and Jackson breaks up the pass. The defense now looks to have found its legs and have started to fluster Tebow more because he doesn't know what he's seeing before, during, and after the snap.
3rd and 12- Tebow incomplete to Cooper Good
Bama again goes back to the dime on 3rd down. Barron is on the TE, Green is playing as a corner, McClain is rushing, Woodall is playing deep safety. The line runs stunts inside and Dareus gets a shot on Tebow as he's releasing the ball. Marquis Johnson is on top of the route and breaks it up. The play is made at the LOS, where Upshaw and Anders are the ends and Dareus and Washington are the tackles. On the snap, McClain engages the center and Dareus pulls inside where Rolo has created the gap. He has a free shot on Tebow and the play is busted up then.
Chas Henry crushes another punt and really out kicked his coverage allowing a small and dangerous return. Overall, Bama gets another quick series and gets some shots on Tebow. That is the key turning point for the defense is that they are now seeing that they can cover and hit him at the same time where as earlier they could hit him or cover but not both.
1st and 10- Richardson rushes for 25 yards Good
Verne and Gary start to reminisce about last year about this point, probably wishing for the same outcome. Bama is backed up deep and a drive here pretty well starts to make life hard for a UF team that lives on possession football. Bama comes out 2 WR right, 2 TE left. Peek on the line, Dial in H Back. Richardson is the best back in these situations because he always seems to make extra yards on these moments. The play is a good job up front. The linebackers are rushing and Peek and Dial do their part. Dial engages his backer, but Peek releases and lets Carpenter get him. Trent has a lead blocker now in Peek who drives a safety out of the play. He breaks a tackle and gets a quick 25.
1st and 10- McElroy incomplete to Jones Bad
Jones's subpar day continues. He has blocked real well and if it was not for that and the threat of Juilo, he'd not be out there. Bama comes out strong right, and runs play action and it works. The play action freezes the LBs and both safeties. Jones does a good job of getting separation but misreads the ball and stops on his route but if he had just kept going, he's got a TD. There wasn't a penalty because of the slow up caused it to be an uncatchable ball.
2nd and 10- Richardson for 3 yards Bad
This play looks similar to some of the plays last week v. Auburn where the line shot up too high and never asserted themselves. UF breaks containment and greets TR at the line and the 3 come on the fall forward.
3rd and 7- UF offsides 5 yard penalty Good
This bails out the offense some because 3rd and long has not been gracious most of the year. They play was a bust and mostly because of the penalty, but it wasn't a great play either way.
3rd and 2- Ingram for 5 yards Good
Bama comes out trips right, split left. Jones slides in to the tackle, and at the snap the line plows right while Peek and Jones seal left giving Ingram a nice hole to hit. Ingram avoids a tackle at the 1st down line, and falls ahead for 3 more. Good job up front and good job by Ingram to continue to take what he gets. If you go back to last year, it was at about this point in the game where he missed the read and stalled the drive. Amazing what a difference a year makes.
1st and 10- Ingram for 3 Good
Bama is now at midfield, burning clock and wearing down the defense. This play is just more about continuing the punishment than making a big play. Bama comes out with the 2TE shotgun look. It is a zone read to the left and he finds the gap behind Johnson and gets what he can.
2nd and 7- McElroy incomplete to Jones Bad
Bama comes out in the Ace 2TE again, they run play action left, waggle right. McElroy makes 2 errors on the play, and it is one of the few on him all night. First, he has Williams all alone and has the 1st down if he gets it, but checks down wanting to get Jones the ball. However, he holds it too long and throws it behind him. Bama is now back to a 3rd and long.
3rd and 7- McElroy to Jones for 10 yards Good
Bama at this point is 5 of 8 on 3rd down, and most of those are on short yardage situations. Bama comes out in the 5 wide set. Florida makes a mistake before the snap. Greg hasn't fully picked up where the blitzers are, but they give it away with 8 on the play clock. He now knows where his passing lanes are and that Jones is single covered. He just has to make the throw through the lane and not be off on it or else the linebacker will pick it off or swat it. Jones is alone at the marker and gets it with ease. Any route where Jones can square his shoulders is a play he feels comfortable with. This one is a simple hook in and he hooks it and gets the 7 plus 3 on the flop.
1st and 10- Upchurch rushes for 5 Good
Anytime you get more than 3 on first down, you've done good. Bama comes out in the power I again with Upchurch at fullback. The quick fullback dive is a good play with Upchurch because he attacks the hole faster than the other 2 do. Florida's front line defenders legs show their fatigue as they just get drove back 3 yards and Upchurch does the rest. If he breaks the one tackle, he scores. It was that close.
2nd and 5- Ingram rushes for 4 Good
Bama now goes back to the shotgun and spreads the field with the 3 WR. 2 to the left, one right, and Peek is on the line to the right. Like UF, when Ingram lines up off the QB's hip, it is a run tell. Florida rushes up the middle, but Johnson is pulling right and Ingram follows him for a nice gain. Again, you can see the defense starting to buckle now as they have gone 3 long quarters.
3rd and 1- Ingram for 2 yards Good
The defense has now been out there for 5 straight minutes and none of it has been good for them. Bama is now running downhill and on this play it doesn't net much but on a 3rd and inches situation, it doesn't have to. They line up in their base I formation with Peek as the H back and Williams at TE lined up on the right. The dive play makes what it needs and the drive motors on.
1st and 10- McElroy fumbles loses 5 Ugly
As is tradition for the 2009 Tide, Vlachos must duff one snap per game or the quota has not been met. This play was bad on a lot of levels. They were not lined up right, they were having trouble getting set, and never did, Vlachos duffs it and leaves skid marks on the ball, and Florida just swarms McElroy. I would guess that McElroy's teachable moment will be to check the formation. He is responsible for that not the WRs.
2nd and 15- Ingram rushes for 10 Good
Bama comes out with Dial and Jones to the right, they run offtackle right, and again you can see the fatigue of the Florida D showing. Carpenter shoves his guy 3 yards, literally, and Davis and others drive their defenders out of the play. Ingram takes a helmet in the ribs and bounces it for an extra 6.
3rd and 5- Ingram rushes for 10 Good
Bama starts out unbalanced left, but shifts right. Florida does not shift or change to this and nobody covers the slot, it is almost as if they are willing to concede the play to get off the field. As is, the power right is on and Florida is rushing from the left. Ingram sees the lane open up between Vlachos and Johnson and he cuts back and hits his stride.
1st and 10- Ingram rushes for 1 Bad
Bama gets a little too cute here. They bring Peek in motion l to r, and Florida does adjust this time. They have Florida heeled and they should be able to drive the line at will. However, Johnson or Vlachos miss their guy and he shoots through and blows the play up.
That ends the quarter. Bama's offense has chewed 8 minutes off the clock and held it 10 of the 15 minutes. Overall it is a statement quarter that has Florida scrambling because they are not getting the stops on defense and can't keep the offense on the field. Ingram and McElroy are red hot at this point and you can feel it in the air that Bama is just about to score and ice this thing.
December 13, 2009
December 11, 2009
The Good The Bad & The Ugly- 2nd Qtr
Continuing on with the 2nd quarter now. This quarter I thought the defense lost its composure and Florida took some liberties that if the defense is focused wouldn't have taken. Offensively, I thought they answered each strike with a strike of their own.
Remember, Bama has just taken possession when the 2nd quarter begins.....
2nd and 11 - Greg McElroy pass complete to Mark Ingram for 7 yards Good
Hicks lines up on the line, they read run, Peek does a poor job of containing the LB (Brandon Hicks) and he blows the play up for a loss. Really not the drive they were looking for, it only took about 2 minutes off the clock and the defense is back out again. A 3 and out and the UF faithful are getting confident again....
4th and 5- P.J. Fitzgerald punt for 40 yards, returned by Brandon James for 12 yards Bad
PJ outkicks his cover and kicks to the coverage. James shows great vision and patience on the play and lets his wall set up. UF has 1 breakdown and that is they didn't contain the punter. Thankfully, PJ gets the tackle on James because if he goes typical punter on him, there is a TD looming.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass incomplete to Aaron Hernandez. Good
2nd and 4- Greg McElroy pass complete to Marquis Maze for 12 yards Good
Bama comes out in their 2 TE formation, but they use Peek this time as a HBack and bring Jones inside. It reads run, but it is a play action. Greg's reads are Jones on a little out route, and Maze running an in route over the flat. He checks and Jones is blanketed, but Maze squares up and gives him a target. He hits it by threading it between defenders.
1st and 10- Greg McElroy pass incomplete to Brad Smelley. Bad
Bama goes to the shotgun on 1st down. Smelley lines up to the right, Jones Maze left. They fake the hand off and the protection is poor from the right side. McElroy has to throw off his back foot and it is mercifully incomplete. That is his first real bad pass of the day. Smelley when watching him in the route just doesn't look like a guy who is all in right now. If there is one guy ready for next season, it is him. It has not been a great year for him and he's really lost his job and the coach's confidence in him.
2nd and 10- Trent Richardson rush for 6 yards Good
Bama has gone back to their basic formation. 2 WR, Peek and Dial at Hback. Dial cuts inside to counter and seal the gap, Trent gets stuffed, but keeps his pads low and the tackle target small. he breaks a tackle, stiff arms a corner, and McElroy throws his body into another defender a la Tyler Watts a decade before, and gets 6 motivational big yards.
3rd and 4- Greg McElroy pass complete to Marquis Maze for 34 yards Good
We got the answer to the trivia to which they remind the elder fans that Bama got the shaft in 66 to which my father proclaims it to be bullshit still to this day. Bama lines up in the eye and continue to use Upchurch at Fullback. It continues to confuse UF, and the play will as well. Bama runs old school option pitch right. Florida gets caught gawking a bit and the pitch is easy to make and clean, Richardson follows his blocks for a good 5. He also lowers his head and delivers a lick to his peers.
2nd and 5- Greg McElroy pass incomplete. Bad
Bama comes out in the "spread" left and McElroy sends Ingram in motion right. Florida sends the corner because Peek has lined up far side, they have studied up on Bama's tendancies. They know this will be a quick pass so they have to rush the play. They succeed because McElroy gets rid of it before he is ready.
3rd and 5- Greg McElroy rush for 5 yards to the Fla 17 for a 1ST down. Good
This is my favorite play of the game. Bama runs the same formation and really it is the same play. Florida flushes Greg from the pocket, but Bama creates a lane for him to get a couple and he shows tremendous athleticism and grit as he tap dances 3 yards and gets the first down. Of course, Bama does something good, so we have to sit through another replay for 10 minutes. Don't know who Barishnikov is but I sense I might have to turn in my man card if I did. While on the topic of Gary and Verne's gay adventure, I can tell where the ball is when he goes down, it is beyond the marker because his arm is down and the ball and arm are parallel. Duh.....
1st and 10- Mark Ingram rush for no gain Bad
2nd and 10- Greg McElroy sacked by Ahmad Black for a loss of 10 yards Ugly
3rd and 20 - Roy Upchurch rush for 10 yards Bad
How does a guy hit FGs from distance but miss extras? I know some folks look at things through crimson glasses and all but really anyone who really felt Leigh should have won the Groza are fooling themselves. Overall the drive is a good one but left 4 points on the table. Bama at this point is taking the points and hoping they can keep the UF offense off the field. That extra point is still dictating the playcalling on both sides.
Bama does a good job on the kickoff coverage but the kick is short and Florida gets UF has the ball on the 30 and Bama now has to get a defensive stand.....well, here is where the composure gets lost....
1st and 10- Jeffery Demps rush for 9 yards Bad
This is a good example of why you don't play inside out. Bama is playing towards the center, but Florida runs to the left on a counter sweep. As a result, Florida has 5 blockers to Bama's 3. Rolo makes a heck of a play, but not after 9 yards is chewed.
2nd and 1- Tim Tebow rush for 23 yards Ugly
The play is a pass and the coverage is good, but Bama's front loses containment and gets greedy. Deaderick and Anders let Tebow get ahead of them and the scramble is on. He has a wide open receiver but instead he tucks and gets 2 big blocks on Jackson and Reamer. McClain again gets caught sucking inside and is out of position. Tebow is his assignment and he let him get away from him. He makes up ground on the angle but it flips the field.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow rush for 15 yards to the Alab 23 Bad
The Gators line up in a spread but the back is on Tebow's hip, it is a run option. Barron does his part to cut off the outside, but McClain again goes inside and loses Tebow in containment. Jackson tracks him down but another mo play for Tebow.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass complete to David Nelson for 23 yards Touchdown. Ugly
A guy who plays as soft as Nelson should never score 2 TDs on you over 2 years. UF comes out in a shotgun formation that looks more like the Veer than a bunch formation. Woodall gets lost on the playaction here. The defense is in a zone, which I despise in the redzone, and the Arenas releases Nelson and that makes him the safety's cover duty. Woodall instead covers Cooper who is coming across. Just a poor play from start to finish for the defense. They are still trying to catch their legs under them from 3 plays ago and Florida goes for the kill.
Overall the drive is the worst one of the day for the defense and the only TD as it turned out, but just a poor job of keeping their composure and too many seniors and veterans out of position for a team this good.
1st and 10- Greg McElroy pass complete to Mark Ingram for 69 yards Good
After an Arenas return, the Tide has to answer the bell. Momentum is on Florida's side now and Bama has to show it can weather this comeback. Bama does. They come out in the shotgun . The play is designed well. The 1 WR to the right runs a clearout/go route. The other 2 WR are split far enough to take 2 or 3 guys out by just being away from the play. McElroy does a great job of waiting for it to develop. He makes a great throw with Haden in his face. Ingram turns and has a wall to run behind and then he's off on his horse. Jones throws a 30 yard block and UF's corner makes a great hustle tackle. Of course, they make a play so we go to instant replay for a freebie timeout again.
1st and Goal- Mark Ingram rush for 3 yards Touchdown Good
Bama comes out with Cody at TE, Peek at H Back and Upchurch at fullback. Gary shows wisdom by saying "I don't think he's (Cody) in the game", how do you miss a 400 lb player? It isn't like you are trying to find Waldo in a peppermint factory. Peek goes in motion and the handoff goes right and Ingram gets 3 great blocks from Williams, Peek and Upchurch who is quietly having a huge game for the TD.
Overall it is a great drive and answers the bell and puts the Tide 2 scores up. This is the Heisman drive that Ingram had to have.
Leigh Tiffin kickoff for 70 yards for a touchback. His best kick of the year.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass complete to Riley Cooper for 59 yards Ugly
The previous drive, the defense couldn't calm down. This time they stop Tebow before he starts. Marcel Dareus does a good job of staying home and containing his corner. Tebow runs right into him and it is a short gain.
2nd and 8- Tim Tebow pass incomplete to Aaron Hernandez. Good
Almost disaster, but Cody disrupts the play and forces Tebow to scramble. Reamer makes a great play to swat the ball away. Parents, if you want a play to teach your kids to play to the whistle. Reference this one on Reamer's part and on the FL WR that muffed the ball. when the ball didn't go to him, he checked out of the play and if he had kept his eyes on the play, he maybe catches and scores. Instead it is a benign incompletion and a 3rd and long.
3rd and 8- Tim Tebow pass complete to Aaron Hernandez for 4 yards Good
Not for anything that happens, but they are signalling the white flag for the half.
2nd and 7- Mark Ingram rush for 3 yards Bad
Remember, Bama has just taken possession when the 2nd quarter begins.....
