I typically do a GBU after each game, and for the last 2 games (MSU & GSU) I haven't been able to for a variety of reasons. I won't this week because the emotional termoil that comes from losing to Auburn is such that regardless of what one says, he/she will be wrong. When Bama loses to Auburn, there is always 2 crowds: Crowd 1 wants blood for failure, and Crowd 2 wants Crowd 1 to shut up and pretend the loss never happened.
So, in lieu of the GBU, this week, is more random thoughts about things as is for Alabama Football.
Reality Bites
When it gets down to it, we all oversold the talent level and coaching depth that Bama had. From spring on to Friday's debacle, the truth is that this team has underachieved the hype level, and possibly overachieved the realistic bar that should have been set when the season was starting.
The truth is that this team has a lot of jimmy's and joes but not many that get the Xs and Os. That's why you see the same OL failures regardless of who they plop in, that's why you see the same breakdowns in the zone coverage each week, that's why you see the same missed opportunities each week, and why the defense always seems to let the opponent live in the second half. They just don't know football beyond a talent overcoming knowledge level. There isn't a Rolando McClain, that craps more football knowledge than most on the team have, to lead them. There isn't a Mike Johnson to pick up the slack when others fail. There isn't a Javy Arenas to tackle clean on the edges and read the play pre snap. We all believed that the names we had heard about each year would be enough to overcome a lot of odds on defense, and the glaring issues up front on offense. The truth is that while the names are there, the game isn't there to follow it. We all believed that guys like Ingram, Square, Hightower, and other injured players would be fine. They weren't. It was painfully obvious with Ingram and Hightower that they were gutting it out. It also has become painfully obvious that there wasn't a sense of urgency as before. More players are thinking about Sundays than they are playing in the Championship.
Fans scapegoated Greg McElroy for a lot of things about the offense. You notice the fans have started to dull down that complaint after AJ McCarron- the heir apparent- continues to live in the Saban woodshed. The truth is the offense is more of a victim of poor coaching and an unwillingness to change than the talent or packages used. The wrinkles of 09 were now more of the same this year. The Wildcat was tamed so often that it is now painful to watch. The first half of the Auburn game was open and attacked the defense. The second half was tight and conservative and took all the air out of the Tide offense. The players didn't change from half to half, but the coaching philosophy did. That's what is wrong with the offense. The philosophy is not geared to win games like USCar, LSU, and AU.
The coaching is near non-existent on offense when it gets down to it. Many of you have lauded Coach Pendry, but if you see what they look like now that it is 80% his players and really 100% his coached players, the offensive line is just not gritty and tough enough to win in the SEC. The passive, and often exposed offensive line resembles much of what his lines did at Houston when David Carr was being ruined. Players like Warmack, Carpenter, and Steen are getting beaten by "lesser" recruits because those guys are getting coached to win, Bama's guys are getting by on talent.....well those that have it do. During the Shula years, I tired of hearing what great recruiters some coaches were and that they were too valuable to lose. I said then as I do now, what good is recruiting if you can't coach what you get? That's where Bama is in so many positions. With the defensive line just not making a dent in any team, it left me to wonder, where's all this stud/beast/monster talent they've recruited? It is there, but it has plateaued as well because the coaching was getting a pass thanks to veterans and a 400 pound nose guard that bought in. Davis has really not produced on his end of the process when you watch players like Luther Davis and Darrington Sentimore look the same today as they did in the spring. The linebackers are getting good coaching from Sunseri, but they were better when the OLBs were getting coaching from a dedicated coach. Watching Chavis Williams get exposed as the teams got better was hard on the eyes and heart. Watching Jerrell Harris just play at all just is hard to watch really.
And there is where the reality bites deepest. The names like BJ Scott, Jerrell Harris, Tyler Love, the countless names of DBs no longer on the team, JuCo's like Brandon Lewis that cannot break the 3 deep, Kendall Kelly, Nick Fanuzzi, Star Jackson, and on and on that were just studs, beasts, monsters, or whatever the hell you call them these days but not a one has the intangibles like toughness, desire, or knowledge to contribute and really for those still on the team don't look like they will contribute ever. Physically, they look the part. They look good in their uni's, they run fast, and have all the weight room stats, but on the field, they are inferior. They can't catch, block, or follow the play. That's where coaching starts. It starts in the recruiting process. It should be weeded out before they sign the LOI, and while it isn't perfect and Saban is probably better than most. However, the gaps are showing itself again. Poor DB and DL recruiting has started to rear its head. Suspensions happen and attrition happens, but losing a Robbie Green should not have hurt as bad as it did. Losses like Alfy Hill, for now, shouldn't hurt as bad as it did, but it did when Upshaw was gimpy.
Yes, Virginia, there are problems internally. Nothing as cancerous as what Auburn has, nothing as severe as what Georgia or UT or the Shula years were like, but problems. They are stale, and the voices are stale. They need new ideas from new voices that get new buy in. That is why Coach Willis was so good for the team. He had a new view of things from a style that beat the spread. Saban listened to Willis often and his coaching of OLBs was very very good. His loss was big this year because they needed him more than before. However, with a little soul searching, and a few new faces internally that can bring some new intensity to the process, next year can be a good year.....
Reality Rules....
While things may seem bleak, and some of the feelings I have may be emotionally driven, there is a good chance that with tweaks, next year has promise. While the QB is a question mark, and really whomever it is between AJ and Sims, they are going to be on a short leash, but the line should be better with a focus on grit. The QB will have Trent Richardson, the spinning Eddie Lacy, and possibly Crowell or another player to be named to carry the load. With a renewed focus on smash mouth football, and drubbing defenses instead of dink and dunk, they can be dominating on offense again. They will still have Hanks, maybe Maze, Norwood, and a host of young talent that hopefully will be ready.
