Well, if you are in shock, you shouldn't be. This game has been coming for a while and it caught up to them. The truth be told this was a team that overachieved against a host of underachievers and when they met 2 teams that weren't in that genre, the losses ensued. I knew things were bad when Smith's suspension happened, and then around New Years, Saban had a news conference that just seemed off, and with the Steele news swirling, it was pretty clear that football practice was not 1st on the menu.
The Good...damn I'll struggle to find this one....
Arenas punt return
Sadly, this was the only play that really had any spark to it. It was great to see him play with his head on straight and want to play. That was something missing from several others on the field.
Bobby Greenwood
Most of you like to say "when X takes over", but folks, I don't think you can replace Greenwood with anyone on campus and gain from it or even break even right now. He played like he wanted it, he played like he knew this is how he'd go down in our memories, and he played like he wanted to win. He's going to be remembered by me for chasing down the ball carrier 20 yards down field after his teammates quit on the play.
The lessons learned for....
Andre Smith- It must not have hurt that bad to see how he let his team down because he didn't waste time declaring for the NFL. My hope was that he'd see his impact on the team and regardless of what he did, he'd be better for it. You wondered why Tony Barnhart said what he did, this is why.
Kevin Steele- When you are pimping yourself for a lateral move, you still need to hold up the job you have until you are gone. Mission failed. As far as I can tell, they still haven't come up with a scheme or philosophy that can defend a true spread offense. You know that gimmicky offense that can't work? Oops.
Bama fans- Arrogance dripped for weeks as Bama was number 1, then going to the Sugar Bowl against a team deemed unworthy by them, it was a recipe for an ass whooping. Yes, Bama should have came in and taken care of the business, but you still have to show up and do what you do each and every day. Most chalked this up and were ready to move on to how 09 was the year that Bama starts on top and finishes on top. Oops. The spin will be spring and summer eternal, but the truth is that we all enabled what happened by raising our noses to Utah. Our noses are now in the pig shit, and that's where it needs to stay until further notice.
The Bad....I'll try to limit it....maybe
OL Play
Yes, Andre Smith is a special player. Yes, his loss hurt and made things harder. However, it should not have resulted in a fruit basket turnover up front. Mike Johnson at LT was not going to work and he was spared by the ankle sprain. Davis wasn't any better, but it does bring up a problem that they continue to have. They don't seem to have a backup plan anywhere on the pages. There would be a drop off from Smith to whomever, but whomever shouldn't be a starter at another position. As is, what you saw in the Sugar Bowl would be close to a carbon copy of what the 2009 OL would be like. Oh hell. Now, before you start in on Fluker and Massie and Carpenter and on and on, think just a little. It is easy to expect a true freshman to come in and play just like he did in high school, but it is easier thought than said and done. All have great upside, but none have been exposed to the speed that is out there. Don't hang the moon and stars and hopes and dreams on them just yet. But pray they can do better than what's there now because McElroy will need more than what Ross and Davis and co have to offer.
QB Play
The real John Parker finally stood up. And then he was knocked down, over and over and over and over and over...you get the hint. Many wanted all sorts of praise for Wilson about a month ago. You won't find them around any more. JPW is a nice play caller hand the ball off and go type of guy. Much like Chad Pennington is for the Dolphins or Trent Dilfer was for the Ravens. Neither have to win games, just let the defense do its thing and then make just enough plays to contribute. That's JPW in a nutshell, don't ask him to win it, just ask him to control it. Friday night was not that game. It was obvious early that Utah had done its homework. They sent 9 guys in the box and then when it was a have to pass down, they went after him too. Wilson continued to do the one thing that just kills me, he holds the ball forever waiting for his target (usually Julio) to get open. Folks will say he was tough and durable and all those adjectives, but after watching the Sugar Bowl, he brought a lot of those hits on himself by not being able to make a decision fast enough. When he did throw it, it was like a gun out of sight on the range. Some were high, some were low, some were left, some were right and some went to who the heck knows. He over shot Stover once, and under threw him the second time and missed the best two chances Bama was going to get. It was a good summary for his 3 years as QB. The loss wasn't his fault though, it was a team loss from coaching down to jock strap cleaner.