2nd and 11 - Greg McElroy pass complete to Mark Ingram for 7 yards Good
Bama comes out 3 wide and 2 halfbacks. Ingram is the deep back, Upchurch left of him. It screams pass, but UF is playing back again in their nickle D. Upchurch helps with the containment and Ingram looks like he's supposed to chuck a defender and then setup for a dump pass but falls down. McElroy scrambles to get time for Ingram to get up. Ingram and Upchurch become available and get a nice 7.
Hicks lines up on the line, they read run, Peek does a poor job of containing the LB (Brandon Hicks) and he blows the play up for a loss. Really not the drive they were looking for, it only took about 2 minutes off the clock and the defense is back out again. A 3 and out and the UF faithful are getting confident again....
4th and 5- P.J. Fitzgerald punt for 40 yards, returned by Brandon James for 12 yards Bad
PJ outkicks his cover and kicks to the coverage. James shows great vision and patience on the play and lets his wall set up. UF has 1 breakdown and that is they didn't contain the punter. Thankfully, PJ gets the tackle on James because if he goes typical punter on him, there is a TD looming.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass incomplete to Aaron Hernandez. Good
Florida runs a play action and gets one on one with Hernandez and Jackson. Jackson does an outstanding job of keeping his ground and not letting AH get separation. This is especially big because KJ's safety help gets sucked in to the play action fake. Florida would have been better served with a WR there, but Tebow is more comfortable with Hernandez.
2nd and 10- Brandon James rush for 9 yards to the Fla 34, FLORIDA penalty 10 yard holding accepted. Good
Only because of the hold, but a big turn around moment in the drive. Florida uses motion and goes into their option read to the right. Barron takes a terrible position on the play because he's responsible for the pitch man. Tebow is contained so there was no need to pursue him. As a result the pitch is made and James gets down field, but a hold negates it. Really it was a silly hold because MJ wouldn't have made the stop until after the 1st down.
2nd and 11- Tim Tebow pass complete to Emmanuel Moody for a loss of 3 yards Good
Florida now is in a must pass situation and they run a swing pass to Moody, but he loses his feet and loses 3 yards. Wouldn't have produced much if he kept his feet Kareem Jackson again makes a strong play.
3rd and 14- Tim Tebow pass incomplete to Jeffery Demps. Good and Bad
Bama goes dime due to the down and distance, but gets very little pressure on Tebow. The coverage is solid and it finally results in some pressure but the play is made by Marquis Johnson to send the Gators to the sideline. If you want an example of coaching someone up, see Marquis and compare him in the Sugar Bowl and Va Tech and now. The player hasn't changed, but they have coached him up to be a starter.
4th and 14- Chas Henry punt for 54 yards, fair catch by Javier Arenas Good
Anytime you get them off the field, it is a good day. Chas Henry killed the ball again. He'd be my vote for the Ray Guy award.
Overall the drive was a good one for the defense as they survived a few mistakes but kept UF from cashing in on them.
1st and 10- Trent Richardson rush for 6 yards
2nd and 4- Greg McElroy pass complete to Marquis Maze for 12 yards Good
Bama comes out in their 2 TE formation, but they use Peek this time as a HBack and bring Jones inside. It reads run, but it is a play action. Greg's reads are Jones on a little out route, and Maze running an in route over the flat. He checks and Jones is blanketed, but Maze squares up and gives him a target. He hits it by threading it between defenders.
1st and 10- Greg McElroy pass incomplete to Brad Smelley. Bad
Bama goes to the shotgun on 1st down. Smelley lines up to the right, Jones Maze left. They fake the hand off and the protection is poor from the right side. McElroy has to throw off his back foot and it is mercifully incomplete. That is his first real bad pass of the day. Smelley when watching him in the route just doesn't look like a guy who is all in right now. If there is one guy ready for next season, it is him. It has not been a great year for him and he's really lost his job and the coach's confidence in him.
2nd and 10- Trent Richardson rush for 6 yards Good
Bama has gone back to their basic formation. 2 WR, Peek and Dial at Hback. Dial cuts inside to counter and seal the gap, Trent gets stuffed, but keeps his pads low and the tackle target small. he breaks a tackle, stiff arms a corner, and McElroy throws his body into another defender a la Tyler Watts a decade before, and gets 6 motivational big yards.
3rd and 4- Greg McElroy pass complete to Marquis Maze for 34 yards Good
Gary being Gary decides to start the "The Guy They Didn't Want" tag. Ok, to be fair here, yes he wasn't Bama or Shula's first option, Tebow was. However, do you know of a single coach who would rank McElroy ahead of Tebow? The 3rd down play is the Ace 2 TE formation. It reads run, and UF has 3 linebackers and a safety in the box. Bama runs a simple hook route and Maze but UF is blitzing and the corner is out of position. Maze gets open and makes about 30 yards before a white jersey finds him. Florida has put too much pride in their "speed" because they are out of position a lot and the linebackers won't catch guys like Maze or Ingram in the open field when they hit their 2nd gear.
1st and 10- Trent Richardson rush for 5 yards GoodWe got the answer to the trivia to which they remind the elder fans that Bama got the shaft in 66 to which my father proclaims it to be bullshit still to this day. Bama lines up in the eye and continue to use Upchurch at Fullback. It continues to confuse UF, and the play will as well. Bama runs old school option pitch right. Florida gets caught gawking a bit and the pitch is easy to make and clean, Richardson follows his blocks for a good 5. He also lowers his head and delivers a lick to his peers.
2nd and 5- Greg McElroy pass incomplete. Bad
Bama comes out in the "spread" left and McElroy sends Ingram in motion right. Florida sends the corner because Peek has lined up far side, they have studied up on Bama's tendancies. They know this will be a quick pass so they have to rush the play. They succeed because McElroy gets rid of it before he is ready.
3rd and 5- Greg McElroy rush for 5 yards to the Fla 17 for a 1ST down. Good
This is my favorite play of the game. Bama runs the same formation and really it is the same play. Florida flushes Greg from the pocket, but Bama creates a lane for him to get a couple and he shows tremendous athleticism and grit as he tap dances 3 yards and gets the first down. Of course, Bama does something good, so we have to sit through another replay for 10 minutes. Don't know who Barishnikov is but I sense I might have to turn in my man card if I did. While on the topic of Gary and Verne's gay adventure, I can tell where the ball is when he goes down, it is beyond the marker because his arm is down and the ball and arm are parallel. Duh.....
1st and 10- Mark Ingram rush for no gain Bad
The review killed momentum again. Bama is inside the 20 and goes Ace 2TE again. Peek again gets beat off the end by the linebacker and he stuffs the play before Ingram can do much. The QB has done a better job of blocking Hicks than Peek has.
2nd and 10- Greg McElroy sacked by Ahmad Black for a loss of 10 yards Ugly
Those redzone woes are creeping up again. Bama is in their base formation with 2 WR left, Peek in motion. Florida confuses the line with the blitz and 2 men get open and get really easy shots on McElroy. Carpenter and Johnson have miscommunication on their block assignment because they let one slide between them and Carpenter goes the wrong way and allows another player beyond him. It looked like someone used a cheat code in Madden it was so bad....
3rd and 20 - Roy Upchurch rush for 10 yards Bad
Bama has a chance to tack on some serious points and instead is playing for field goals. The run itself is a good run but UF is more than happy to give 10 yards and a field goal at this point. UF shows blitz but rushes 3 and drops 8, Bama runs the inside trap (where's Joe?) and Upchurch hits the hole fast for 10.
4th and 10- Leigh Tiffin 34 yard field goal Good.How does a guy hit FGs from distance but miss extras? I know some folks look at things through crimson glasses and all but really anyone who really felt Leigh should have won the Groza are fooling themselves. Overall the drive is a good one but left 4 points on the table. Bama at this point is taking the points and hoping they can keep the UF offense off the field. That extra point is still dictating the playcalling on both sides.
Bama does a good job on the kickoff coverage but the kick is short and Florida gets UF has the ball on the 30 and Bama now has to get a defensive stand.....well, here is where the composure gets lost....
1st and 10- Jeffery Demps rush for 9 yards Bad
This is a good example of why you don't play inside out. Bama is playing towards the center, but Florida runs to the left on a counter sweep. As a result, Florida has 5 blockers to Bama's 3. Rolo makes a heck of a play, but not after 9 yards is chewed.
2nd and 1- Tim Tebow rush for 23 yards Ugly
The play is a pass and the coverage is good, but Bama's front loses containment and gets greedy. Deaderick and Anders let Tebow get ahead of them and the scramble is on. He has a wide open receiver but instead he tucks and gets 2 big blocks on Jackson and Reamer. McClain again gets caught sucking inside and is out of position. Tebow is his assignment and he let him get away from him. He makes up ground on the angle but it flips the field.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow rush for 15 yards to the Alab 23 Bad
The Gators line up in a spread but the back is on Tebow's hip, it is a run option. Barron does his part to cut off the outside, but McClain again goes inside and loses Tebow in containment. Jackson tracks him down but another mo play for Tebow.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass complete to David Nelson for 23 yards Touchdown. Ugly
A guy who plays as soft as Nelson should never score 2 TDs on you over 2 years. UF comes out in a shotgun formation that looks more like the Veer than a bunch formation. Woodall gets lost on the playaction here. The defense is in a zone, which I despise in the redzone, and the Arenas releases Nelson and that makes him the safety's cover duty. Woodall instead covers Cooper who is coming across. Just a poor play from start to finish for the defense. They are still trying to catch their legs under them from 3 plays ago and Florida goes for the kill.
Overall the drive is the worst one of the day for the defense and the only TD as it turned out, but just a poor job of keeping their composure and too many seniors and veterans out of position for a team this good.
1st and 10- Greg McElroy pass complete to Mark Ingram for 69 yards Good
After an Arenas return, the Tide has to answer the bell. Momentum is on Florida's side now and Bama has to show it can weather this comeback. Bama does. They come out in the shotgun . The play is designed well. The 1 WR to the right runs a clearout/go route. The other 2 WR are split far enough to take 2 or 3 guys out by just being away from the play. McElroy does a great job of waiting for it to develop. He makes a great throw with Haden in his face. Ingram turns and has a wall to run behind and then he's off on his horse. Jones throws a 30 yard block and UF's corner makes a great hustle tackle. Of course, they make a play so we go to instant replay for a freebie timeout again.
1st and Goal- Mark Ingram rush for 3 yards Touchdown Good
Bama comes out with Cody at TE, Peek at H Back and Upchurch at fullback. Gary shows wisdom by saying "I don't think he's (Cody) in the game", how do you miss a 400 lb player? It isn't like you are trying to find Waldo in a peppermint factory. Peek goes in motion and the handoff goes right and Ingram gets 3 great blocks from Williams, Peek and Upchurch who is quietly having a huge game for the TD.
Overall it is a great drive and answers the bell and puts the Tide 2 scores up. This is the Heisman drive that Ingram had to have.
Leigh Tiffin kickoff for 70 yards for a touchback. His best kick of the year.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow pass complete to Riley Cooper for 59 yards Ugly
Bama has now taken momentum back, but it is momentary. Bama's pressure is non-existent and Tebow has all day to check down and find Cooper. The defense is in cover 2 and Cooper finds the spot behind Reamer where he is just too fast for Reamer and Arenas has too much ground to cover. Woodall has a chance to make an ugly play just a bad 30 yard play but overpursues and can't set his feet, Cooper cuts up and gets an extra 10 to 15 yards. When you see the replay, everyone reads on Hernandez which is logical, but Arenas and Reamer needed to stay at home.
1st and 10- Tim Tebow rush for 2 yards GoodThe previous drive, the defense couldn't calm down. This time they stop Tebow before he starts. Marcel Dareus does a good job of staying home and containing his corner. Tebow runs right into him and it is a short gain.
2nd and 8- Tim Tebow pass incomplete to Aaron Hernandez. Good
Almost disaster, but Cody disrupts the play and forces Tebow to scramble. Reamer makes a great play to swat the ball away. Parents, if you want a play to teach your kids to play to the whistle. Reference this one on Reamer's part and on the FL WR that muffed the ball. when the ball didn't go to him, he checked out of the play and if he had kept his eyes on the play, he maybe catches and scores. Instead it is a benign incompletion and a 3rd and long.
3rd and 8- Tim Tebow pass complete to Aaron Hernandez for 4 yards Good
Bama needs a stop and gets it. Bama goes dime and puts Barron on Hernandez. The Gators put 4 WR to the left and 1 right, they bring Hernandez across the formation but Dareus and others swarm the play and it blows up before it can develop.
4th and 4- Caleb Sturgis 32 yard field goal GoodThis is a good just because they could have gone for it and I would say Meyer wishes in hind sight he had. Overall this is a bad drive because of the big play and the momentum they lost again. The quarter is winding down now and Bama is pretty content to get to the half with a 6 point lead and regroup the defense.
1st and 10- Mark Ingram rush for 3 yards BadNot for anything that happens, but they are signalling the white flag for the half.
2nd and 7- Mark Ingram rush for 3 yards Bad
Another white flag play, but Bama goes to the half with the lead so the overall is good because they've taken Florida's punches and counter punched as well as throw some haymakers that rocked them.
December 10, 2009
The Good, The Bad, & the Ugly- 1st Qtr
Since I took a week to get this to you all, I figured I would make it worth the wait, I hope, here is a play by play, drive by drive look at the game. Play results are courtesy of ESPN, and if you wish you can always follow along via http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/default.aspx to see what we'll be talking about.
Opening kickoff- Verne and Gary start out with their awesomeness and pure unadulterated lack of vision because they can't find Javy Arenas and have a real deep discussion about Saban not deferring to the second half. I really pity the spotter for them, there is only so much you can do to make them look good. I also bet the guys in the truck pray to lil baby Jesus every week because it can't help their resume to know that Bama has taken Ball first 3 or 4 times this year, most recently Auburn. As to the game, Florida kicks to the center which is where their coverage is going to, good job by them to contain Arenas and keep the return minimal.
1st & 10- McElroy to Jones for 18 to the Bama 40 1st Down (Good)
Poor Gary pronounces spread before the snap and Verne being in a buzz yelps his best Harry Carey "Wow" faking excitement the way Tiger Woods's side piece fakes it. Anyways, it isn't spread, it is just a trips left shotgun with Peek and Ingram to the right, they called it an empty backfield....Anyways, I'm pleased to see they used my stats from last week's GBU. Florida is in their base defense, the LOLB is shooting through the gap and the safety is creeping up on the right side reading run. Spikes stays at home and plays middle zone, the secondary is in zone as well. Peek is open, but McElroy's reads are Ingram then Jones then Peek. Ingram is covered by Wright, and Jones slips through the coverage to find the soft spot in the zone.
1st & 10- Ingram up middle 6 yards (Good)
Bama lines up trips left slot right, Ingram in the backfield. Florida has now gone nickel from the response to the previous play. Strong's gameplan doesn't look composed already, perhaps interviews got in the way? Bama uses Upchurch in the slot to give Florida a few new wrinkles to deal with. He goes in motion l to r and sets like an H back under LT. Church and Carpenter do a good job of sealing off the run lane and getting Ingram into the open field. Spikes finds him but Ingram finds 4 more yards after contact.
2nd & 4- McElroy scramble for 7 (Good and bad)
Bama again stays in their basic formations with 2 TE (Williams and Peek) going in motion to the left. Maze goes motion right and they fake the reverse option. Ingram is supposed to rub off the defender and be open on the left sideline, but the Gators do a good job of covering and the pass protection is short. The good news is that McElroy doesn't panic, he sees a gap and gets what he can. He needs to learn how to slide though. QBs who dive head first find a short career. However this is the first sign to the Gators, Mc is ready.