On defense, a year of growth from Square will only improve him as he is playing better than Dareus right now. Getting Williams at NT will do wonders since Murphy is about as imposing to defenders as all you can eat buffets are to OLs these days. Getting Mosley yet more coaching and PT will improve his game. Getting Nico healthy will help his game a lot. He's played so well in spite of things really, that when 100%, he should resemble the player of 09 v. 2.1. Finding a Sam and Jack will be a challenge, but the Jack should be covered. If Hightower returns, and he should, he would be better suited there now. Mosley and Johnson can cover the ground now and know what they are doing. Hightower is at his best going north and south and attacking the QB now than he is at playing in space. The secondary can't be much worse than it was at times this year. Millner and Kirkpatrick will be a year more experienced, and Menzie will be healthy. With Menzie healthy, he should beat out Millner or flip with him. Fulton hopefully will play some. Green's return will be big as he and either Lester or Barron (doubtful) will be experienced in the deep cover. Getting some fresh blood like Dix and others will give them some options too.
There is a lot of ifs and buts in the future, and with that always comes that damn * that seems to follow any prediction. However, it is this simple- if Bama gets back to tough, gritty play on both sides of the ball and gets away from the passive aggressive style they've allowed to take over this year, they will win more games than this year. If they continue to play stylish yet without real substance, these types of years where the quality wins are fewer than the process should allow will continue.
Why message boards are fun, but dangerous....
I know, the boards are where fans brood, and who am I to deny their place in the world? I would say that the only bet I haven't seen at this point is a trade of spouses or a poke in the pokesack with one. I love stupid. I'll bet you 5000 dollars......, I'll bet you 1000 dollars...... that stuff is comical because you aren't going to pay up, either side, it is just conjecture. The fighting and foolishness is fun to me. However, I've learned over time that folks take this shit serious. Folks, if you read it on a message board, it ain't gospel, it is opinion.
See Camgate. There was another shoe to drop for weeks. Have you heard the thud? I haven't. Sure, it stinks like shit, looks like shit, probably is covered in it, but that doesn't matter today does it? Really? The truth is that there are way too many people talking out of their poopmaker about the subject and using all this mystery and cloak and dagger reference to mask that they don't know jack, but can make it entertaining. For the record, I don't know a whole lot of firm subject matter on it other than what some folks in ATL have told. Nothing earth shattering or stuff that wasn't already said. So, why don't I mask it and make it sound like I'm In Like Flynn? Because I don't have time to sit and keep a lie going each and every freakin day. Really, message boards are fun, and there is sometimes truth in the drumbeat, but so many folks now wanna be the next Walls that they press and get pissy when you call bull.
If you wanna history lesson, the GBU was originated a decade ago to balance against the bull that posters put out there. Funny how after 3 coaches, 4 if you count Price, an SEC Championship, a National Championship, and so much more, the same ol fan bull stays true.........
November 29, 2010
November 7, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- LSU
After 2 weeks off due to travel requirements (I was in Little Rock and Atlanta after the Ole Miss and UT games), the GBU returns....and not to the best of times.....I'm switching it up because there are some things that I'd rather put up front than the good parts and the bad parts because I think we all know the deal there.
Random Thoughts....
Kenny Bell won't be saved by his bell or his dumb mouth.....
Really, here's a guy who can't beat out anyone and is more or less a tackle dummy these days (specialist), but he feels like he can jump up and toss his teammates under? I know how this gets cured and he keeps his spot and it isn't an apology. He tried that on his page, but was called out on his weak answer (wasn't bout the team apparently....). He'll be asked to run over the middle and get de-strapped on an in route. When nobody helps him up, he'll know he's been setup and you move on, stay quiet, and work your way from the bottom up. When he is attritioned, and the odds are better than running Republican in the south that he's gone, he'll just be another mouthy, lazy Louisiana player gone.
Enough with the "If we play X...."
I love how there is always a cast of fans that believe that an unknown, untested player is always better than the starter and after each loss it is an opportunity to say such. The only QB not mentioned to be better to start is Thomas Darrah. The interesting twist is next year, if AJ doesn't throw for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns each Saturday, do you turn on him?
I get that some get mad that McElroy isn't a gun slinger and has flaws in his game. I see them too. I also see him playing with a lot of effort and doesn't take plays and games off like some do. I would be more apt to read about players who aren't playing to their capacities and not be as irked as I am to see someone complain when a guy is playing up to his level and is making plays. McElroy will never beat this team, he won't win the game each and every week, but in the LSU game, he put the defense in a position to give him the chance. The defense, as has been a theme for a while, didn't step up. If folks want to find a focal point for their anger, look at the defense. The defense has yet to play a complete game since conference play started. I keep reading stupid comments from a guy named "Luciano" who says the team is rebelling against GMac....that's so dumb. I keep reading how this team would be better with AJ....again dumb. I had one real man of genius tell me that if Saban had pulled Greg early in the year (when and why?) and gotten AJ in earlier, they would have won Saturday.....again, dumb.
The offense has issues. I won't deny that. However, the play calling and offensive line play are where the issues start and continue to hamper things. It is hard to say which is causing more problems because the execution up front or lack thereof is making possible good plays go bad, and the playcalling has no identity to it. In the last 2 years, this team was a downhill running team, and they made their mark with power football. This year, I can't tell you what they are because it changes by the series. One series, they run strong, the next they play out of the gun, the next they throw 3 times and go out, then they run, then they mix it up, and so on. There is no balance or methodology to what the game plan is/was/has been. I keep saying it and it keeps going on, but you have 2 Heisman caliber guys in the backfield, but yet they don't get fed regularly and cannot get a rhythm going. If Bama wants to be a pass heavy team, that's fine, be that. If Bama wants to be a run heavy team, that's fine, be that. If Bama wants to mix it up and do both, that's fine, be that. Just don't be a team that has no purpose like they were Saturday and have been several times over. Personally, I like Bama's offense more when they go north south with Ingram and Richardson and mix some play action passes. Sitting in the gun and trying to execute from it hasn't been as fruitful. Of course, everything skunks the Wildcat in execution and productivity now. In the end, LSU had given up 21 or more points to UF and AU. AU's high end O only got 24 off this defense. Bama got enough points on a really good D, they just didn't get enough help.