Secondary woes
The game plan was real easy for Utah. Where's 24 and where's 26? If you drew those lotto numbers, congratulations Utah WR, you got the ball. Here's the scouting for anyone playing Alabama, take your speed guys, match them on the outside, not slot, and ask them to run a deep slant or out and up and force slower corners to play up to you. Jackson and M. Johnson both lack the foot speed to fix themselves in the event they mis-read or misjudge the play. Utah exposed it over and over with all the corners, minus Arenas, and exposed that the vaunted cover 2 has holes that the spread can expose.
The Ugly....
Special teams play minus Arenas.
Let's be honest, Tiffin would have lost his job already if his name wasn't Tiffin. We all know that now, he continues to be unreliable and shaky when it isn't dead center of the field. The punting is a boom or shank fest depending on the day, lunar cycle, or whatever dictates it. The fact that this is the best Bama can get and it doesn't improve itself from game 1 to now both disturb me to no end.
Random Thoughts....
Saban's got a lot of work to do still. Going 12 and 0 took the reality of it all out of the equation for us. The truth is that there are so many gaps to fill still that the "Process" may be a longer one than hoped. The OL is far from stable or competitive. The secondary is slow and gaped. The DL lacks power when in the dime or coverage situations. The WR core is Julio and the dropouts (see McCoy's PT) and that causes concern for us all. This senior class caught lightning in a bottle for 12 weeks, but it showed a trend that was familiar and disturbing. Once the dream is gone, so too seems to be the focus on the rest of the year. With LSU last year and Florida this year, the team seemed to spiral aimlessly into chaos after the dream was gone. In 07, the SEC West title was gone with the loss to LSU (note the proper usage of loss not loose) and this year with the BCS and SEC title gone with the loss to Florida, the talk was cheap and the practices didn't look all that passionate. That's something that the coaches need to address because it will be a continuous stumbling block if allowed to continue.
With all the coaching turmoil this month, it would be a good time for Saban to revamp his cover 2 and the pass defense strategies. Much like the Tampa 2, Saban's 2 is getting plenty of film study and teams are starting to expose it more with speed and execution. The morale of the Sugar Bowl from the defense is that the principles still hold true. If you cover, you better cover. If you bring pressure, you better get him. They didn't do either extremely well. The end result is getting mauled down the field play after play. You can send 4 and drop 7 and get pressure, you just have to know your players and call the schemes that get them in the face of the QB. If you can't with 4, you better send 5 or 6 and make it work.
Looking Ahead...
QB- Thomas Darrah will NOT be the QB next year. I'm so sick of seeing that heading on the damn message boards. What's funny is that a guy that threw a nice pass on 4th string walkon scrubs in a practice game gets more folklore than the guy who threw a nice pass in the 4th quarter against the biggest rival. Are you Darrah for QB fans retarded? Or just NCAA09 enthusiasts? I really want the slowest biggest target playing behind a patchwork OL. McElroy is the QB going in, should hold it through Spring and will through Summer because AJ McCarron will redshirt. I watched him play and he needs a lot of coaching and time in the film room to mature to his big arm. Star Jackson will be Greg's main competition, but from what I've seen and friends close to things say, he's not ready for prime time yet. He's the typical young QB, can hit targets all day and night, until you start mixing in defenders and throwing some surprises at him. I'd say he gets some snaps in the 1st string to see apples to apples, but McElroy will be the starter. I think if they develop a game plan around him and not the conservative game manager routine, he might surprise you.
RB- If the Sugar Bowl is any indication, Glen Coffee is not coming back. I thought he ran a little more timid than usual and really looked like he was trying to protect himself, up until he got folded by the pass rush. Trent Richardson will probably start to steam the windows a bit and regardless of what Coffee does, Ingram and Richardson will get more carries in 09 than the backups in 08 did. As big a fan of Upchurch as I am, he's probably done and Terry Grant is done too. I won't miss Grant much and neither should you.
WR- Julio Jones will miss Nikita Stover if they don't sign a prime time WR. The returning cast will not give much hope or optimism this spring because McCoy is lost, Hanks is a possession guy, Maze may be on the way out after another bone head play, Gibson can't find the field, Alexander can't stay healthy and plays like he's 5-11. Nobody will miss Nick Walker, who also played like he was shorter and lighter than he was, because Peek and Smelley will fill in fine, but you will pine for Travis McCall unless Michael Williams (the only true Jack on the roster is now at TE) can step up. It isn't any secret on the recruiting trail, if you sign with Bama to play WR, you'll start. You can't suck any worse than those holding your spot.