1st and 10- Ingram for 2 Bad
Bama this time goes "spread" right with Ingram a step to the left of McElroy. Gator defense reads run based on how he lines up, they have 5 on the line, 2 Lb's and no corners up on the WRs. The snap is low and the Gators clog the middle for a small gain. It wasn't much of a surprise, but it is a play that will lead to others down the road. It also compliments the 1st play of the drive and makes the Gators have to stay honest.
2nd and 8- McElroy to Maze for 9 Good
Bama comes out with the 2 TE, "Ace" set with Ingram behind McElroy. Florida responds with a 4-3 shift left, LB strong right, and walk their left corner and safety up because they read run left. Peek is left Williams right, but if Bama is running they'd be to the right because they run behind Williams or Dial. Maze sees his corner back off and he cuts his slant just right to get between the corner and the ball and gets an easy 9.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for 2 Good and Bad
Bama lines up trips left, slot right again. Dial goes in motion and lines up in the backfield. The good part of the play is that Florida gets confused by the two things they see and can't tell which is real and which is not. They see Dial in motion to the left and Peek is on the left, but Davis is tipping his hand by his stance that it is pass. That's the bad part of the play is that the right side where the action is going reads pass on his stance. If you wonder what that means, if you watch the play, watch how the other linemen are down in their stance. Davis is up in his because there is an edge rusher lined up outside him and he has no backside support. If it were a run, that wouldn't matter because they would be running away from it. However if it is a pass he has to get up in his stance to get around on the rush.
2nd and 8- Upchurch for 5 Good
Bama lines up in their double TE, double HB backfield. FL responds with 8 in the box. They did their film study and see Church at FB. They read a run left or play action right. Bama runs a FB dive that gets good yardage and now has FL confused about what Church's role will be.
3rd and 4- incomplete Jones dropped Bad
Bad on a lot of levels. Bad because a good drive stalled on a drop. Bad because they didn't know the play coming out of the huddle. Bad because they really should have burned a timeout. Florida could see the play because of all the confusing in getting everyone in order. As is, the drop killed the drive and squandered a great chance to get FL on their heels.
4th and 4- FG good
It is amazing a guy can hit from 45+ every day, but can't hit an extra point.....
Overall drive nets about 4 and a half minutes, gets points and shows good momentum for the offense building off last week's winning drive. GM has been on target and shown a good grasp of the gameplan and looks like he's played it out a few times in his head.
Kickoff- Tiffin does a good job of getting leg on the ball and drives James to the goal line. Kickoff coverage is good and keeps James inside the 30. It occurs to me that when the FL offense comes out in all white, how virgin, that they look like 11 semen swimming in a stream....
1st and 10- Tebow shovel to Hernandez 2 yards Good
This is the play that killed the Tide last year. Bama looked ready for it and as soon as they stuffed it the play never really came back. Bama comes out in the nickel with Reamer in with Rolo. Florida is in their base spread (3W/1T/1H). It is a read option where Tebow has a pitch option, shovel option or keeper option. Tebow actually misreads the play, his best option was to go to the option left.
2nd and 10- Incomplete pass to Demps Bad
This is a busted cover on Arenas. Arenas is in the Star and has the right flat as his zone assignment but creeps in too far. Demps drops an easy pass that would have made a good 15 plus. If you are wanting to say it was Reamer's, no because Hernandez runs a curl at Reamer. The play is designed to go to Cooper but he is covered, Demps is the 3rd read and wide open.
3rd and 10- incomplete Good
Bama goes dime now with Green in for Reamer. Barron is the money and Woodall slides over to Barron's safety spot and Green to Woodall's. Bama pretty well did this all night on 3rd because Florida on 3rd and longer is all pass and the dime has been their best pass defense all year. Florida goes in motion, and Bama shifts around with Barron following the motion. Bama rushes 5 with the 4 down and Rolo. The pressure from Upshaw and Anders does its job and Tebow has to chuck it.
Chas Henry abuses a football and Bama starts over at the 24. He really is a great punter. Overall the drive is a good one for the defense. They saw their nemesis, contained it, stuffed them, survived a mistake and got a 3 and out. Can't ask for more to start a game.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for 19 Good
Bama comes out in the shotgun 2 right, Ingram to the left of McElroy. Bama uses this set a lot in the game with Dial lined up far right, and Florida continues to cover him with a corner. Peek runs an in route from r to l and has a big gap in the secondary to play with. Florida keeps trying to use Wright as a cover but he's not big enough and a major mismatch in Bama's favor. Spikes chucks Peek but releases him signaling zone, so when he's released like that I can't figure out why they would let him free with small safeties covering him. It was a theme later on, Bama kept finding that soft spot when FL let them have it.
1st and 10- Ingram for 7 Good
Dial's in at H back, Bama's going strong right with the WRs and Peek and Dial to the right. FL responds by moving Stamper up on the line to engage Peek, and brings the corners up on the WR. The linebackers stay in middle. The counter play opens up a nice gap that gets Ingram over midfield.
2nd and 3- Ingram for 15 Good
Bama has 2 TEs in and they are in the gun slot right, FL again stays in the 4-3, with 5 on the line, and 2 shading right towards the WRs. The corners and safeties are in as well. The play is a pulling guard hb over LT where Bama gets more of their guys on the outside than FL can contain. The result is a lot of room and Ingram does a good job of showing patience. Last year he rushes it and gets 9 yards, but this year he shows patience and gets an extra few. Needed just one more block to get free for 6.
1st and 10- Richardson for 3 Bad
Richardson has a huge gap to the right, but makes a freshman mistake and goes straight ahead. The blocking is fairly solid, but the read is wrong and the play makes a fair gain but the fruit was plentiful on the right boys and girls. Williams sealed his guy, Peek was down field blocking....
2nd and 7- incomplete
This is another play where Jones has to make the grab, hit or not. Florida is reading run, and Julio has man coverage with a safety coming on. He lets Haden inside him, and as much as Jones likes to get to the inside, that's surprising. Jones has started making a bad habit of trying to catch with his body of late, does it on this play. He needs to catch with his hands and bring it in to the body not catch and trap.
3rd and 7- McElroy to Maze for 14 Good
While Jones is struggling, Maze is finally turning the corner and becoming a real play maker. Bama goes 5 wide and brings Maze across the middle on another in route between the gaps in zone and McElroy does a good job of reading the play pre snap and deciding on him.
1st and 10- Ingram run for 8 Good
Bama comes in with an overload left and runs what really is a student body left. Remember Bama ran a play like this against Ole Miss for a touchdown. This type of play is designed to do 2 things, one run strong to the overload or play action and get a wide open TE or back in the flat as the defense follows the overload. Ingram doesn't have to do much but just follow traffic for an easy 8.
2nd and 2- Illegal procedure, can't get on the line right with the motion Bad
2nd and 7- Florida called for holding Good and Bad
Good because they got an easy first, but bad because Carpenter couldn't get up on the snap and gets whipped.
1st and goal- Ingram over left guard for Touchdown Good
Good job here of Ingram taking a lane and exploding through. Once he's in the open, the linebackers have a hard time of getting position to make a clean tackle and he wins those battles getting the YACs on a regular basis. Of course because Bama did something good, we have to review it for a week and a half....
XP missed Ugly
You could see it coming before the snap, deja vu of the 00 Orange Bowl. The miss will keep me bugged out until about 10 min left in the game. It really kept Florida alive and made the staff have to go for 2 later on when they shouldn't have to consider it. Also, you would think as many games as the Ambiguously Gay Duo have done, they'd know the ball is dead if it hits the pole.
Overall drive is another good one as they get nearly 80 yards in 4 minutes and used a balance of pass and run to keep the defense on its heels. Ingram and McElroy both look like they are ready to take over the game.
Kickoff- Another good kick, James returns it 26 yards but a personal foul on FL backs them up 13 yards.
1st and 10- Rainey run for 9 Bad
Bama gets caught flat footed reading the play wrong. Not the start you want after the offense has given you a 9 point cushion. The front line gets beat and surged for about 4 yards and Rainey does the rest.
2nd and 1-Tebow to Thompson for 18 Bad
Again the defense comes out heeled and in too soft of a zone. Bama sends 4 and drops 7, but the zone is very soft and Reamer and Johnson are out of position and let the WR get an easy catch.
1st and 10- incomplete Good
Bama still in the nickel and still playing zone, but this time they run twists with the down 4 and force Tebow to rush the pass some and McClain does a great job of reading it and breaking up the pass to Cooper. Cooper shows gator arms too as he feared the lick from Reamer and Rolo in the middle.
2nd and 10- Tebow run for 3 Good
This is a message play. Tebow runs a draw play but McClain is playing shadow to Tebow and corals him for 3.
3rd and 7- Tebow to James for 8 Bad
Bama rushes 4 and gets little to no pressure and the secondary again plays off respecting the spead and lets them bleed the field again. When watching live, I kept wondering why they were playing so much containment when it didn't work last year.
1st and 10- Incomplete good
Good because some weeks that play is pass interference even if incidental. Reamer and Hernandez get tangled up and the pass sails. The defense does bite on the hb dive and that doesn't cost them later. The Hernandez v. Reamer matchup was a little surprising to me, I thought Barron would get him more, but Reamer does a really nice job on him most of the night.
2nd and 10- Tebow for 7 Bad
They run the shovel option and Tebow reads it right. Bama covers the TE, covers the pitchman, but nobody is in position to greet him until he gets a head of steam. He carries players down an extra 3 yards. The staff starts to make corrections at this point.
3rd and 3- Tebow to Cooper for 13 Bad
Florida shows a tight formation with the WRs lined up tight to the line. It is a signal for a fade route usually. Tebow fakes the option and draws the defense in and gets Cooper all alone but he can't keep his feet. Good thing too, he scores if he does.
1st and 10- Tebow loss of 1 Good
Jackson makes this play happen even though he isn't on the tackle. The play is the option read again. Jackson sees it and abandons his guy and covers the pitchman, which is what you are taught to do. Tebow has no option and 4 players stop him for a loss. This is probably Jackson's best game of his Bama career.
2nd and 11- Tebow to Nelson loss of 1 Good
The play action is supposed to draw everyone in, but it doesn't. Tebow feels pressure and hits Nelson short of the line of scrimmage where Nico Johnson meets him. Bama went 3-4 on this play and did a few times when in the red zone because the option.
3rd and 12- incomplete Good
Dareus and Upshaw stunt and both disrupt the play and Upshaw gets his shot on him. The dime does the rest and Woodall misses a pick by 2 inches. Dareus got good pressure on Tebow's left side and gets doubled which leaves Upshaw open.
4th down- FG Good Bad
Barron gets lost in space on the sideline and Bama burns a TO for the right situation. Sturgis nails it after the TO. Later on, the halftime show will get confused about this moment. Overall this drive wasn't what they wanted. They had FL on the ropes and a 3 and out may have ended the night then and there. However, they gave the Gators a few more minutes of life with the long drive. 12 plays 5 mins worth of torture. They did make some adjustments late in the drive that start to pay off in the 2nd half.
Kickoff- Arenas makes a good read on the sideline and gets more than he should have but starts the offense out at the 33.
1st and 10- Ingram loses 1 Bad
Bama shows wildcat for the only time of the night and Florida of all teams will know how to play it. They rush off the ends knowing Ingram won't hand off to Jones, and bottle him up before he can make it to the LOS. Not much push from the front 7 either. Neither TE or 5 OL get a good hat on their man. The result is a loss of 1 on Ingrams leg drive
Opening kickoff- Verne and Gary start out with their awesomeness and pure unadulterated lack of vision because they can't find Javy Arenas and have a real deep discussion about Saban not deferring to the second half. I really pity the spotter for them, there is only so much you can do to make them look good. I also bet the guys in the truck pray to lil baby Jesus every week because it can't help their resume to know that Bama has taken Ball first 3 or 4 times this year, most recently Auburn. As to the game, Florida kicks to the center which is where their coverage is going to, good job by them to contain Arenas and keep the return minimal.
1st & 10- McElroy to Jones for 18 to the Bama 40 1st Down (Good)
Poor Gary pronounces spread before the snap and Verne being in a buzz yelps his best Harry Carey "Wow" faking excitement the way Tiger Woods's side piece fakes it. Anyways, it isn't spread, it is just a trips left shotgun with Peek and Ingram to the right, they called it an empty backfield....Anyways, I'm pleased to see they used my stats from last week's GBU. Florida is in their base defense, the LOLB is shooting through the gap and the safety is creeping up on the right side reading run. Spikes stays at home and plays middle zone, the secondary is in zone as well. Peek is open, but McElroy's reads are Ingram then Jones then Peek. Ingram is covered by Wright, and Jones slips through the coverage to find the soft spot in the zone.
1st & 10- Ingram up middle 6 yards (Good)
Bama lines up trips left slot right, Ingram in the backfield. Florida has now gone nickel from the response to the previous play. Strong's gameplan doesn't look composed already, perhaps interviews got in the way? Bama uses Upchurch in the slot to give Florida a few new wrinkles to deal with. He goes in motion l to r and sets like an H back under LT. Church and Carpenter do a good job of sealing off the run lane and getting Ingram into the open field. Spikes finds him but Ingram finds 4 more yards after contact.
2nd & 4- McElroy scramble for 7 (Good and bad)
Bama again stays in their basic formations with 2 TE (Williams and Peek) going in motion to the left. Maze goes motion right and they fake the reverse option. Ingram is supposed to rub off the defender and be open on the left sideline, but the Gators do a good job of covering and the pass protection is short. The good news is that McElroy doesn't panic, he sees a gap and gets what he can. He needs to learn how to slide though. QBs who dive head first find a short career. However this is the first sign to the Gators, Mc is ready.
1st and 10- Ingram for 2 Bad
Bama this time goes "spread" right with Ingram a step to the left of McElroy. Gator defense reads run based on how he lines up, they have 5 on the line, 2 Lb's and no corners up on the WRs. The snap is low and the Gators clog the middle for a small gain. It wasn't much of a surprise, but it is a play that will lead to others down the road. It also compliments the 1st play of the drive and makes the Gators have to stay honest.
2nd and 8- McElroy to Maze for 9 Good
Bama comes out with the 2 TE, "Ace" set with Ingram behind McElroy. Florida responds with a 4-3 shift left, LB strong right, and walk their left corner and safety up because they read run left. Peek is left Williams right, but if Bama is running they'd be to the right because they run behind Williams or Dial. Maze sees his corner back off and he cuts his slant just right to get between the corner and the ball and gets an easy 9.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for 2 Good and Bad
Bama lines up trips left, slot right again. Dial goes in motion and lines up in the backfield. The good part of the play is that Florida gets confused by the two things they see and can't tell which is real and which is not. They see Dial in motion to the left and Peek is on the left, but Davis is tipping his hand by his stance that it is pass. That's the bad part of the play is that the right side where the action is going reads pass on his stance. If you wonder what that means, if you watch the play, watch how the other linemen are down in their stance. Davis is up in his because there is an edge rusher lined up outside him and he has no backside support. If it were a run, that wouldn't matter because they would be running away from it. However if it is a pass he has to get up in his stance to get around on the rush.
2nd and 8- Upchurch for 5 Good
Bama lines up in their double TE, double HB backfield. FL responds with 8 in the box. They did their film study and see Church at FB. They read a run left or play action right. Bama runs a FB dive that gets good yardage and now has FL confused about what Church's role will be.