The Defense is where my ire and concern really lies though. 9 games in and they still can't play zone, still can't tackle, still can't get in position, and now cannot pressure or create plays against a bad team. Here's the facts on the ground, LSU's offense was horrible going in, their QBs had been subpar all year. Jordan Jefferson had not thrown a TD since their opener and had 8 INTs including 7 in the last 7 games. He really is one of the worst QBs in the conference. You wouldn't know it from the game would you? Jarrett Lee is a guy we all know. He has not been much better. He did have a nice game against the Gators, but his game against Auburn was Lee's par game. Did either look weak or confused? No. Did Stephen Garcia? No. Why? Saban and Smart have become stale and scared in the play calling. The good game plan in the first half went away and was lethargic and predictable in the 2nd half.
I don't have as many issues with a player like CJ Mosley because he's trying hard and learning on the job. I do have a problem when I see guys with experience that aren't playing hard or with focus. After 9 games, and a bye week, the defense should not be dealing with poor tackling nor should you be seeing blown assignments like it has had. Millner is a freshman, and I give him that discount, but he's played enough downs because they can't get off the field....anyways, he's got enough time and practice to know his zone assignment. Each week, he gets bassackwards with that and that play is usually a damaging one. Each week, someone in the secondary has a blown assignment and gives up a big play. Each week, the linebackers suck inside too quick and expose the backside and give up a big play. Each week, you see the opposing offense wanting it more than Bama's defense. That part bothers me more than anything. The difference is more than vocal leaders on defense. The difference is that last year, they made plays and got turnovers, sacks, and 3 and outs. Those things put the offense in better spots and created more scoring opportunities. This year, they aren't doing any of those things often and it forces this offense to execute more 80 plus yard drives.
Really folks, if you want to complain, complain about the defense. Fussing because someone is not a vocal leader is just a hard on grudge. Vocal leaders are born, they aren't coached. Vocal leaders have to be recruited. Bama has recruited a lot of names and a lot of potential, but I think we are starting to see that they have the bill of goods but have not received nearly the appraised value from it.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Julio's catch
He can't make the easy ones every time, but he makes the tough ones every time. When he gets in the endzone and extends his body, it is about as automatic as it gets.
Ingram looking like the Ingram of old
I thought Ingram played his best game since Duke or ARK. He was shifting, cutting, and using the blocks the way he did last year. There was one play where he stopped on a dime, made 2 guys miss, and got an extra 5 yards. The reason you won't remember this much is because the staff iced him in the second half. In any case, it was a good start for the 2nd half run, and really they need him to start demanding the ball and getting the ball. He makes great things happen when he does.
McElroy doing as much as he can
I can sense some of you grinding your molars just reading that. Piss off. Given how poorly the line played, and how many drops were committed by the TEs and WRs, he had a really solid game. He did his part in all honesty. His passes were good as a whole, and he only missed on a handful. The interception was on Dial, McElroy will carry it on his stats, but Dial flat out muffed it. The fumble was a bang bang play that was on the OL, but he'll carry that stat too. He missed Maze by about 2 inches on a go route, but that happens. His TD pass to Jones was one that he doesn't make last year or 4 weeks ago. I know there are those who want to detract from what Greg means and has done for this team, but he plays tough, plays smart, and does enough to win the game.
The Bad...
Playcalling.
As mentioned earlier, you have to have an identity. This staff has yet to find one for them. McElwain got p'wned by Chavis, and Saban has continued to stay neutral as each week the same plays are called that are now stale. They are gonna have to open up the playbook or gear it down and grind it out with a power run attack. This fruit basket turnover philosophy just doesn't work.
The Ugly....
Offensive line play just flat out stinks
I get so tired of seeing the whiff. Vlachos has really really really regressed. His preseason injury has him out of shape and when you watch him play, he just looks like a guy who isn't in game shape, even for a lineman. What's worse, they let a guy who is not even 300 lbs look like a bulldozer against them. Warmack couldn't contain any of his assignments. Jones contained but didn't budge them. Carpenter is just happy to be there, and I'll be happy when he's matriculated. McCullough pass blocks ok, but is too small to push the right side in the run block. For weeks, they have let McElroy take hits that he didn't need to take. The fumble Saturday was another in the long line of poor communication and fundamentals up front. I don't know how many times this year it has happened, but there sure have been a lot of sacks that occur because the guards double down instead of covering their space. Warmack is a habitual offender of that. Fluker can't get back fast enough, but next year can't either in a lot of positions up front.......
DEFENSE
The Good....
First half effort
I thought that the defense answered the bell early. They got put in a tough spot after the INT, but held to a field goal. After a horrible punt, they held to a 3 and out. The entire first half, they kept LSU off balance and made them look more like the offense that we had watched week in and week out. They had 3 3 and outs in the first half and held the Tigers to a field goal. All in all, going into the half, I thought things were in good shape. Sadly, the defense never came out of the tunnel after the half.
The debut of a healthy 4some of Upshaw, Dareus, Square, and Hightower
It has taken 8 games and a bye to see the healthy foursome, or as healthy as it will be this year, but they looked good when they used them up front on nickel situations. Of course, the bigger thing here is that when they put Donta up and put his hand down, they have to have good play from Johnson and Mosley. They played as well as could be asked.
The Bad....
No 3 and outs in the 2nd half....