OL- It ain't Dixie they are singing on the O Line. Mike Johnson returns, as does Drew Davis (oh boy!) but gone are Smith, Caldwell, and Marlon Davis. Fluker all but has his jersey and 1st string decoder ring ready, but from there, it gets iffy. I like Fluker, think he has a lot of raw talent and athleticism, and that's what he's getting by on, but his understanding of the position is still very young and there are times he looks like he's playing LT for the first time. He won't be like Andre Smith coming in because he hasn't got the experience. It will be a work in progress. James Carpenter will get a solid look at RG or RT as Davis still can't progress to the next level at lineman. Boswell is the best of the young linemen going into next fall and should compete at RG too. David Ross is a backup, nothing more or less. Vlachos is a backup as well. His snaps are short and his blocking is serviceable but nothing to write home about. Cardwell either has too many injuries to compete or is in the doghouse for some undisclosed reason. It isn't his capacity to play though. For those wanting to say he got beat up in the bowl game, by that point he was playing half speed with the back issues. I take it they aren't any better. So the Center spot is a who knows for now. Good luck to Greg, he'll need it and I hope his knees are good and loose. (the proper usage of the word)
DL- Greenwood is gone, and the heart and soul goes with it. I don't know that Zo Washington is the answer, but he'll replace him in the front. Cody should return, he needs to at least, and hopefully the coaches will take time to show him how to become more effective as a pass rusher. As a run stopper, Cody is 1st round material, as a pass rusher, he is a mid level player. If he wants to be the well rounded do all player, he's got to use his gifts to push forward and disrupt plays more. Yes they will double team him, but if he gets off the line faster and on top of the guard/center fast enough, that won't matter. Deaderick will be at end again, and at some point he's got to start being more than a space taker. Some plays call for the ends and NG to just take up lanes (space), but others require a little more effort. Dareus will be the key reserve and after a quick start, he became quite average. He needs a lot of polishing still and some understanding of how to play at the college level. Chapman continues to be the here then not out there guy, for some reason. I think he plays well and is a better pass rusher than the others. I guess he doesn't do it for somebody in practice. They need a lot of help up front with players that are bigger and stronger than what they have. The 3-4 requires ends at 275+ and NT 300+ that clog and move the line back. The issue is the Jack is ineffective and it causes more focus on the DL.
LB- A pleasant surprise most of the season, and should improve next year with McClain and Hightower seasoning another year. Fanney is the Jack until beaten, but he is limited and not the ideal Jack in how the defense needs to be played. He's fine as a run stopper, but his pass rush is non-existent. Reamer plays about 30 percent of the time. With teams continuing to stretch the field, he won't play. The reserves are all either too young, too small, or too short on talent to be expected on next year. Upshaw is the Internet favorite, but after watching him play off end Friday, he won't be the Jack of all trades by spring. He needs a lot of bulking up to do what he would need to do at Jack, he's ready at Sam today though. Jerrell Harris, Prince Hall, Kirschman, Higgenbotham, Hester, and others seem to be part players in the big scheme of things. Anders is a nice rush back, but he doesn't do well in coverage and to be competitive in the long run, he'll have to do both because teams can scout well enough to know he's blitzing when he's in. This position is the area that attrition will be centered on as several prior coach signees will be pushed to take up new career paths. Mingo, if they can sign him, would be an ideal Jack candidate if Williams is not moved back.
DB- They will miss RJ badly as Woodall hasn't caught on to the field general part of the job yet. They are going to have to overhaul the philosophy and style of player though to compete at the national level. Jackson, Johnson, and Arenas are all good in SEC traditional settings. However, when Florida or any other speed team comes, it is just a mess. Jackson and Johnson are fine in short spaces, but lack the foot speed and vision to cover long fast plays. Arenas playing in the nickel back is adequate because in the middle of the field, speed is not as needed as awareness is. I would look for the staff to begin looking to the younger guys for a spark here. Zo Lawrence and Robbie Green both will get a long look at some fashion of corner play because MJ and ASh are not the options in the future. Mark Barron got his first real taste of game action in the Sugar Bowl and looked like a guy who had not been practicing for the job. That's not his fault as much as the coach's. He has loads of potential, but he got a valuable OJT moment or 4 in the game. He'll learn from it and hopefully can fill in nicely at SS.
Specialists- I really could care less if any returned or not. The 400 pound pink elephant on the field has been the kicking game all year because you couldn't tell if it was a good day or bad day for them. I would be shocked if there isn't a serious competition for both spots this spring.
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