3rd and 4- incomplete Jones dropped Bad
Bad on a lot of levels. Bad because a good drive stalled on a drop. Bad because they didn't know the play coming out of the huddle. Bad because they really should have burned a timeout. Florida could see the play because of all the confusing in getting everyone in order. As is, the drop killed the drive and squandered a great chance to get FL on their heels.
4th and 4- FG good
It is amazing a guy can hit from 45+ every day, but can't hit an extra point.....
Overall drive nets about 4 and a half minutes, gets points and shows good momentum for the offense building off last week's winning drive. GM has been on target and shown a good grasp of the gameplan and looks like he's played it out a few times in his head.
Kickoff- Tiffin does a good job of getting leg on the ball and drives James to the goal line. Kickoff coverage is good and keeps James inside the 30. It occurs to me that when the FL offense comes out in all white, how virgin, that they look like 11 semen swimming in a stream....
1st and 10- Tebow shovel to Hernandez 2 yards Good
This is the play that killed the Tide last year. Bama looked ready for it and as soon as they stuffed it the play never really came back. Bama comes out in the nickel with Reamer in with Rolo. Florida is in their base spread (3W/1T/1H). It is a read option where Tebow has a pitch option, shovel option or keeper option. Tebow actually misreads the play, his best option was to go to the option left.
2nd and 10- Incomplete pass to Demps Bad
This is a busted cover on Arenas. Arenas is in the Star and has the right flat as his zone assignment but creeps in too far. Demps drops an easy pass that would have made a good 15 plus. If you are wanting to say it was Reamer's, no because Hernandez runs a curl at Reamer. The play is designed to go to Cooper but he is covered, Demps is the 3rd read and wide open.
3rd and 10- incomplete Good
Bama goes dime now with Green in for Reamer. Barron is the money and Woodall slides over to Barron's safety spot and Green to Woodall's. Bama pretty well did this all night on 3rd because Florida on 3rd and longer is all pass and the dime has been their best pass defense all year. Florida goes in motion, and Bama shifts around with Barron following the motion. Bama rushes 5 with the 4 down and Rolo. The pressure from Upshaw and Anders does its job and Tebow has to chuck it.
Chas Henry abuses a football and Bama starts over at the 24. He really is a great punter. Overall the drive is a good one for the defense. They saw their nemesis, contained it, stuffed them, survived a mistake and got a 3 and out. Can't ask for more to start a game.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for 19 Good
Bama comes out in the shotgun 2 right, Ingram to the left of McElroy. Bama uses this set a lot in the game with Dial lined up far right, and Florida continues to cover him with a corner. Peek runs an in route from r to l and has a big gap in the secondary to play with. Florida keeps trying to use Wright as a cover but he's not big enough and a major mismatch in Bama's favor. Spikes chucks Peek but releases him signaling zone, so when he's released like that I can't figure out why they would let him free with small safeties covering him. It was a theme later on, Bama kept finding that soft spot when FL let them have it.
1st and 10- Ingram for 7 Good
Dial's in at H back, Bama's going strong right with the WRs and Peek and Dial to the right. FL responds by moving Stamper up on the line to engage Peek, and brings the corners up on the WR. The linebackers stay in middle. The counter play opens up a nice gap that gets Ingram over midfield.
2nd and 3- Ingram for 15 Good
Bama has 2 TEs in and they are in the gun slot right, FL again stays in the 4-3, with 5 on the line, and 2 shading right towards the WRs. The corners and safeties are in as well. The play is a pulling guard hb over LT where Bama gets more of their guys on the outside than FL can contain. The result is a lot of room and Ingram does a good job of showing patience. Last year he rushes it and gets 9 yards, but this year he shows patience and gets an extra few. Needed just one more block to get free for 6.
1st and 10- Richardson for 3 Bad
Richardson has a huge gap to the right, but makes a freshman mistake and goes straight ahead. The blocking is fairly solid, but the read is wrong and the play makes a fair gain but the fruit was plentiful on the right boys and girls. Williams sealed his guy, Peek was down field blocking....
2nd and 7- incomplete
This is another play where Jones has to make the grab, hit or not. Florida is reading run, and Julio has man coverage with a safety coming on. He lets Haden inside him, and as much as Jones likes to get to the inside, that's surprising. Jones has started making a bad habit of trying to catch with his body of late, does it on this play. He needs to catch with his hands and bring it in to the body not catch and trap.
3rd and 7- McElroy to Maze for 14 Good
While Jones is struggling, Maze is finally turning the corner and becoming a real play maker. Bama goes 5 wide and brings Maze across the middle on another in route between the gaps in zone and McElroy does a good job of reading the play pre snap and deciding on him.
1st and 10- Ingram run for 8 Good
Bama comes in with an overload left and runs what really is a student body left. Remember Bama ran a play like this against Ole Miss for a touchdown. This type of play is designed to do 2 things, one run strong to the overload or play action and get a wide open TE or back in the flat as the defense follows the overload. Ingram doesn't have to do much but just follow traffic for an easy 8.
2nd and 2- Illegal procedure, can't get on the line right with the motion Bad
2nd and 7- Florida called for holding Good and Bad
Good because they got an easy first, but bad because Carpenter couldn't get up on the snap and gets whipped.
1st and goal- Ingram over left guard for Touchdown Good
Good job here of Ingram taking a lane and exploding through. Once he's in the open, the linebackers have a hard time of getting position to make a clean tackle and he wins those battles getting the YACs on a regular basis. Of course because Bama did something good, we have to review it for a week and a half....
XP missed Ugly
You could see it coming before the snap, deja vu of the 00 Orange Bowl. The miss will keep me bugged out until about 10 min left in the game. It really kept Florida alive and made the staff have to go for 2 later on when they shouldn't have to consider it. Also, you would think as many games as the Ambiguously Gay Duo have done, they'd know the ball is dead if it hits the pole.
Overall drive is another good one as they get nearly 80 yards in 4 minutes and used a balance of pass and run to keep the defense on its heels. Ingram and McElroy both look like they are ready to take over the game.
Kickoff- Another good kick, James returns it 26 yards but a personal foul on FL backs them up 13 yards.
1st and 10- Rainey run for 9 Bad
Bama gets caught flat footed reading the play wrong. Not the start you want after the offense has given you a 9 point cushion. The front line gets beat and surged for about 4 yards and Rainey does the rest.
2nd and 1-Tebow to Thompson for 18 Bad
Again the defense comes out heeled and in too soft of a zone. Bama sends 4 and drops 7, but the zone is very soft and Reamer and Johnson are out of position and let the WR get an easy catch.
1st and 10- incomplete Good
Bama still in the nickel and still playing zone, but this time they run twists with the down 4 and force Tebow to rush the pass some and McClain does a great job of reading it and breaking up the pass to Cooper. Cooper shows gator arms too as he feared the lick from Reamer and Rolo in the middle.
2nd and 10- Tebow run for 3 Good
This is a message play. Tebow runs a draw play but McClain is playing shadow to Tebow and corals him for 3.
3rd and 7- Tebow to James for 8 Bad
Bama rushes 4 and gets little to no pressure and the secondary again plays off respecting the spead and lets them bleed the field again. When watching live, I kept wondering why they were playing so much containment when it didn't work last year.
1st and 10- Incomplete good
Good because some weeks that play is pass interference even if incidental. Reamer and Hernandez get tangled up and the pass sails. The defense does bite on the hb dive and that doesn't cost them later. The Hernandez v. Reamer matchup was a little surprising to me, I thought Barron would get him more, but Reamer does a really nice job on him most of the night.
2nd and 10- Tebow for 7 Bad
They run the shovel option and Tebow reads it right. Bama covers the TE, covers the pitchman, but nobody is in position to greet him until he gets a head of steam. He carries players down an extra 3 yards. The staff starts to make corrections at this point.
3rd and 3- Tebow to Cooper for 13 Bad
Florida shows a tight formation with the WRs lined up tight to the line. It is a signal for a fade route usually. Tebow fakes the option and draws the defense in and gets Cooper all alone but he can't keep his feet. Good thing too, he scores if he does.
1st and 10- Tebow loss of 1 Good
Jackson makes this play happen even though he isn't on the tackle. The play is the option read again. Jackson sees it and abandons his guy and covers the pitchman, which is what you are taught to do. Tebow has no option and 4 players stop him for a loss. This is probably Jackson's best game of his Bama career.
2nd and 11- Tebow to Nelson loss of 1 Good
The play action is supposed to draw everyone in, but it doesn't. Tebow feels pressure and hits Nelson short of the line of scrimmage where Nico Johnson meets him. Bama went 3-4 on this play and did a few times when in the red zone because the option.
3rd and 12- incomplete Good
Dareus and Upshaw stunt and both disrupt the play and Upshaw gets his shot on him. The dime does the rest and Woodall misses a pick by 2 inches. Dareus got good pressure on Tebow's left side and gets doubled which leaves Upshaw open.
4th down- FG Good Bad
Barron gets lost in space on the sideline and Bama burns a TO for the right situation. Sturgis nails it after the TO. Later on, the halftime show will get confused about this moment. Overall this drive wasn't what they wanted. They had FL on the ropes and a 3 and out may have ended the night then and there. However, they gave the Gators a few more minutes of life with the long drive. 12 plays 5 mins worth of torture. They did make some adjustments late in the drive that start to pay off in the 2nd half.
Kickoff- Arenas makes a good read on the sideline and gets more than he should have but starts the offense out at the 33.
1st and 10- Ingram loses 1 Bad
Bama shows wildcat for the only time of the night and Florida of all teams will know how to play it. They rush off the ends knowing Ingram won't hand off to Jones, and bottle him up before he can make it to the LOS. Not much push from the front 7 either. Neither TE or 5 OL get a good hat on their man. The result is a loss of 1 on Ingrams leg drive
November 30, 2009
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Auburn
When you watch games like the Iron Bowl, it is often found that fan chatter is talk, and talk is cheap. Here's a hint for those of you who read my thoughts, when I don't talk much during the week of a game, that is a good sign that I see a tough fight. A lot of folks on the message board world had a lot of locker room material about how none of Auburn's players could start or be the top reserve at Alabama or how the staff and the Mahlzahn offense wouldn't dent the Tide defense, etc. If there is one thing that the last 2 years have taught me, this defense doesn't like motion or misdirection, and Auburn does a lot of it. The reverses and flea flickers, etc, are a part of their gameplan week in and out. The onsides kick wasn't but that was a hell of a read by the coaches to see that Bama doesn't cover the front line, it goes straight into return defense. Lots of teachable moments for sure, but a win and a chance at glory still remain. That is something worth being thankful for on the holiday rebound...
OFFENSE
The Good...
Game Manager = Clutch
The thing that really gets me is this. Greg McElroy throws for over 200 yards, has 2 TDs, and completes 2/3rds of all his passes, and there are folks who say he had a bad game because he missed an open guy. Here's a hint, they all do. I saw Manning do it Sunday, should he be benched? There is a human element to the game and there will be mistakes, but it is only when the mistakes are beating you that you need to talk about changing a starter. Mistakes that are benign are just film room improvements. Saban said afterwards that there were a lot of factors in some of the errors from blocking (more on that to come), playcalling (more on that too), and McElroy missing his reads. The biggest anchor for the offense wasn't McElroy anyways, it was this insanity that kept running Ingram right at the stacked line of Auburn. In the end though, McElroy stayed in control and played HIS game and that lead to victory more than anything else.
Just for those crayon chewers who want a true freshman who hasn't sniffed a football this year, since the USCar game (his worst of the year, 2 picks), McElroy has thrown 7 TDs and 1 Int, has gone 77-123 (63%) and has had a passer rating over 100 in all but the UT game. Yes, let's bench the winner for the sexy recruit name. I swear some folks could tear up a steel ball just to be happy, and those guys want to start someone else because they don't score on every drive....this ain't NCAA 2010 or Madden folks. There is no reset button or redos.....
Welcome to the stage Mr. Richardson
Here's the thing, outside the crimson bubble that most of us live in, nobody really knew who Trent Richardson was. They knew who Ingram was because he's in the Heisman talks, and they have watched him play all year and rack up yards. So, when he was held in check and then hurt, a good number of football fans thought doom was near for Bama. Thankfully, the Trent Richardson show that has been kinda pre-empted by the Ingram watch was able to pick up on its regularly scheduled broadcast. The thing that Richardson does that is so impressive is that he can sense the defenders and seems to always get lower and make the tackle target small and punishing. That is why he always gets an extra 3 or 5 yards after contact. They can't get him, but he gets them.
Peek a Boo Holla McGhee
If you had watched any of Auburn's games, you know that they get real soft in the middle of the field. The 2nd best play call of the day came when Peek ran a slant across the flat and found the soft spot in the defense where Greg hit him in stride and the rest is paydirt.
Best timeout ever spent
While they really never said what the play was going to be, but I would bet a steak dinner that it was the Cody flop over tackle play. Auburn sure as hell thought it was. I called pass when I saw Upchurch at fullback because that's been the tip on any formation with Church all year. Would the Cody flop over tackle worked? Probably not since Bama had not gained more than 2 hard yards at any one time all day. I think Saban knew that as well and with Cody at fullback/h back, it was a tip that he was going to lead block over the left side. So it was time to shake up the film scouts. Thank God. Florida will be more apt to stay at home and not load up so much if they see the formation again.
The Bad...
0 push from the O Line = 0 yards figuratively for Ingram
Ok, this is one part griping about linemen who shoot up like deer when they hear a horn and one part griping about playcalling. There are so many things that just confuse me at times about the playcalling logic. Ingram comes in, the blue sea masses in front of him between the hashes, and you continue to run straight at it. Yet, Richardson comes in, they back off, and Bama runs over tackle. Why can't Ingram run over tackle? I think they tried that maybe twice. I don't know how much of a leash McElroy has with the staff to audible into another play, but I would hope he had enough of one to check to a screen or a swing pass instead of just butting their head against a wall. You can run on Auburn, they're near the bottom of the SEC in rush defense. The thing is that when they've had 2 weeks to get ready, you have to be flexible in your game plan to adjust to the things they are doing. Bama finally got creative, but it took about 20 minutes into the game (game clock wise) to get there. Run, run, pass, punt is a great plan if you are trying to burn clock and get out of the stadium, but when you are trying to dig out of a 14 point hole, not so much....
The offensive line didn't help either. I lost count of how many times the linemen sprung up instead of at the defender. Now, if you never played or didn't play O Line, what happens when you let the defender get under you is that they have control of your position and can drive you backwards, sideways, on your ass, whatever they really want. I also lost count of how many times I saw Barrett Jones standing around while the play was going on. He is a first year player and I give him a little slack, but 12 games in and he's making effort mistakes...that's a concern for me. It would be one thing if he hit his guy, defeated him, and then shot up and the play was over, but the play is on going and he's trotting along like a sideline cameraman. Carpenter also had his worst day. It wasn't Chris Capps part deux or tres, but it wasn't one that he'll want to see on film any time soon. Carpenter still plays left tackle like he would as a guard (his natural position)- very stationary and stiff. Teams have scouted and learned that a bull rush won't beat him very often, but a speed rush off the end will. Dunlap will own him if they don't put the TE or HBack with him.
The Ugly...