When you just don't stop an opposing team, you don't win games. Bama had LSU pinned down, but did not stop LSU once in the 2nd half. Say what you want about the offense, but Bama's defense did not get off the field on their own. They also gave up a score or a score opportunity each drive in the 2nd half. LSU scored 21 points and missed a FG in the 2nd half. That's just too many points and too much moving up and down the field going on. The same team that just looked good as anyone for the first 30 minutes, was MIA the entire second half.
Mark Barron picked the wrong week to have his worst game of his career
The two biggest plays by LSU were both moments where Barron was out of position. The Randle TD romp was a really telling play. Barron gets out of position and doesn't really try to catch him or take an angle to try. To his credit, he did hustle to stop Shepherd later on, but he flat out didn't try on that play. If it had only been that play, it maybe wouldn't have been so bad, but the 4th and 1 reverse was another out of position moment. Will folks remember him for this game? No. They'll remember the MSU game. I wish that player was appearing at this point. Hopefully, in film study, they ride him and it makes him play pissed.
The Ugly...
Letting another subpar offense look spectacular
I'm not going to beat the horse any more today, but when you let the 3 worst QBs in the conference look awesome, well, it isn't just a "played the best game of their life" moment, it is a "coached the worst game again of my life" moment for Smart and Saban. Really, the defensive issues are as much coaching as they are player issues. The thing that really starts to irritate me about things is that Saban spends a lot of time talking about being results oriented and all that bull. At some point, the coaches need to just say that they got beat in a coaching duel. Saban got his process processed by a grass eatin wild eyed guy, and he's got another humbling in a few weeks if he doesn't start getting things turned around on defense. As great as Saban is, and as great as he is at creating defensive mismatches, this year hasn't been one of those years. It has looked more like the LSU team after their championship.
Random Thoughts....
Kenny Bell won't be saved by his bell or his dumb mouth.....
Kenny Bell ...bck n ttown already no it ain’t nun 2 do cuz dis ttown so I’m bout 2 shower n watch tv..sn: not even mad cuz its gne b more if da favoritism keeps up take it how ya wanna....kb7First, I get that when one is young and such, dumb things are said, it is a given and I'm not innocent of that. However, there are two things here that just piss me off. One, if you are going to complain, do it in an intelligent tone. That shit needs Beaver's mom to step to the back of the plane and decipher for me. Second, you never, EVER, say things like this during the season. EVER. Bell is a loser and his career at Alabama is over before it started. Keeping him on the team only rewards selfish, undisciplined, and cancerous behavior.
Really, here's a guy who can't beat out anyone and is more or less a tackle dummy these days (specialist), but he feels like he can jump up and toss his teammates under? I know how this gets cured and he keeps his spot and it isn't an apology. He tried that on his page, but was called out on his weak answer (wasn't bout the team apparently....). He'll be asked to run over the middle and get de-strapped on an in route. When nobody helps him up, he'll know he's been setup and you move on, stay quiet, and work your way from the bottom up. When he is attritioned, and the odds are better than running Republican in the south that he's gone, he'll just be another mouthy, lazy Louisiana player gone.
Enough with the "If we play X...."
I love how there is always a cast of fans that believe that an unknown, untested player is always better than the starter and after each loss it is an opportunity to say such. The only QB not mentioned to be better to start is Thomas Darrah. The interesting twist is next year, if AJ doesn't throw for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns each Saturday, do you turn on him?
I get that some get mad that McElroy isn't a gun slinger and has flaws in his game. I see them too. I also see him playing with a lot of effort and doesn't take plays and games off like some do. I would be more apt to read about players who aren't playing to their capacities and not be as irked as I am to see someone complain when a guy is playing up to his level and is making plays. McElroy will never beat this team, he won't win the game each and every week, but in the LSU game, he put the defense in a position to give him the chance. The defense, as has been a theme for a while, didn't step up. If folks want to find a focal point for their anger, look at the defense. The defense has yet to play a complete game since conference play started. I keep reading stupid comments from a guy named "Luciano" who says the team is rebelling against GMac....that's so dumb. I keep reading how this team would be better with AJ....again dumb. I had one real man of genius tell me that if Saban had pulled Greg early in the year (when and why?) and gotten AJ in earlier, they would have won Saturday.....again, dumb.
The offense has issues. I won't deny that. However, the play calling and offensive line play are where the issues start and continue to hamper things. It is hard to say which is causing more problems because the execution up front or lack thereof is making possible good plays go bad, and the playcalling has no identity to it. In the last 2 years, this team was a downhill running team, and they made their mark with power football. This year, I can't tell you what they are because it changes by the series. One series, they run strong, the next they play out of the gun, the next they throw 3 times and go out, then they run, then they mix it up, and so on. There is no balance or methodology to what the game plan is/was/has been. I keep saying it and it keeps going on, but you have 2 Heisman caliber guys in the backfield, but yet they don't get fed regularly and cannot get a rhythm going. If Bama wants to be a pass heavy team, that's fine, be that. If Bama wants to be a run heavy team, that's fine, be that. If Bama wants to mix it up and do both, that's fine, be that. Just don't be a team that has no purpose like they were Saturday and have been several times over. Personally, I like Bama's offense more when they go north south with Ingram and Richardson and mix some play action passes. Sitting in the gun and trying to execute from it hasn't been as fruitful. Of course, everything skunks the Wildcat in execution and productivity now. In the end, LSU had given up 21 or more points to UF and AU. AU's high end O only got 24 off this defense. Bama got enough points on a really good D, they just didn't get enough help.