The first 10 minutes of the game
I'm not a fan of getting the ball first to start a game in any circumstance, but Bama elected to take the ball first and got great starting position at the 40. They did nothing with it. They sat around for a good while thanks to poor special teams play and got the ball back again at the 40. They did a heaping helping of more nothing. The defense was on the defensive against the spread and they really, REALLY, needed some time to regroup and couldn't get any time because the offense couldn't incorporate any semblance of rhythm at all. Really the offense had to see the defense stiffen up and stop Auburn before they got a first down.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
2 and a half quarters of shut down defense
The first quarter wasn't one of the defense's shining moments, nor was the busted coverage in the 3rd quarter, but outside of that it was pretty solid. Man that sounds like moral victory talk, but it is true. I thought Auburn could get 17 or so on Bama just because they do all the motion and hurry up and misdirection stuff that has kept Bama's defense baffled all year. Review any game you want of the following and you will see what I am saying- Va Tech, FIU (1st half), MSU (1st quarter), LSU, Auburn. Once they find their legs and get them back under them, they really don't give up much, and on Friday, they put on a statement performance after they took Auburn's best shot.
Surviving the shit storm
Bama has done this a lot more this season than last and that may be the difference in the SECC this year. They have taken some pretty hard shots from some good teams this year whereas last fall they didn't know how to play from behind very often. This year they have been in a position to lose against Tech, USCar, UT, LSU and now Auburn and survived them all. Yes, survived. They all have been victories because the defense has made the stops and created the turnovers when they needed them most. This week's game was no different as they made the key stops in the 4th to lead to the drive.
Knock that ball down!
I don't care how simple it sounds, but I see so many teams go for the pick instead of just swatting the ball to the turf. When you go for the ball, you usually end up looking back and seeing another guy with it. It isn't a great feeling to be there or watch it. I couldn't tell who swatted (Woodall?) but whomever it was got the best vertical of his life and cleared the ball out.
The Bad...
Heads in the clouds syndrome
It apparently was contagious beyond imagination. Woodall had probably his worst game since becoming a starter. The misdirection and reverses were keeping him out of position a good bit and the unsportsmanlike penalty was just him not acting like a senior. The emotion was good, but it would have been better witnessed on the sidelines. Chavis Williams got caught napping on special teams and they kicked right at him. I can see why he doesn't play despite having the measurables. Barron ate the play fake like it was turkey with the sides. It went on and on, but there wasn't enough brain farts in the air Friday to doom them, just make the game a lot tighter than it needed to be.
Missing posters sent for Reamer and Green...
I know Reamer has the elbow thing going and Robbie Green is smaller, but Ali Sharrief isn't exactly my cup of tea vs. the spread. He may be a better tackler, but he has to be in a position to tackle and that's where he falls off. They had decided that because Auburn plays up tempo that it would be better to have Sharrief play Money and keep Barron and Woodall in their spots instead of swapping around like they do when Reamer or Green are in nickel and dime. I would say the 21 points they flung up like poo would dispell that theory, but that's just me.
The Ugly...
Too much flat footing and not paying attention
Yeah that falls under heads in the cloud, but it pissed me off that much it deserves more mention. Damn it.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Stay tuned for a dissection of the spread playbook
I got a demo for some playbook software the other day and will try to use it to show how the plays develop and how the Tide can defend it. It won't be just top shelf the way I like to do things, but it will have to pass because I am not spending 300 bucks on you turds. I really was trying to find some cool porn and thought I was getting that, but found football instead. My porno for football crazies I guess....I kid Mom...really but not really.
Watching the bowl flush....
Boy, if you think you have the bowl allignment figured out, congrats because there are 3 tiers all of a sudden. Bama and Florida are in the BCS win or lose, nobody will keep them out of the Sugar Bowl for losing even in a route. LSU found grace because Ole Miss is still trying to find its mouthpiece after that butt whoopin, and UT doesn't inspire much when they struggle every week to beat the weaker sisters. Ole Miss, UT, ARK, UGA, USCar, and AU all have 7-8 wins and all look about equal in that any given Saturday they'd beat each other.
I will say that Carolina taking Clem(p)son to the shed wasn't a real surprise. Georgia taking out a year's worth of frustration on a very good Tech team was. Ole Miss losing wasn't a shocker, but the way they got whipped was. Ole Miss had played really well down the stretch again, but they left their game at the 9 yard line vs. LSU. LSU beating the Hawgs wasn't a real surprise, but letting the Hawgs tie them late was another sign that they just aren't tough enough to be with Bama and Florida yet. The bowl projections are pretty well locked up as far as the BCS, but the others may be about who can fill the stadium where....
BCS- Bama/UF vs Texas- Unless Nebraska pulls off a miracle, this one has been a lock since August
Sugar- Bama/UF vs TCU- I pity the loser because a let down looms with TCU hitting on all cylinders
Cap 1- LSU vs PSU/Iowa- Thank you MSU says the Hat getting fat with a wife who serves up not cat...if there is a shakeup in the BCS, Iowa could be here, but if all goes as planned it is JoePa
Outback- UT vs. Wisconsin/PSU- all really depends on Iowa's home for the holidays, but neither is a tough match for the Vols
Cotton- Ole Miss vs. Nebraska or OSU- If it is the Pokes vs. the Siss, the underachiever bowl is upon us...Really like the Pelini vs. Nutt matchup though
Chick Fil A- UGA vs. Clemson/Va Tech- If they take Tech, the Bobo era will be over fo sho, I know some think that Clemson will beat GTech, but I am not one of those. Tech would be the fit for the Chick but nobody wants the in state rematch either
Music City- S Carolina vs. UNC/Miami- 2 great coaches with 2 unpredictable teams on one matchup and a present/past meets future in the other
Liberty- Arkansas vs. Houston- better add a digit to the scoreboard when these two hit it
Papa Johns- Kentucky v. UConn/WVa-
Indy- Auburn vs. aTm/Iowa St.- really is about who goes where in the world, I don't think either side wants to see Auburn v. ISU, but Bama fans with evil hearts like mine do....
OFFENSE
The Good...
Game Manager = Clutch
The thing that really gets me is this. Greg McElroy throws for over 200 yards, has 2 TDs, and completes 2/3rds of all his passes, and there are folks who say he had a bad game because he missed an open guy. Here's a hint, they all do. I saw Manning do it Sunday, should he be benched? There is a human element to the game and there will be mistakes, but it is only when the mistakes are beating you that you need to talk about changing a starter. Mistakes that are benign are just film room improvements. Saban said afterwards that there were a lot of factors in some of the errors from blocking (more on that to come), playcalling (more on that too), and McElroy missing his reads. The biggest anchor for the offense wasn't McElroy anyways, it was this insanity that kept running Ingram right at the stacked line of Auburn. In the end though, McElroy stayed in control and played HIS game and that lead to victory more than anything else.
Just for those crayon chewers who want a true freshman who hasn't sniffed a football this year, since the USCar game (his worst of the year, 2 picks), McElroy has thrown 7 TDs and 1 Int, has gone 77-123 (63%) and has had a passer rating over 100 in all but the UT game. Yes, let's bench the winner for the sexy recruit name. I swear some folks could tear up a steel ball just to be happy, and those guys want to start someone else because they don't score on every drive....this ain't NCAA 2010 or Madden folks. There is no reset button or redos.....
Welcome to the stage Mr. Richardson
Here's the thing, outside the crimson bubble that most of us live in, nobody really knew who Trent Richardson was. They knew who Ingram was because he's in the Heisman talks, and they have watched him play all year and rack up yards. So, when he was held in check and then hurt, a good number of football fans thought doom was near for Bama. Thankfully, the Trent Richardson show that has been kinda pre-empted by the Ingram watch was able to pick up on its regularly scheduled broadcast. The thing that Richardson does that is so impressive is that he can sense the defenders and seems to always get lower and make the tackle target small and punishing. That is why he always gets an extra 3 or 5 yards after contact. They can't get him, but he gets them.
Peek a Boo Holla McGhee
If you had watched any of Auburn's games, you know that they get real soft in the middle of the field. The 2nd best play call of the day came when Peek ran a slant across the flat and found the soft spot in the defense where Greg hit him in stride and the rest is paydirt.
Best timeout ever spent
While they really never said what the play was going to be, but I would bet a steak dinner that it was the Cody flop over tackle play. Auburn sure as hell thought it was. I called pass when I saw Upchurch at fullback because that's been the tip on any formation with Church all year. Would the Cody flop over tackle worked? Probably not since Bama had not gained more than 2 hard yards at any one time all day. I think Saban knew that as well and with Cody at fullback/h back, it was a tip that he was going to lead block over the left side. So it was time to shake up the film scouts. Thank God. Florida will be more apt to stay at home and not load up so much if they see the formation again.
The Bad...
0 push from the O Line = 0 yards figuratively for Ingram
Ok, this is one part griping about linemen who shoot up like deer when they hear a horn and one part griping about playcalling. There are so many things that just confuse me at times about the playcalling logic. Ingram comes in, the blue sea masses in front of him between the hashes, and you continue to run straight at it. Yet, Richardson comes in, they back off, and Bama runs over tackle. Why can't Ingram run over tackle? I think they tried that maybe twice. I don't know how much of a leash McElroy has with the staff to audible into another play, but I would hope he had enough of one to check to a screen or a swing pass instead of just butting their head against a wall. You can run on Auburn, they're near the bottom of the SEC in rush defense. The thing is that when they've had 2 weeks to get ready, you have to be flexible in your game plan to adjust to the things they are doing. Bama finally got creative, but it took about 20 minutes into the game (game clock wise) to get there. Run, run, pass, punt is a great plan if you are trying to burn clock and get out of the stadium, but when you are trying to dig out of a 14 point hole, not so much....
The offensive line didn't help either. I lost count of how many times the linemen sprung up instead of at the defender. Now, if you never played or didn't play O Line, what happens when you let the defender get under you is that they have control of your position and can drive you backwards, sideways, on your ass, whatever they really want. I also lost count of how many times I saw Barrett Jones standing around while the play was going on. He is a first year player and I give him a little slack, but 12 games in and he's making effort mistakes...that's a concern for me. It would be one thing if he hit his guy, defeated him, and then shot up and the play was over, but the play is on going and he's trotting along like a sideline cameraman. Carpenter also had his worst day. It wasn't Chris Capps part deux or tres, but it wasn't one that he'll want to see on film any time soon. Carpenter still plays left tackle like he would as a guard (his natural position)- very stationary and stiff. Teams have scouted and learned that a bull rush won't beat him very often, but a speed rush off the end will. Dunlap will own him if they don't put the TE or HBack with him.
The Ugly...
The first 10 minutes of the game
I'm not a fan of getting the ball first to start a game in any circumstance, but Bama elected to take the ball first and got great starting position at the 40. They did nothing with it. They sat around for a good while thanks to poor special teams play and got the ball back again at the 40. They did a heaping helping of more nothing. The defense was on the defensive against the spread and they really, REALLY, needed some time to regroup and couldn't get any time because the offense couldn't incorporate any semblance of rhythm at all. Really the offense had to see the defense stiffen up and stop Auburn before they got a first down.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
2 and a half quarters of shut down defense
The first quarter wasn't one of the defense's shining moments, nor was the busted coverage in the 3rd quarter, but outside of that it was pretty solid. Man that sounds like moral victory talk, but it is true. I thought Auburn could get 17 or so on Bama just because they do all the motion and hurry up and misdirection stuff that has kept Bama's defense baffled all year. Review any game you want of the following and you will see what I am saying- Va Tech, FIU (1st half), MSU (1st quarter), LSU, Auburn. Once they find their legs and get them back under them, they really don't give up much, and on Friday, they put on a statement performance after they took Auburn's best shot.
Surviving the shit storm
Bama has done this a lot more this season than last and that may be the difference in the SECC this year. They have taken some pretty hard shots from some good teams this year whereas last fall they didn't know how to play from behind very often. This year they have been in a position to lose against Tech, USCar, UT, LSU and now Auburn and survived them all. Yes, survived. They all have been victories because the defense has made the stops and created the turnovers when they needed them most. This week's game was no different as they made the key stops in the 4th to lead to the drive.
Knock that ball down!
I don't care how simple it sounds, but I see so many teams go for the pick instead of just swatting the ball to the turf. When you go for the ball, you usually end up looking back and seeing another guy with it. It isn't a great feeling to be there or watch it. I couldn't tell who swatted (Woodall?) but whomever it was got the best vertical of his life and cleared the ball out.
The Bad...
Heads in the clouds syndrome
It apparently was contagious beyond imagination. Woodall had probably his worst game since becoming a starter. The misdirection and reverses were keeping him out of position a good bit and the unsportsmanlike penalty was just him not acting like a senior. The emotion was good, but it would have been better witnessed on the sidelines. Chavis Williams got caught napping on special teams and they kicked right at him. I can see why he doesn't play despite having the measurables. Barron ate the play fake like it was turkey with the sides. It went on and on, but there wasn't enough brain farts in the air Friday to doom them, just make the game a lot tighter than it needed to be.
Missing posters sent for Reamer and Green...
I know Reamer has the elbow thing going and Robbie Green is smaller, but Ali Sharrief isn't exactly my cup of tea vs. the spread. He may be a better tackler, but he has to be in a position to tackle and that's where he falls off. They had decided that because Auburn plays up tempo that it would be better to have Sharrief play Money and keep Barron and Woodall in their spots instead of swapping around like they do when Reamer or Green are in nickel and dime. I would say the 21 points they flung up like poo would dispell that theory, but that's just me.
The Ugly...
Too much flat footing and not paying attention
Yeah that falls under heads in the cloud, but it pissed me off that much it deserves more mention. Damn it.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Stay tuned for a dissection of the spread playbook
I got a demo for some playbook software the other day and will try to use it to show how the plays develop and how the Tide can defend it. It won't be just top shelf the way I like to do things, but it will have to pass because I am not spending 300 bucks on you turds. I really was trying to find some cool porn and thought I was getting that, but found football instead. My porno for football crazies I guess....I kid Mom...really but not really.
Watching the bowl flush....
Boy, if you think you have the bowl allignment figured out, congrats because there are 3 tiers all of a sudden. Bama and Florida are in the BCS win or lose, nobody will keep them out of the Sugar Bowl for losing even in a route. LSU found grace because Ole Miss is still trying to find its mouthpiece after that butt whoopin, and UT doesn't inspire much when they struggle every week to beat the weaker sisters. Ole Miss, UT, ARK, UGA, USCar, and AU all have 7-8 wins and all look about equal in that any given Saturday they'd beat each other.
I will say that Carolina taking Clem(p)son to the shed wasn't a real surprise. Georgia taking out a year's worth of frustration on a very good Tech team was. Ole Miss losing wasn't a shocker, but the way they got whipped was. Ole Miss had played really well down the stretch again, but they left their game at the 9 yard line vs. LSU. LSU beating the Hawgs wasn't a real surprise, but letting the Hawgs tie them late was another sign that they just aren't tough enough to be with Bama and Florida yet. The bowl projections are pretty well locked up as far as the BCS, but the others may be about who can fill the stadium where....