The Defense is where my ire and concern really lies though. 9 games in and they still can't play zone, still can't tackle, still can't get in position, and now cannot pressure or create plays against a bad team. Here's the facts on the ground, LSU's offense was horrible going in, their QBs had been subpar all year. Jordan Jefferson had not thrown a TD since their opener and had 8 INTs including 7 in the last 7 games. He really is one of the worst QBs in the conference. You wouldn't know it from the game would you? Jarrett Lee is a guy we all know. He has not been much better. He did have a nice game against the Gators, but his game against Auburn was Lee's par game. Did either look weak or confused? No. Did Stephen Garcia? No. Why? Saban and Smart have become stale and scared in the play calling. The good game plan in the first half went away and was lethargic and predictable in the 2nd half.
I don't have as many issues with a player like CJ Mosley because he's trying hard and learning on the job. I do have a problem when I see guys with experience that aren't playing hard or with focus. After 9 games, and a bye week, the defense should not be dealing with poor tackling nor should you be seeing blown assignments like it has had. Millner is a freshman, and I give him that discount, but he's played enough downs because they can't get off the field....anyways, he's got enough time and practice to know his zone assignment. Each week, he gets bassackwards with that and that play is usually a damaging one. Each week, someone in the secondary has a blown assignment and gives up a big play. Each week, the linebackers suck inside too quick and expose the backside and give up a big play. Each week, you see the opposing offense wanting it more than Bama's defense. That part bothers me more than anything. The difference is more than vocal leaders on defense. The difference is that last year, they made plays and got turnovers, sacks, and 3 and outs. Those things put the offense in better spots and created more scoring opportunities. This year, they aren't doing any of those things often and it forces this offense to execute more 80 plus yard drives.
Really folks, if you want to complain, complain about the defense. Fussing because someone is not a vocal leader is just a hard on grudge. Vocal leaders are born, they aren't coached. Vocal leaders have to be recruited. Bama has recruited a lot of names and a lot of potential, but I think we are starting to see that they have the bill of goods but have not received nearly the appraised value from it.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Julio's catch
He can't make the easy ones every time, but he makes the tough ones every time. When he gets in the endzone and extends his body, it is about as automatic as it gets.
Ingram looking like the Ingram of old
I thought Ingram played his best game since Duke or ARK. He was shifting, cutting, and using the blocks the way he did last year. There was one play where he stopped on a dime, made 2 guys miss, and got an extra 5 yards. The reason you won't remember this much is because the staff iced him in the second half. In any case, it was a good start for the 2nd half run, and really they need him to start demanding the ball and getting the ball. He makes great things happen when he does.
McElroy doing as much as he can
I can sense some of you grinding your molars just reading that. Piss off. Given how poorly the line played, and how many drops were committed by the TEs and WRs, he had a really solid game. He did his part in all honesty. His passes were good as a whole, and he only missed on a handful. The interception was on Dial, McElroy will carry it on his stats, but Dial flat out muffed it. The fumble was a bang bang play that was on the OL, but he'll carry that stat too. He missed Maze by about 2 inches on a go route, but that happens. His TD pass to Jones was one that he doesn't make last year or 4 weeks ago. I know there are those who want to detract from what Greg means and has done for this team, but he plays tough, plays smart, and does enough to win the game.
The Bad...
Playcalling.
As mentioned earlier, you have to have an identity. This staff has yet to find one for them. McElwain got p'wned by Chavis, and Saban has continued to stay neutral as each week the same plays are called that are now stale. They are gonna have to open up the playbook or gear it down and grind it out with a power run attack. This fruit basket turnover philosophy just doesn't work.
The Ugly....
Offensive line play just flat out stinks
I get so tired of seeing the whiff. Vlachos has really really really regressed. His preseason injury has him out of shape and when you watch him play, he just looks like a guy who isn't in game shape, even for a lineman. What's worse, they let a guy who is not even 300 lbs look like a bulldozer against them. Warmack couldn't contain any of his assignments. Jones contained but didn't budge them. Carpenter is just happy to be there, and I'll be happy when he's matriculated. McCullough pass blocks ok, but is too small to push the right side in the run block. For weeks, they have let McElroy take hits that he didn't need to take. The fumble Saturday was another in the long line of poor communication and fundamentals up front. I don't know how many times this year it has happened, but there sure have been a lot of sacks that occur because the guards double down instead of covering their space. Warmack is a habitual offender of that. Fluker can't get back fast enough, but next year can't either in a lot of positions up front.......
DEFENSE
The Good....
First half effort
I thought that the defense answered the bell early. They got put in a tough spot after the INT, but held to a field goal. After a horrible punt, they held to a 3 and out. The entire first half, they kept LSU off balance and made them look more like the offense that we had watched week in and week out. They had 3 3 and outs in the first half and held the Tigers to a field goal. All in all, going into the half, I thought things were in good shape. Sadly, the defense never came out of the tunnel after the half.
The debut of a healthy 4some of Upshaw, Dareus, Square, and Hightower
It has taken 8 games and a bye to see the healthy foursome, or as healthy as it will be this year, but they looked good when they used them up front on nickel situations. Of course, the bigger thing here is that when they put Donta up and put his hand down, they have to have good play from Johnson and Mosley. They played as well as could be asked.
The Bad....
No 3 and outs in the 2nd half....
When you just don't stop an opposing team, you don't win games. Bama had LSU pinned down, but did not stop LSU once in the 2nd half. Say what you want about the offense, but Bama's defense did not get off the field on their own. They also gave up a score or a score opportunity each drive in the 2nd half. LSU scored 21 points and missed a FG in the 2nd half. That's just too many points and too much moving up and down the field going on. The same team that just looked good as anyone for the first 30 minutes, was MIA the entire second half.
Mark Barron picked the wrong week to have his worst game of his career
The two biggest plays by LSU were both moments where Barron was out of position. The Randle TD romp was a really telling play. Barron gets out of position and doesn't really try to catch him or take an angle to try. To his credit, he did hustle to stop Shepherd later on, but he flat out didn't try on that play. If it had only been that play, it maybe wouldn't have been so bad, but the 4th and 1 reverse was another out of position moment. Will folks remember him for this game? No. They'll remember the MSU game. I wish that player was appearing at this point. Hopefully, in film study, they ride him and it makes him play pissed.
The Ugly...
Letting another subpar offense look spectacular
I'm not going to beat the horse any more today, but when you let the 3 worst QBs in the conference look awesome, well, it isn't just a "played the best game of their life" moment, it is a "coached the worst game again of my life" moment for Smart and Saban. Really, the defensive issues are as much coaching as they are player issues. The thing that really starts to irritate me about things is that Saban spends a lot of time talking about being results oriented and all that bull. At some point, the coaches need to just say that they got beat in a coaching duel. Saban got his process processed by a grass eatin wild eyed guy, and he's got another humbling in a few weeks if he doesn't start getting things turned around on defense. As great as Saban is, and as great as he is at creating defensive mismatches, this year hasn't been one of those years. It has looked more like the LSU team after their championship.
October 12, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- South Carolina
There is a lot to learn from losing, but you hope that your veterans have learned enough that this kinda thing doesn't happen a whole lot. This loss wasn't on a player or a position group. No. This loss was on everyone from top down. South Carolina outcoached Bama, and Spurrier smiles because his golfing addicted ass can mail it in each year and now beat you, South Carolina outmuscled Bama, and they out wanted Bama. That is what has me still pissed about the loss. It isn't that they lost, and it isn't that USCar was just better, they are right now, it is that they wanted to play and wanted to make a statement and Bama's whole team and staff let them without much more than a whimper.
OFFENSE
The Good....
McElroy hanging in and making plays sometimes...
I know a lot of folks are trying to spin this loss on Greg and how he holds the ball, more on that soon, but really the only thing holding the Tide in the game was McElroy. The offense had basically given up on running and being balanced. That was a bad start to things, and being down 21-3 had a part in that, but this loss wasn't on McElroy. This loss was lessened by his efforts. For the "Play AJ" jort wearers, you got 2 good examples Saturday of why he won't see real PT.
Julio's grab
Jones had the ceremonial drop a few plays before, but he stepped up big and made a huge grab on a good throw in the back of the endzone. Yes, you are supposed to put it up high to where your WR is the only one who should be able to get it. My worry now is that with Jones down and out for a few weeks, can this team find a go to playmaker?
Hanks continues to make the big plays
Hanks is quietly having a great season and is probably McElroy's 3rd favorite target behind Jones and Dial because he makes about 9 out of every 10 snags he gets. It was a good job on Hanks part to create separation on the route and make one additional move to get to the end zone.
The Bad...
Hey, when you get a thumpin like this, there aren't many good things going.....
Running?
I guess the score and the way USCar schemed Bama just baffled Saban and McElwain to the point that running the football is what other teams do. 17 carries between Ingram and Richardson is about 10 to 15 too few. That's just poor playcalling and poor management from top to bottom really. You don't sell out to who you are just because you are down, if anything, you settle in and let the running game slow the game down and take the Cock offense off the field for long chunks.
Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick
The thing with McElroy's refusal to ditch the ball is hard to figure out. You can tell he just doesn't want to make a mistake, but in doing so, he's gonna make 5 or 6 mistakes. Granted, the sacks aren't as damaging as interceptions are, but they take the air out of the sails too. To be fair, some of the sacks on McElroy were on the OL, the fumble was, but some were on him not getting rid of it, at least 2 sacks were on the playcalling/route running of the WRs and the WRs not ditching their routes to help Greg out. Lots of guys sitting on routes. For those who will say there was a wide open guy....the one play where they show the routes and Maze was open on the other end of the field, that's a 40+ yard throw when throwing across the field and down field 20. That's a low, LOW, percentage pass play. I'd rather see him eat it than try to make that play because the ball is gonna hang up there and defenders can make up the gap in that time frame.
Offensive line gets down right offensive to watch
They just flat out get too high off the snap. I keep mentioning it because it is why they get bent back so much and can't just line up and go on these teams. They have to live on counters and misdirection because those plays are more about backfield execution and reading than OL plowing and digging. Carpenter and Fluker are slow off the edge and have a real hard time containing a good rush. They are at their best when just running behind them, but when you have to throw, you almost have to do a max protect because one or the other, or both will lose their man on a consistent basis. For Fluker, it is just about learning, and for his part, he plays hard and I can see his improvement from game 1 to now. For Carpenter, it is the same ol, same ol, no improvement, no emotion, no nothing football he plays each week. It is amazing how Johnson made him look so much better compared to now. Warmack and Jones do ok but Warmack is guilty of at least 2 penalties or missed assignments a game. Jones when pulling is great, but one on one he gets shoved around too much. Vlachos is tough, but it is hard for him to cover when so many guys are either out of position or trying to compensate for another guy missing. The fumble was a busted play somewhere on the line assignment.
When McElroy was hit and fumbled from the blind side, Warmack pulled and went outside Fluker. Williams moved from outside to inside to cover that gap, or was trying to get there, hard to tell with it looking like junk from snap to end. Either Carpenter or Vlachos had to slide in to that gap because even with Williams moving inside, it takes a few seconds and a lineman can shoot the gap faster than a TE can swing inside and more than likely won't have position to do anything but hold him. The play was busted before it had a chance and was a good example of the way the day was going up front. Lots of confusion and a lot of missed assignments.
The Ugly...