BCS- Bama/UF vs Texas- Unless Nebraska pulls off a miracle, this one has been a lock since August
Sugar- Bama/UF vs TCU- I pity the loser because a let down looms with TCU hitting on all cylinders
Cap 1- LSU vs PSU/Iowa- Thank you MSU says the Hat getting fat with a wife who serves up not cat...if there is a shakeup in the BCS, Iowa could be here, but if all goes as planned it is JoePa
Outback- UT vs. Wisconsin/PSU- all really depends on Iowa's home for the holidays, but neither is a tough match for the Vols
Cotton- Ole Miss vs. Nebraska or OSU- If it is the Pokes vs. the Siss, the underachiever bowl is upon us...Really like the Pelini vs. Nutt matchup though
Chick Fil A- UGA vs. Clemson/Va Tech- If they take Tech, the Bobo era will be over fo sho, I know some think that Clemson will beat GTech, but I am not one of those. Tech would be the fit for the Chick but nobody wants the in state rematch either
Music City- S Carolina vs. UNC/Miami- 2 great coaches with 2 unpredictable teams on one matchup and a present/past meets future in the other
Liberty- Arkansas vs. Houston- better add a digit to the scoreboard when these two hit it
Papa Johns- Kentucky v. UConn/WVa-
Indy- Auburn vs. aTm/Iowa St.- really is about who goes where in the world, I don't think either side wants to see Auburn v. ISU, but Bama fans with evil hearts like mine do....
November 23, 2009
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- UTC
I picked a good one to make the annual trek down to Tuscaloosa for my once a year game ritual. I was real pleased with about everything but the student section. The students seem to have more important things. It looked more like a UTC student section than a National Championship contender's. I digress...
(going back to old format for one week since this was a snoozer)
The Good...
Senior moments....
No not those where you piss yourself and forget you did. Moments like Javy returning a punt for a TD in his last BDS game, Reamer snagging the pick, Upchurch scoring late, etc. I always like seeing the Rudy's of the world come out for these kinda games and get a few snaps as a reward for being a 3 1/2 year tackle dummy.
Quick work = quick rest = quick shift of focus to Auburn
The game was over after Reamer's pick basically, but getting the game salted away by the end of the 1st and the starters (for the most part) out of the game by halftime, is always a good start when your rival is sitting at home eating bon bons and watching you play. The objectives were pretty clear once met. Ingram was going to get about 10 carries and do what he needed to there. McElroy had 1 half and that was it (no shock to either of those). The defense would start subbing quickly to rest up the starters and keep injuries low. McClain got 1 half to do his thing and then by that point the backups could handle the business.
Nice work turned in by...
It was good to see the guys who haven't played much, like Goode, Upchurch, Alexander, etal. get some looks as primary guys. Goode looks ok as a guy finishing off a worn out defense, but I don't think he's gonna get any major PT without disaster happening. He's not fast enough to get snaps as a speed back and not physical enough to be the pounder that the others are.
Even in a route, Saban's chewing...
The peanut gallery was chuckling with me as Saban used about every "coachable moment" that came along to kick and snort in spite of it being a total blowout. He chewed Star Jackson for a few decisions. He chewed Baron Huber for being in Knoxville and not Tuscaloosa mentally. He chewed on PJ for shanking a punt (net 20ish from where I was) that could have pinned them deep. It was a good reminder for the players and fans that even though the game is in hand, they use every minute of the game to get better and execute the playbook. I think there were a couple out there that probably thought it was ok to just ho hum through and enjoy the sunshine, but those people are running laps and hearing it in film this week.
The Bad...
Nothing major bad, but they still have a hard time getting used to the spread
One thing that seems to be a common theme this year is that the defense has a little bit of trouble adjusting to the spread. UTC wasn't a threat to do major things to them, we all know it, but if you watch the first 2 or 3 drives, they had a bit of trouble getting in position and adjusting to the motion. The only reason this raises a flag is because Florida has 3 times the athletes that a MSU or UTC or Auburn have, and can punish a team that is out of position whereas the 3 mentioned can't.
The Ugly...NONE it was UTC
Random Thoughts....
A little depth chart watching...
The news that AJ McCarron is now 2B on the chart is nothing new really, but it is always amazing to see the amount of bullshit that comes from fans about the backups and how great they are. Especially ones that have never played a meaningful down. The "I didn't want to say anything before because it was a secret" insider crowd is well worth the amusement and is always at face value just that, entertainment, but I don't delve in entertainment, I delve into real thinking and discussion. So let's have fun shall we with actual real discussion of some player battles looming....
At QB, you will not see any jockying for the starter. McElroy will be the starter come hell or high water. Only a career or season ending injury will change his status on the depth chart. He has the playbook under control, he has the ability to manage the job, and he's talented enough to fit what Saban/McElwain want him to do. He wins games, plain and simple, and won't lose his job if he loses a game or has a bad game in that loss. There is room for battle in the 2nd position. The gap between Greg and the backup is still quite noticable and Star didn't really do anything Saturday to improve that opinion. Star is very talented. He has the arm, he can move with the ball, and he can do things that none of the others on campus can do, but he is very raw as a college level QB. That means he doesn't understand how to be a full service QB that walks up to the line, sees the blitzes, sees the coverages, etc and commands the line to cover those situations and think through his progressions based on what he's seeing to make the play. He also is Major's QB and not McElwains. He would be more suited for a spread offense like the one Major used at Rice than what McElwain does. However, he has the snaps and practice lead on his biggest challenger this spring, AJ McCarron.
McCarron is the highly touted QB and is a protype of what McElwain uses and wants. He has been well coached and his mechanics, based on HS film, are good for the most part. If he has earned commentary from Saban in his press conferences, he is doing the right things. However, we can't tell how close he is to Star because he won't play. Sorry Mr Insider wannabes, this year is a sit year regardless of what happens. Watching Star play in the spring and during the season, it is understandable why they are high on McCarron, but I want to see him in pressure situations before I jump on the AJ is the number 2 for sure bandwagon.
Phillip Sims and Thomas Darrah also have a chance to compete for number 2, but Sims is a redshirt in waiting and Darrah is what he is. I think Sims needs the redshirt for the same reason that AJ did, there aren't many reasons to throw him out there unless he just proves he needs to be out there. Darrah is a walkon and looks like one. He has the fan club of belivers and all, but 1 pass in a spring scrimmage against 4th string corners doesn't impress when you are trying to run with the Floridas, Texases (is that the proper plural use?), USCs, and other powers of the world. I really don't see him being around in the major discussion after the spring to be honest.
Running back has no real discussion. Ingram will be back for what will be his last year likely. Richardson will be his backup. Grant and Lacy are the front runners for the Upchurch spot in the rotatation. Goode is the 5th guy in the rotation who could be fourth if Grant continues to flounder and stay dinged up. The coaches are all very high on Lacy and speak well of him as he runs the scout team tailback spot. The truth is that he probably would have played this year if there weren't 2 guys with experience above him.
None of the WR core changes really. McCoy is gone after this year, but has anyone missed him?
The OL has some discussion worth mentioning though. You have Carpenter returning and some seem to think that he has to move. Folks, I sometimes wonder if people ate out of their own diapers when I read stuff like that. He is the best LT this team has and will be next spring. Tyler Love is his backup and DJ Fluker has been at RT all year. Love will never push Carpenter for PT. I know some folks spent hours dissecting his high school film, but he's about as mean as a Hallmark card. That's all that a lineman has to be dissected to is how mean are they? You can build technique, but you can't make mean. Carpenter is mean. Fluker is mean, but very raw. A lot of folks keep living in this world that says he's the LT of the future. That may be, but the future isn't 2010. He needs to be exposed to live action before he gets moved over. He is a lot farther behind the learning curve than a Andre Smith or Chris Samuels was. Everything I have heard about Fluker says he's going to be there someday, but they seem more content with him at RT for now, and that's the first opening, to let him learn and make the formation support easier. IE- he can have the H Back or TE lineup with him to help him out when he gets beat. A name folks need to keep in mind at RT is McCullough. Alfred has been a coach's dream since he arrived and has paid the dues.
The second area will be LG. Bama has two really good options that I like in Boswell and Warmack. Both have a mean streak and play downhill. I noticed them both on Saturday just hunting people at the 2nd level to hit. That's what I like to see. I can't tell you how many times it pisses me off to see a lineman standing around at the end of a play when there were 2 or 3 guys they could have put a helmet on to keep a play going. I think the race between the two of them will be fun to watch because there isn't a good or bad between the two. Both are very sound blockers and won't make the line weaker to use either.
Tight End has a little interesting twist occuring as the season has progressed. Peek is a senior and Smelley was supposed to progress to replace him. That hasn't happened and Brad really has regressed a bit in his play. He never was a great blocker before, but he's been such a liability at it that he lost his "starting" job to Preston Dial. During Peek's injury, Michael Williams has really came along to show his potential. This offense won't use 3 TE's often, so somebody is on the outside looking in as far as the bulk of the snaps go, and right now the odd man out looks like Smelley with the two more physical blockers being ahead of him. It will be worth watching in the spring to see if Brad turns the corner as a junior and displays his ability and potential or if he continues to avoid contact.
The D Line gets a big overhaul as all 3 starters graduate, but there is experienced depth in waiting. I get a lot of flack for this, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think otherwise, Bama will not miss a beat when Cody and the ends graduate because Chapman, Dareus, Murphy and others seem more than ready to go right now. Will it change how they do things? Yeah, you don't do things when you aren't physically the same, but the change could be better than some think. Chapman and Murphy can be pass rushing tackles, and getting Dareus in the game on an every down basis is a good thing any way you cut it. The other end spot does need some clarity/competition because Davis is servicable, but no where near the hype he carried around.
Linebacker has some holes to fill, especially if McClain goes pro as expected. Harris is most likely the next Sam. He is aggressive, but I can see why Reamer beats him out each year. He lacks the understanding that not every play requires you to chase around like a bat out of hell. Sometimes holding your spot and being in position counts. It is coachable though and is probably a result more of the lack of real practice this year due to his suspension. Hightower will be back to man either Mike or Will next to Nico Johnson. Nico has gotten enough PT to be a starter as is and has played well in the base defense. Hightower, if he comes back 100% and nothing says he won't from what I saw Saturday in pre game, should be able to fill McClain's role well enough that it shouldn't be an issue. Jack is probably still a rotation between Upshaw and Stinson and maybe Hill or Hightower. Upshaw looks his best in the dime defense because he has 1 objective. When he plays in the base, he has the same issues that Jerrell has. There is more to linebacker in the 3-4 than running wild. The issue is that there has been little depth building here and the learning curve seems to be on going.
In the secondary, things are really interesting to me anyways. They will have to replace Woodall, Arenas, and Johnson for sure. I don't buy into the Kareem will go pro rumors, he hasn't been that kinda good this year. I think Barron and Green are fine as the starting safeties with Woodson coming in or someone coming in as the other safety in coverage sets. I am guessing that Kirkpatrick is the heir to the Arenas spot and the Star is up for grabs. I get the hunch that it is Green, and he's made for that kind of spot, but he has never been asked to play from the star. Phelon Jones will have a little to do with some of that, but don't expect to see Lester around as much more than a special teams player. The BJ Scott drama will come to a climax for fans this year. If he is still behind on the learning curve after spring, you just as well should be ready to cut bait. There is way too much talent coming in the summer to take time away from them to teach a guy who has had a year and a half to know it. The gut hunch is that he gets it, but we'll see. I do know that the fans have made it harder to set the bar for him with all their expectations and "breakout" discussions.
I pray that whomever the coaches bring in to play punter and or kicker this year has more leg than the backups on display Saturday. I like a dying quail just as much as the next guy, but I like mine be a result of my 870 Remington, not from a foot. So that spot is completely empty. How it got that empty, I don't know, but it is bare.
Drinking Leswisers for dinner...
Miles is crazy, we know that and see that when you watch him. He's arrogant and sometimes rude, but most coaches are when you get down to it. Those things slide when you win games and have your team in the BCS or Cap 1/Cotton every year. That isn't the case this fall is it? It is a failure of coaching to say the least when you don't have your gameplan for the last drive of the game. To let 15 seconds run off the clock is just inexcusable, but what is worse is that even in spite of that, they had no plan beyond the 4th down. Not to mention the drive from the FG range on was pure insane. You always, ALWAYS have the kick team ready so that if the play is good, you have 15 to 25 seconds of dead time as the chains and ball get spotted correctly. That's practiced from High School up. He was man enough to take the blame, after he fumbled to explain it on television, but this is a loss that may have Les calling his agent and feeling out the waters up north. Notre Dame may be calling.....
(going back to old format for one week since this was a snoozer)
The Good...
Senior moments....
No not those where you piss yourself and forget you did. Moments like Javy returning a punt for a TD in his last BDS game, Reamer snagging the pick, Upchurch scoring late, etc. I always like seeing the Rudy's of the world come out for these kinda games and get a few snaps as a reward for being a 3 1/2 year tackle dummy.
Quick work = quick rest = quick shift of focus to Auburn
The game was over after Reamer's pick basically, but getting the game salted away by the end of the 1st and the starters (for the most part) out of the game by halftime, is always a good start when your rival is sitting at home eating bon bons and watching you play. The objectives were pretty clear once met. Ingram was going to get about 10 carries and do what he needed to there. McElroy had 1 half and that was it (no shock to either of those). The defense would start subbing quickly to rest up the starters and keep injuries low. McClain got 1 half to do his thing and then by that point the backups could handle the business.
Nice work turned in by...
It was good to see the guys who haven't played much, like Goode, Upchurch, Alexander, etal. get some looks as primary guys. Goode looks ok as a guy finishing off a worn out defense, but I don't think he's gonna get any major PT without disaster happening. He's not fast enough to get snaps as a speed back and not physical enough to be the pounder that the others are.
Even in a route, Saban's chewing...
The peanut gallery was chuckling with me as Saban used about every "coachable moment" that came along to kick and snort in spite of it being a total blowout. He chewed Star Jackson for a few decisions. He chewed Baron Huber for being in Knoxville and not Tuscaloosa mentally. He chewed on PJ for shanking a punt (net 20ish from where I was) that could have pinned them deep. It was a good reminder for the players and fans that even though the game is in hand, they use every minute of the game to get better and execute the playbook. I think there were a couple out there that probably thought it was ok to just ho hum through and enjoy the sunshine, but those people are running laps and hearing it in film this week.
The Bad...
Nothing major bad, but they still have a hard time getting used to the spread
One thing that seems to be a common theme this year is that the defense has a little bit of trouble adjusting to the spread. UTC wasn't a threat to do major things to them, we all know it, but if you watch the first 2 or 3 drives, they had a bit of trouble getting in position and adjusting to the motion. The only reason this raises a flag is because Florida has 3 times the athletes that a MSU or UTC or Auburn have, and can punish a team that is out of position whereas the 3 mentioned can't.
The Ugly...NONE it was UTC
Random Thoughts....
A little depth chart watching...
The news that AJ McCarron is now 2B on the chart is nothing new really, but it is always amazing to see the amount of bullshit that comes from fans about the backups and how great they are. Especially ones that have never played a meaningful down. The "I didn't want to say anything before because it was a secret" insider crowd is well worth the amusement and is always at face value just that, entertainment, but I don't delve in entertainment, I delve into real thinking and discussion. So let's have fun shall we with actual real discussion of some player battles looming....
At QB, you will not see any jockying for the starter. McElroy will be the starter come hell or high water. Only a career or season ending injury will change his status on the depth chart. He has the playbook under control, he has the ability to manage the job, and he's talented enough to fit what Saban/McElwain want him to do. He wins games, plain and simple, and won't lose his job if he loses a game or has a bad game in that loss. There is room for battle in the 2nd position. The gap between Greg and the backup is still quite noticable and Star didn't really do anything Saturday to improve that opinion. Star is very talented. He has the arm, he can move with the ball, and he can do things that none of the others on campus can do, but he is very raw as a college level QB. That means he doesn't understand how to be a full service QB that walks up to the line, sees the blitzes, sees the coverages, etc and commands the line to cover those situations and think through his progressions based on what he's seeing to make the play. He also is Major's QB and not McElwains. He would be more suited for a spread offense like the one Major used at Rice than what McElwain does. However, he has the snaps and practice lead on his biggest challenger this spring, AJ McCarron.