Preparation, Game plan, and Playcalling
There were some who said that Bama was having a great week of preparation. Ummmm, no. Great week of prep doesn't come out with deer in the headlight expressions. They were flat and didn't look like they had thought through what all was ahead. Part of this may just be that they had gone through 2 emotional games and just didn't have it in them to pull a 3rd act. That's not an acceptable answer if true. The game plan, wasn't much of one. You have a Heisman winner, a future Heisman candidate, and a status quo that follows them that if you feed them, the wins will come. The game plan was to basically starve them and try to establish the passing game. I don't mind getting the QB going with some screens and such, but get your linemen and running backs in the game too with some good down hill running. Even if you are down 2 scores in the 1st or 2nd Qtr, grind it out and take your shots on offense, don't throw it all over creation and wonder why things are not improving. This team isn't built or made to be successful when you call 47 pass plays (34 attempts by GM, 12 runs by GM all scrambles or sacks, and 1 by AJ). That's really on Saban too. He always says he has the veto power to change a play, but they got lopsided in the style and philosophy that had won all those games. All the way around, it was not a situation that looked like they were comfortable and it was a game where they did all the things that went against what won ballgames for them for the last 2 years.
DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Reality Bites
The reason this post is on Tuesday and not Monday is simply to take extra time and not be quite as emotionally pissed as I was Monday. The reality is that his Defense has a lot of potential and a steaming pile of hype to it, but very little in tangible substance. They have 1 good to great pass rusher in Upshaw and when he goes down every other game, every other game is a struggle for this defense to create dissruption. Dareus has not shown any of the hype and potential that we all thought we would see. It really is more or less a reality check that now that he's a known name, he's not able to handle the doubles that come with it. The rest of the D Line is either overhyped or underdisciplined. Square and Sentimore show flashes that they are playmakers, but Square gets lost in translation at times and Sentimore is always good for at least 1 lost containment per series. Both are things that will keep them in rotation and not every down players. Nose had a bigger drop off then anticipated as Murphy and Chapman have yet to establish themselves as guys that could replace Cody. Both just don't have the drive in them to be great nose tackles. For a guy as big and as old as Murphy is, it is really disappointing that he cannot translate all that into a great ball player.
The linebacker core has been a sore spot all year really, but we've ducked the bullet until Saturday and now their undiscipline ways and other issues have come front and center. They don't have a Mike LB they like. Donta isn't going to be utilized to his best at it. Johnson looked good at it last week but the staff apparently felt otherwise. Mosley will be a good Mike in the future, but he's way too green for such a role against great offensive minds like Spurrier and Malzahn. Harris is a bust and has now returned to the bench and the schemes will never let Chavis Williams play enough to contribute more than 5 to 10 times a game. The biggest problem is that Donta isn't healthy. They want him to be ready to roll, but you can tell each week that he just can't move well enough to do the things he is being asked to do. He also lacks confidence in his knee. There were 3 or 4 times Saturday where he had a chance to snuff a play out and stop the running backs at the line or behind it and let them drag him forward 3 yards because he just won't plant the bad knee and drive with it.
The secondary is very green and very average. Kirkpatrick is their only cover guy, but he's very undisciplined and loses containment too often. Millner has yet to show that he's ready. Menzie like Hightower is not healthy enough to play substantive downs. I think if he were, this secondary would be much better. He at least shows that he can read the play. He just can't move to it. Lester is fine in cover 2, but against the run and when in man coverage, is average at best. The loss of Robbie Green is really showing itself now. Barron is only one man and he cannot be asked to do it all, and he too suffers when asked to cover a WR. The biggest villian going against the secondary isn't the players, it is the coaches though.
The coaches continue to try and cover and live in a false assumption that if you cover it, you can win. The 1st half vs. ARK, the 2nd half vs. UF, and all of the USCar game show that covering all day is how you get beaten up and worn down. All 3 examples have the same theme. Bama sends 3 or 4 and drops the rest, the QB has plenty of time and makes his progressions. Each example, Bama cannot get the D off the field fast enough. Florida made enough mistakes that it didn't show up as substantively as it did in the other two.
So how is this good? In re-reading it, it seems rough, but that's really what needs to be done. Fans and player got too high on the product and didn't spend nearly enough time realizing that this defense isn't as good as last year's. It is more of a mirror to some of Kines defense. Lots of bending and the hope of not breaking, but it works at times and doesn't others. Still, while it isn't the most optimistic thing, you know what you have, and if Saban does what he usually does, he'll start making roster moves and trying to find the best 11 in each situation to win. Folks in the BJ Scott breakout game camp, your chant may come soon enough. I'm starting to wonder how he's that far behind the others. Same for Fulton, I get they may not do the best in zone, but have you seen the finished product? Nobody plays well in zone except for Lester. To me, that's kinda good news that we'll see what Bama has over the next few weeks at several positions. In the meantime, it will do the fan base good to quit talking shit all day.
The Ugly...heck, it was so bad it got ugly....
Special Teams are just dysfuncionally special....
I hate watching special teams mistakes. So, you can bet that there was a lot of times where I was hating life Saturday with each blunder. I'll start with the fake FG. There are three things about the FG that were bad from the start:
1. If you call timeout, you almost have to fake it because otherwise, you wasted a timeout or just iced your own kicker.
2. Everyone in the lower 48 states knows by now that Shelley is the short yardage FG kicker and a 42-45 yard try is out of his range, so the fake is on.
3. Using a Jack Linebacker as the safety valve is about as bad an option as any imaginable. The old addage held true, if you can't catch, you play linebacker.
AJ also showed 2 times on special teams that he gets rattled quick. He was in such a hurry to get rid of the ball that he just needed to wait about 2 more seconds and Underwood would have been angled and separated enough to put it over his shoulder for a 1st down at least. The missed EXP was really on him. If the snap hits your hands, it is yours to bring down and plant, it doesn't really matter if it is high, low, right or left of target, if it doesn't hit the ground first, its on the holder to put it laces out. Laces out DAN.
The snapper isn't without fault though. His snaps have been earth diggers all season and Bama will have a punt blocked due to the timing delays from the snaps before the year ends. Maybe 3 or 4 at the rate it is going. The whole thing stinks.