McCarron is the highly touted QB and is a protype of what McElwain uses and wants. He has been well coached and his mechanics, based on HS film, are good for the most part. If he has earned commentary from Saban in his press conferences, he is doing the right things. However, we can't tell how close he is to Star because he won't play. Sorry Mr Insider wannabes, this year is a sit year regardless of what happens. Watching Star play in the spring and during the season, it is understandable why they are high on McCarron, but I want to see him in pressure situations before I jump on the AJ is the number 2 for sure bandwagon.
Phillip Sims and Thomas Darrah also have a chance to compete for number 2, but Sims is a redshirt in waiting and Darrah is what he is. I think Sims needs the redshirt for the same reason that AJ did, there aren't many reasons to throw him out there unless he just proves he needs to be out there. Darrah is a walkon and looks like one. He has the fan club of belivers and all, but 1 pass in a spring scrimmage against 4th string corners doesn't impress when you are trying to run with the Floridas, Texases (is that the proper plural use?), USCs, and other powers of the world. I really don't see him being around in the major discussion after the spring to be honest.
Running back has no real discussion. Ingram will be back for what will be his last year likely. Richardson will be his backup. Grant and Lacy are the front runners for the Upchurch spot in the rotatation. Goode is the 5th guy in the rotation who could be fourth if Grant continues to flounder and stay dinged up. The coaches are all very high on Lacy and speak well of him as he runs the scout team tailback spot. The truth is that he probably would have played this year if there weren't 2 guys with experience above him.
None of the WR core changes really. McCoy is gone after this year, but has anyone missed him?
The OL has some discussion worth mentioning though. You have Carpenter returning and some seem to think that he has to move. Folks, I sometimes wonder if people ate out of their own diapers when I read stuff like that. He is the best LT this team has and will be next spring. Tyler Love is his backup and DJ Fluker has been at RT all year. Love will never push Carpenter for PT. I know some folks spent hours dissecting his high school film, but he's about as mean as a Hallmark card. That's all that a lineman has to be dissected to is how mean are they? You can build technique, but you can't make mean. Carpenter is mean. Fluker is mean, but very raw. A lot of folks keep living in this world that says he's the LT of the future. That may be, but the future isn't 2010. He needs to be exposed to live action before he gets moved over. He is a lot farther behind the learning curve than a Andre Smith or Chris Samuels was. Everything I have heard about Fluker says he's going to be there someday, but they seem more content with him at RT for now, and that's the first opening, to let him learn and make the formation support easier. IE- he can have the H Back or TE lineup with him to help him out when he gets beat. A name folks need to keep in mind at RT is McCullough. Alfred has been a coach's dream since he arrived and has paid the dues.
The second area will be LG. Bama has two really good options that I like in Boswell and Warmack. Both have a mean streak and play downhill. I noticed them both on Saturday just hunting people at the 2nd level to hit. That's what I like to see. I can't tell you how many times it pisses me off to see a lineman standing around at the end of a play when there were 2 or 3 guys they could have put a helmet on to keep a play going. I think the race between the two of them will be fun to watch because there isn't a good or bad between the two. Both are very sound blockers and won't make the line weaker to use either.
Tight End has a little interesting twist occuring as the season has progressed. Peek is a senior and Smelley was supposed to progress to replace him. That hasn't happened and Brad really has regressed a bit in his play. He never was a great blocker before, but he's been such a liability at it that he lost his "starting" job to Preston Dial. During Peek's injury, Michael Williams has really came along to show his potential. This offense won't use 3 TE's often, so somebody is on the outside looking in as far as the bulk of the snaps go, and right now the odd man out looks like Smelley with the two more physical blockers being ahead of him. It will be worth watching in the spring to see if Brad turns the corner as a junior and displays his ability and potential or if he continues to avoid contact.
The D Line gets a big overhaul as all 3 starters graduate, but there is experienced depth in waiting. I get a lot of flack for this, but I haven't seen anything that makes me think otherwise, Bama will not miss a beat when Cody and the ends graduate because Chapman, Dareus, Murphy and others seem more than ready to go right now. Will it change how they do things? Yeah, you don't do things when you aren't physically the same, but the change could be better than some think. Chapman and Murphy can be pass rushing tackles, and getting Dareus in the game on an every down basis is a good thing any way you cut it. The other end spot does need some clarity/competition because Davis is servicable, but no where near the hype he carried around.
Linebacker has some holes to fill, especially if McClain goes pro as expected. Harris is most likely the next Sam. He is aggressive, but I can see why Reamer beats him out each year. He lacks the understanding that not every play requires you to chase around like a bat out of hell. Sometimes holding your spot and being in position counts. It is coachable though and is probably a result more of the lack of real practice this year due to his suspension. Hightower will be back to man either Mike or Will next to Nico Johnson. Nico has gotten enough PT to be a starter as is and has played well in the base defense. Hightower, if he comes back 100% and nothing says he won't from what I saw Saturday in pre game, should be able to fill McClain's role well enough that it shouldn't be an issue. Jack is probably still a rotation between Upshaw and Stinson and maybe Hill or Hightower. Upshaw looks his best in the dime defense because he has 1 objective. When he plays in the base, he has the same issues that Jerrell has. There is more to linebacker in the 3-4 than running wild. The issue is that there has been little depth building here and the learning curve seems to be on going.
In the secondary, things are really interesting to me anyways. They will have to replace Woodall, Arenas, and Johnson for sure. I don't buy into the Kareem will go pro rumors, he hasn't been that kinda good this year. I think Barron and Green are fine as the starting safeties with Woodson coming in or someone coming in as the other safety in coverage sets. I am guessing that Kirkpatrick is the heir to the Arenas spot and the Star is up for grabs. I get the hunch that it is Green, and he's made for that kind of spot, but he has never been asked to play from the star. Phelon Jones will have a little to do with some of that, but don't expect to see Lester around as much more than a special teams player. The BJ Scott drama will come to a climax for fans this year. If he is still behind on the learning curve after spring, you just as well should be ready to cut bait. There is way too much talent coming in the summer to take time away from them to teach a guy who has had a year and a half to know it. The gut hunch is that he gets it, but we'll see. I do know that the fans have made it harder to set the bar for him with all their expectations and "breakout" discussions.
I pray that whomever the coaches bring in to play punter and or kicker this year has more leg than the backups on display Saturday. I like a dying quail just as much as the next guy, but I like mine be a result of my 870 Remington, not from a foot. So that spot is completely empty. How it got that empty, I don't know, but it is bare.
Drinking Leswisers for dinner...
Miles is crazy, we know that and see that when you watch him. He's arrogant and sometimes rude, but most coaches are when you get down to it. Those things slide when you win games and have your team in the BCS or Cap 1/Cotton every year. That isn't the case this fall is it? It is a failure of coaching to say the least when you don't have your gameplan for the last drive of the game. To let 15 seconds run off the clock is just inexcusable, but what is worse is that even in spite of that, they had no plan beyond the 4th down. Not to mention the drive from the FG range on was pure insane. You always, ALWAYS have the kick team ready so that if the play is good, you have 15 to 25 seconds of dead time as the chains and ball get spotted correctly. That's practiced from High School up. He was man enough to take the blame, after he fumbled to explain it on television, but this is a loss that may have Les calling his agent and feeling out the waters up north. Notre Dame may be calling.....
November 16, 2009
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- MSU
I find it funny that on Saturday night, I was telling family that it was a "day in the office" or "workman like performance" for the Tide and today, that's the talking points from sports radio. This really was their best showing of the year. They did come out of the gates slow, but after they got over their cowbell "feva", it was pretty well a methodical beatdown.
OFFENSE
The Good...
Much better game plan
Last week, the only thing keeping the offense slowed was the playcalling. This week, they came out and found real balance in the playcalling and featured the run early and often. Because they flexed the Ingram/Richardson show, it opened nice spaces in the secondary that helped a QB struggling with his confidence to regain it and hit his strides. Some will label it vanilla or boring, but punching the shit out of someone for 4 quarters is great television for me!
You need that yard, you better get that yard
Lost in the hoopla of it all is a real gut check of a play by Richardson. He had the 1st down, reversed lost the first down, got hit, and out of pure hustle or will got that yard back. Good thing too, the ass chewing would have been waiting on him.....
Hark! Red zone success!
Amazing how running works well in the red zone isn't it? There will be some real man of genius moment and talk about the "jumbo", but the difference in Shula's jumbo and Saban's jumbo is the same difference in their whole philosophy- conditioning. They are tougher, so give me some jumbo with my smash mouth and enjoy. The decision to quit trying the fades and other junk passes, and go with their best weapon was welcomed and a relief to see.
WR Play stepping up
It should be noted that both TD passes were the same play and great reads by McElroy, another welcomed statement after weeks of struggle, where the safety had to choose who he was going to take on as Bama attacked a 2 deep safety with 2 options- sideline or middle- and gave Greg time to see the play develop. Hanks did a great job of sitting in the cushion and helping his QB find him. After that, it was paydirt. Jones's TD was just a reaction and a misread by the safety and again the QB had time to find him and took advantage again.
Ingram time after time
When Mark gets the ball on a steady diet of plays, he's probably the most productive player in D1 ball. The trainer will get laps on him for the helmet malfunction that almost had Bama fans fearing the worst, but he's tough and plays through it. The biggest thing that Ingram does isn't the breakaway or YACs, it is the mental accountability that everyone facing Bama has to do for him. Just like Tebow or McCoy or AJ Green or CJ Spiller, Ingram is eyed on every play and when they play action to him, that is pure trouble for defenses because they will shade or follow the runner and give McElroy his favorite play, a roll out in the open to a streaking WR/TE over the flat.
The bad or ugly...
Nothing really that bad or ugly
Doesn't mean it was perfect, but it was a night where they came in with a mission and did it, and didn't give the Bulldogs a moment to believe they could win.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Ever thought about how bad it must be to get hit by Rolo?
I couldn't help but think what went through Relf (or however you spell running back disguised as a QB)'s mind as he rolled and then went fetal as McClain barrelled in. It was that kind of night of the Bulldogs in a nutshell. They never could get their offense clicking and everytime they had a little drive going, it usually died from a sack, pick or penalty.
Throwing at Johnson is en vogue, but won't be if this keeps up
It isn't disrespecting him, but opposing coaches think he's the easiest target of the 3 to throw at. Past film probably would justify that comment, but after 2 or 3 games into this season, he's been a much better corner. Practice makes perfect I guess. He did get beat on the first play, but the old MJ would have tried to catch up and failed, the new MJ knows to just take the penalty and go on. That's where the change has happened.
Even after Woodall leaves, the secondary won't skip a beat
Out of all the defenders in the secondary, Woodall is the best and worst at times, but with Barron and Green both showing their ability to cover the field, I can't say that his graduation will have the same hand ringing that RJ's did. Woodall is a great run stopping safety and has a much better view of the play, but he's never been comfortable in man coverage, he is better in deep 2. Barron is also better in deep 2, but he can cover a back or TE as well as a linebacker could. Green is the best cover safety they have and probably will be the Star corner in nickel next year. Saturday was a night where you could tell that while he gives a lot for this team and is a good player, Barron is going to be far beyond him though.
Not a lot of hope for the Dawgs when they can't make a 1st down
Credit the staff for making 2 or 3 adjustments and flat out clamping down the Dawg offense from ever taking off. The spread has to have balance and it never did get any real traction in the passing game and as a result it was hard for Dixon to find open running room after the first quarter.
Nice stand in the red zone
Bama had a couple of moments where MSU could have scored and made the game interesting, but they were only able to muster 3 points total out of both attempts. The marked improvement here was that Bama had tried to play zone when backed up, but Saturday they stayed in man coverage with 2 deep safeties in for help, and with a subpar QB against them, they didn't have a prayer.
The Bad...
Nothing real bad, but they came out on their heels
To start the game, the defense came out on its heels and was very stiff early on. The first drive and second drives that State had were their best of the game, but thankfully the State players were their own worst enemies with a fumble and pick that killed the drives. Bama looked very tight to start out though and it was almost as if they were more afraid of the option than they were Dixon straight ahead. It took a few adjustments, as the offense took a 9 play drive that turned over on downs, to get things in perspective and change what they were doing to cover the outside edges and contain the middle.
The Ugly...
Like you don't know, Special Teams Coverage of course
To set the scene so that you get why S/T coverage is such a big issue, Bama has just gone up 17-0, and that is a big enough cushion to grind out and win....if you do your blocking and tackling right. Bumphis took the ball and really should have housed it, but he made a freshman error and ended up caught at around the 40. A 17-7 game is a ballgame again and the cowbells start jingling again. It happened again when Berry took it back inside the red zone and that was only saved by a great hustle play by Green (I think). Bama's coverage unit had shown signs of improvement, thanks in part to Jerrell Harris playing in it, but Saturday was a reminder of how fragile they can be when a great player like Bumphis can get a seam and the defense loses its containment. This is still the area of Bama's armor that can beat them.
RANDOM THOUGHTS...
SEC Bowling for Bucks week 2
Last week, I had it as:
BCS- Bama
Sugar- Florida
Cap 1- LSU
Cotton- UT
Outback- Ole Miss
Chick Fil A- Auburn
Music City- Arkansas
Liberty- UGA
Independance- Kentucky
Papajohns.com- USCar
This week, I see a few changes around the middle after UT's shutdown.
BCS- Bama
Sugar-Florida
Cap 1- LSU
Cotton- Miss
Outback- UT
Chick Fil A- UGA
Music City- Arkansas
Liberty- Auburn
Indy- KY
Papajohns.com- USCar
The Cotton bowl will be happy as a lark to get Ole Miss back in against an OU or Nebraska. LSU continues to control its destiny as far as the Cap 1 goes, which is the prize for the best non-BCS team in the conference. They have Ole Miss and Arkansas left, both could be rough without Jefferson though. Arkansas is now eligible and has a chance to win out and possibly be the Cotton represenative if they beat MSU and LSU. They are a much more attractive team going down the stretch than UGA or UT. Don't look now, but MSU is 4-6 with ARK and Ole Miss left. If they by some chance win out, how big of a mess is USCar or Kentucky in? UT will get its 6th against Vandy but Kentucky will be hard for a team that looked on the brink of mailing it in.
Pray for anyone but TCU...
I have said it a few times and after the pure unadulterated beatdown they gave Utah, I think I have proof...Nobody wants to see TCU as their bowl opponent. Alabama only does if that is the BCS championship, but in the Sugar Bowl, it will be hard to get up for that. Same for Florida or Texas, if it is for the trophy, they'll see them, but in the Fiesta or Sugar as a consolation game, not so friendly. TCU has the resume to be in the game, and I know some will say "if they played in the Big 12 or SEC, they would be an 8 win team". Maybe, but they put a beatdown on the same Utah that beatdown Bama, they beat Clemson on the road, and they ripped BYU on the road. If someone falters and the door is open, I'm all for TCU getting that shot. They've played the schedule to get there, and look good doing it. How Patterson doesn't get a big time job offer is beyond me. I wonder if Auburn would like to have that call back?
Patriots 4th and huh?
Not college related, but an interesting study of styles to read the for and against the play call decision last night. I can understand the motivation to go for it. You don't want Manning to have the ball and if you make it, game over. Your offense has been your best defense all year, and you have a champion QB and WR to use at your disposal. I was a little surprised they went to Faulk in that spot, but perhaps that was the motivation. You know they will be on Moss and Welker, so he should have single coverage. However, with 2 minutes to go a punt deep would make it hard for the Colts to march and score, but not impossible when you watch the Colts swallow field in seconds week after week. I don't think it was as stupid as some have painted it, but it was a gamble that beat them. It really was an indicator that the Pats have 0 running game and haven't in years. I thought they would want Coffee in the 2nd round so bad they couldn't stand it, but they passed on him. Ingram would be an ideal back for them in 2011, and I don't see a great back for them this spring in the 2010 draft. Best would have been but the injury will spook them. Dwyer can't catch. McKnight maybe is a fit, but he's never been asked to be a 20 carry guy. Gerhart may be a fit, but he's not as fast as they need. So that will be an underlying theme for the draft, are they passing for the 2011 draft where an Ingram and others will be waiting. A name to watch for you draft junkies- Anthony Dixon- another in the long line of good MSU running backs that will live happy in the NFL. He can pound it down field, he can catch, and he has that extra burst that separates him from defenders. I'm real high on him from an NFL POV.
The death of USCal...a bit premature
I'll admit, I like USC. I like Pete Carroll and have a lot of respect for a man that spends his free time trying to make a difference in the gang infested south central. Am I a homer for them like some pollsters? No. I thought all year they were pretending because they lost a lot from last year to the draft. As good of a recruiter and coach as he is, there are limits. Here is a guy that has lost coaches to other programs right and left, and yet they continue to win. It did catch up to them this year, and if you were going to take a shot at USCal, this was the year. I do point to history though to remind folks that all the fans and writers/critics proclaimed another winning coach and his program dead once before. That coach rattled off one of the best dynasties in history. Can USCal do that? I don't know. I do know they aren't dead, but they are rebuilding. It will be like Florida next year. They will be a little down from where they have been and teams will pile it on when they can, but will it mean the Meyer era is over? Doubt it. Recruiting is too fertile in Cali and Florida to say anything like that for either coach.
Looking back at some coaching jobs, I hit some and missed some...
Earlier in the year, I took time to call out some good jobs being done by coaches not named Saban, and since I like to hold myself accountable, here was the list then:
Jim Harbaugh, Stanford Hit
Chip Kelly, Oregon Hit
Frank Beamer, Va Tech Missed it
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech Hit
Randy Shannon, Miami FL Sorry Randy jinxed you
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hit
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan Missed
Jim Leavitt, South Florida Toss up
Brian Kelly, Cincinati Hit
Gary Patterson, TCU Hit
Harbaugh is about to be the enshrined one at Stanford and he's mouthy, like an SEC coach, but he walks it. He could be a Spurrier type who knows how it could be done and did it in his day, but will be frustrated with his QB for not being able to do it the way he did it. Kelly has a coach of the year job going after all the chaos from Boise. Beamer ball has a leak. Paul Johnson has tweaked his triple option after LSU and Miami poked holes in it. They look real good folks. Miami is young and it has caught up to them. Their future star QB, Harris, has started to show his youth and lack of big game experience down the stretch. Ferentz takes a backup QB and pushes a far more talented OSU team to OT. Rich Rod is a good coach in a bad spot. They didn't really want him in the old guard, and are making sure that anything they can do to pull the rug out, they will. The distractions are spilling out on the field again. He would be better served to go south and coach again. Rodriguez at a FSU or LSU would be lethal. Leavitt does a great job every year, but they just aren't getting over the hump yet against the West Virginias and Cincys. Brian Kelly will command whatever paycheck he wants soon. This is a guy that was real close to being a finalist for UT's job, and would be a good coach at any conference because he is set in his system and philosophy, and sells it to the players. Gary Patterson is the best unknown coach there is, and Auburn should kick itself for missing on him, as should Nebraska and some others. Patterson was the backbone that Fran never had after they split, and nobody replaced him for Fran, but he replaced Fran real easy.
OFFENSE
The Good...
Much better game plan
Last week, the only thing keeping the offense slowed was the playcalling. This week, they came out and found real balance in the playcalling and featured the run early and often. Because they flexed the Ingram/Richardson show, it opened nice spaces in the secondary that helped a QB struggling with his confidence to regain it and hit his strides. Some will label it vanilla or boring, but punching the shit out of someone for 4 quarters is great television for me!
You need that yard, you better get that yard
Lost in the hoopla of it all is a real gut check of a play by Richardson. He had the 1st down, reversed lost the first down, got hit, and out of pure hustle or will got that yard back. Good thing too, the ass chewing would have been waiting on him.....
Hark! Red zone success!
Amazing how running works well in the red zone isn't it? There will be some real man of genius moment and talk about the "jumbo", but the difference in Shula's jumbo and Saban's jumbo is the same difference in their whole philosophy- conditioning. They are tougher, so give me some jumbo with my smash mouth and enjoy. The decision to quit trying the fades and other junk passes, and go with their best weapon was welcomed and a relief to see.
WR Play stepping up
It should be noted that both TD passes were the same play and great reads by McElroy, another welcomed statement after weeks of struggle, where the safety had to choose who he was going to take on as Bama attacked a 2 deep safety with 2 options- sideline or middle- and gave Greg time to see the play develop. Hanks did a great job of sitting in the cushion and helping his QB find him. After that, it was paydirt. Jones's TD was just a reaction and a misread by the safety and again the QB had time to find him and took advantage again.
Ingram time after time
When Mark gets the ball on a steady diet of plays, he's probably the most productive player in D1 ball. The trainer will get laps on him for the helmet malfunction that almost had Bama fans fearing the worst, but he's tough and plays through it. The biggest thing that Ingram does isn't the breakaway or YACs, it is the mental accountability that everyone facing Bama has to do for him. Just like Tebow or McCoy or AJ Green or CJ Spiller, Ingram is eyed on every play and when they play action to him, that is pure trouble for defenses because they will shade or follow the runner and give McElroy his favorite play, a roll out in the open to a streaking WR/TE over the flat.
The bad or ugly...
Nothing really that bad or ugly
Doesn't mean it was perfect, but it was a night where they came in with a mission and did it, and didn't give the Bulldogs a moment to believe they could win.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Ever thought about how bad it must be to get hit by Rolo?
I couldn't help but think what went through Relf (or however you spell running back disguised as a QB)'s mind as he rolled and then went fetal as McClain barrelled in. It was that kind of night of the Bulldogs in a nutshell. They never could get their offense clicking and everytime they had a little drive going, it usually died from a sack, pick or penalty.
Throwing at Johnson is en vogue, but won't be if this keeps up
It isn't disrespecting him, but opposing coaches think he's the easiest target of the 3 to throw at. Past film probably would justify that comment, but after 2 or 3 games into this season, he's been a much better corner. Practice makes perfect I guess. He did get beat on the first play, but the old MJ would have tried to catch up and failed, the new MJ knows to just take the penalty and go on. That's where the change has happened.
Even after Woodall leaves, the secondary won't skip a beat
Out of all the defenders in the secondary, Woodall is the best and worst at times, but with Barron and Green both showing their ability to cover the field, I can't say that his graduation will have the same hand ringing that RJ's did. Woodall is a great run stopping safety and has a much better view of the play, but he's never been comfortable in man coverage, he is better in deep 2. Barron is also better in deep 2, but he can cover a back or TE as well as a linebacker could. Green is the best cover safety they have and probably will be the Star corner in nickel next year. Saturday was a night where you could tell that while he gives a lot for this team and is a good player, Barron is going to be far beyond him though.
Not a lot of hope for the Dawgs when they can't make a 1st down
Credit the staff for making 2 or 3 adjustments and flat out clamping down the Dawg offense from ever taking off. The spread has to have balance and it never did get any real traction in the passing game and as a result it was hard for Dixon to find open running room after the first quarter.
Nice stand in the red zone
Bama had a couple of moments where MSU could have scored and made the game interesting, but they were only able to muster 3 points total out of both attempts. The marked improvement here was that Bama had tried to play zone when backed up, but Saturday they stayed in man coverage with 2 deep safeties in for help, and with a subpar QB against them, they didn't have a prayer.
The Bad...
Nothing real bad, but they came out on their heels
To start the game, the defense came out on its heels and was very stiff early on. The first drive and second drives that State had were their best of the game, but thankfully the State players were their own worst enemies with a fumble and pick that killed the drives. Bama looked very tight to start out though and it was almost as if they were more afraid of the option than they were Dixon straight ahead. It took a few adjustments, as the offense took a 9 play drive that turned over on downs, to get things in perspective and change what they were doing to cover the outside edges and contain the middle.
The Ugly...
Like you don't know, Special Teams Coverage of course
To set the scene so that you get why S/T coverage is such a big issue, Bama has just gone up 17-0, and that is a big enough cushion to grind out and win....if you do your blocking and tackling right. Bumphis took the ball and really should have housed it, but he made a freshman error and ended up caught at around the 40. A 17-7 game is a ballgame again and the cowbells start jingling again. It happened again when Berry took it back inside the red zone and that was only saved by a great hustle play by Green (I think). Bama's coverage unit had shown signs of improvement, thanks in part to Jerrell Harris playing in it, but Saturday was a reminder of how fragile they can be when a great player like Bumphis can get a seam and the defense loses its containment. This is still the area of Bama's armor that can beat them.
RANDOM THOUGHTS...
SEC Bowling for Bucks week 2
Last week, I had it as:
BCS- Bama
Sugar- Florida
Cap 1- LSU
Cotton- UT
Outback- Ole Miss
Chick Fil A- Auburn
Music City- Arkansas
Liberty- UGA
Independance- Kentucky
Papajohns.com- USCar
This week, I see a few changes around the middle after UT's shutdown.
BCS- Bama
Sugar-Florida
Cap 1- LSU
Cotton- Miss
Outback- UT
Chick Fil A- UGA
Music City- Arkansas
Liberty- Auburn
Indy- KY
Papajohns.com- USCar
The Cotton bowl will be happy as a lark to get Ole Miss back in against an OU or Nebraska. LSU continues to control its destiny as far as the Cap 1 goes, which is the prize for the best non-BCS team in the conference. They have Ole Miss and Arkansas left, both could be rough without Jefferson though. Arkansas is now eligible and has a chance to win out and possibly be the Cotton represenative if they beat MSU and LSU. They are a much more attractive team going down the stretch than UGA or UT. Don't look now, but MSU is 4-6 with ARK and Ole Miss left. If they by some chance win out, how big of a mess is USCar or Kentucky in? UT will get its 6th against Vandy but Kentucky will be hard for a team that looked on the brink of mailing it in.
Pray for anyone but TCU...
I have said it a few times and after the pure unadulterated beatdown they gave Utah, I think I have proof...Nobody wants to see TCU as their bowl opponent. Alabama only does if that is the BCS championship, but in the Sugar Bowl, it will be hard to get up for that. Same for Florida or Texas, if it is for the trophy, they'll see them, but in the Fiesta or Sugar as a consolation game, not so friendly. TCU has the resume to be in the game, and I know some will say "if they played in the Big 12 or SEC, they would be an 8 win team". Maybe, but they put a beatdown on the same Utah that beatdown Bama, they beat Clemson on the road, and they ripped BYU on the road. If someone falters and the door is open, I'm all for TCU getting that shot. They've played the schedule to get there, and look good doing it. How Patterson doesn't get a big time job offer is beyond me. I wonder if Auburn would like to have that call back?
Patriots 4th and huh?
Not college related, but an interesting study of styles to read the for and against the play call decision last night. I can understand the motivation to go for it. You don't want Manning to have the ball and if you make it, game over. Your offense has been your best defense all year, and you have a champion QB and WR to use at your disposal. I was a little surprised they went to Faulk in that spot, but perhaps that was the motivation. You know they will be on Moss and Welker, so he should have single coverage. However, with 2 minutes to go a punt deep would make it hard for the Colts to march and score, but not impossible when you watch the Colts swallow field in seconds week after week. I don't think it was as stupid as some have painted it, but it was a gamble that beat them. It really was an indicator that the Pats have 0 running game and haven't in years. I thought they would want Coffee in the 2nd round so bad they couldn't stand it, but they passed on him. Ingram would be an ideal back for them in 2011, and I don't see a great back for them this spring in the 2010 draft. Best would have been but the injury will spook them. Dwyer can't catch. McKnight maybe is a fit, but he's never been asked to be a 20 carry guy. Gerhart may be a fit, but he's not as fast as they need. So that will be an underlying theme for the draft, are they passing for the 2011 draft where an Ingram and others will be waiting. A name to watch for you draft junkies- Anthony Dixon- another in the long line of good MSU running backs that will live happy in the NFL. He can pound it down field, he can catch, and he has that extra burst that separates him from defenders. I'm real high on him from an NFL POV.
The death of USCal...a bit premature
I'll admit, I like USC. I like Pete Carroll and have a lot of respect for a man that spends his free time trying to make a difference in the gang infested south central. Am I a homer for them like some pollsters? No. I thought all year they were pretending because they lost a lot from last year to the draft. As good of a recruiter and coach as he is, there are limits. Here is a guy that has lost coaches to other programs right and left, and yet they continue to win. It did catch up to them this year, and if you were going to take a shot at USCal, this was the year. I do point to history though to remind folks that all the fans and writers/critics proclaimed another winning coach and his program dead once before. That coach rattled off one of the best dynasties in history. Can USCal do that? I don't know. I do know they aren't dead, but they are rebuilding. It will be like Florida next year. They will be a little down from where they have been and teams will pile it on when they can, but will it mean the Meyer era is over? Doubt it. Recruiting is too fertile in Cali and Florida to say anything like that for either coach.
Looking back at some coaching jobs, I hit some and missed some...
Earlier in the year, I took time to call out some good jobs being done by coaches not named Saban, and since I like to hold myself accountable, here was the list then:
Jim Harbaugh, Stanford Hit
Chip Kelly, Oregon Hit
Frank Beamer, Va Tech Missed it
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech Hit
Randy Shannon, Miami FL Sorry Randy jinxed you
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hit
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan Missed
Jim Leavitt, South Florida Toss up
Brian Kelly, Cincinati Hit
Gary Patterson, TCU Hit
Harbaugh is about to be the enshrined one at Stanford and he's mouthy, like an SEC coach, but he walks it. He could be a Spurrier type who knows how it could be done and did it in his day, but will be frustrated with his QB for not being able to do it the way he did it. Kelly has a coach of the year job going after all the chaos from Boise. Beamer ball has a leak. Paul Johnson has tweaked his triple option after LSU and Miami poked holes in it. They look real good folks. Miami is young and it has caught up to them. Their future star QB, Harris, has started to show his youth and lack of big game experience down the stretch. Ferentz takes a backup QB and pushes a far more talented OSU team to OT. Rich Rod is a good coach in a bad spot. They didn't really want him in the old guard, and are making sure that anything they can do to pull the rug out, they will. The distractions are spilling out on the field again. He would be better served to go south and coach again. Rodriguez at a FSU or LSU would be lethal. Leavitt does a great job every year, but they just aren't getting over the hump yet against the West Virginias and Cincys. Brian Kelly will command whatever paycheck he wants soon. This is a guy that was real close to being a finalist for UT's job, and would be a good coach at any conference because he is set in his system and philosophy, and sells it to the players. Gary Patterson is the best unknown coach there is, and Auburn should kick itself for missing on him, as should Nebraska and some others. Patterson was the backbone that Fran never had after they split, and nobody replaced him for Fran, but he replaced Fran real easy.
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