Defensive Theories of Macro Proportional Ineptness
Despite the special teams blunders, and the offense having the sputters at times, the loss really falls on the defense. They had 2 stops the whole day. The safety and the interception were the only stops they made, and really the defense didn't cause the safety. As a whole, if any defensive decision maker thinks that the best way to protect this team is to cover it, they've only assured themselves of an 8 or 9 win season. This team has to be ready to play a lot more man with the corners and prepare to put more than 3 or 4 men on the rush against the meat of the SEC schedule. They can't zone out Ole Miss, and UGA proved that UT is just one blitz away from disaster, LSU same thing, and Auburn same thing. You must be ready to give up the big play once or twice to get 5 or 6 bigger plays. They just aren't good enough to play the amount of cover they do. That isn't a player issue, or a talent issue, it is a coaching realization issue. They also really really need to think about how this team's packages are going to be used. They got caught more than once trying to late sub and Spurrier caught them each time. That is just a sign of lack of preparation on the coaching staff's part. They need to find the best 11 potentially and grow with them and do the things that they do well and be ready for the parts they don't do well. Of course, if the offense can run the ball and keep the defense off the field, this kinda lessens the concern.....
OFFENSE
The Good....
McElroy hanging in and making plays sometimes...
I know a lot of folks are trying to spin this loss on Greg and how he holds the ball, more on that soon, but really the only thing holding the Tide in the game was McElroy. The offense had basically given up on running and being balanced. That was a bad start to things, and being down 21-3 had a part in that, but this loss wasn't on McElroy. This loss was lessened by his efforts. For the "Play AJ" jort wearers, you got 2 good examples Saturday of why he won't see real PT.
Julio's grab
Jones had the ceremonial drop a few plays before, but he stepped up big and made a huge grab on a good throw in the back of the endzone. Yes, you are supposed to put it up high to where your WR is the only one who should be able to get it. My worry now is that with Jones down and out for a few weeks, can this team find a go to playmaker?
Hanks continues to make the big plays
Hanks is quietly having a great season and is probably McElroy's 3rd favorite target behind Jones and Dial because he makes about 9 out of every 10 snags he gets. It was a good job on Hanks part to create separation on the route and make one additional move to get to the end zone.
The Bad...
Hey, when you get a thumpin like this, there aren't many good things going.....
Running?
I guess the score and the way USCar schemed Bama just baffled Saban and McElwain to the point that running the football is what other teams do. 17 carries between Ingram and Richardson is about 10 to 15 too few. That's just poor playcalling and poor management from top to bottom really. You don't sell out to who you are just because you are down, if anything, you settle in and let the running game slow the game down and take the Cock offense off the field for long chunks.
Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick
The thing with McElroy's refusal to ditch the ball is hard to figure out. You can tell he just doesn't want to make a mistake, but in doing so, he's gonna make 5 or 6 mistakes. Granted, the sacks aren't as damaging as interceptions are, but they take the air out of the sails too. To be fair, some of the sacks on McElroy were on the OL, the fumble was, but some were on him not getting rid of it, at least 2 sacks were on the playcalling/route running of the WRs and the WRs not ditching their routes to help Greg out. Lots of guys sitting on routes. For those who will say there was a wide open guy....the one play where they show the routes and Maze was open on the other end of the field, that's a 40+ yard throw when throwing across the field and down field 20. That's a low, LOW, percentage pass play. I'd rather see him eat it than try to make that play because the ball is gonna hang up there and defenders can make up the gap in that time frame.
Offensive line gets down right offensive to watch
They just flat out get too high off the snap. I keep mentioning it because it is why they get bent back so much and can't just line up and go on these teams. They have to live on counters and misdirection because those plays are more about backfield execution and reading than OL plowing and digging. Carpenter and Fluker are slow off the edge and have a real hard time containing a good rush. They are at their best when just running behind them, but when you have to throw, you almost have to do a max protect because one or the other, or both will lose their man on a consistent basis. For Fluker, it is just about learning, and for his part, he plays hard and I can see his improvement from game 1 to now. For Carpenter, it is the same ol, same ol, no improvement, no emotion, no nothing football he plays each week. It is amazing how Johnson made him look so much better compared to now. Warmack and Jones do ok but Warmack is guilty of at least 2 penalties or missed assignments a game. Jones when pulling is great, but one on one he gets shoved around too much. Vlachos is tough, but it is hard for him to cover when so many guys are either out of position or trying to compensate for another guy missing. The fumble was a busted play somewhere on the line assignment.
When McElroy was hit and fumbled from the blind side, Warmack pulled and went outside Fluker. Williams moved from outside to inside to cover that gap, or was trying to get there, hard to tell with it looking like junk from snap to end. Either Carpenter or Vlachos had to slide in to that gap because even with Williams moving inside, it takes a few seconds and a lineman can shoot the gap faster than a TE can swing inside and more than likely won't have position to do anything but hold him. The play was busted before it had a chance and was a good example of the way the day was going up front. Lots of confusion and a lot of missed assignments.
The Ugly...
Preparation, Game plan, and Playcalling
There were some who said that Bama was having a great week of preparation. Ummmm, no. Great week of prep doesn't come out with deer in the headlight expressions. They were flat and didn't look like they had thought through what all was ahead. Part of this may just be that they had gone through 2 emotional games and just didn't have it in them to pull a 3rd act. That's not an acceptable answer if true. The game plan, wasn't much of one. You have a Heisman winner, a future Heisman candidate, and a status quo that follows them that if you feed them, the wins will come. The game plan was to basically starve them and try to establish the passing game. I don't mind getting the QB going with some screens and such, but get your linemen and running backs in the game too with some good down hill running. Even if you are down 2 scores in the 1st or 2nd Qtr, grind it out and take your shots on offense, don't throw it all over creation and wonder why things are not improving. This team isn't built or made to be successful when you call 47 pass plays (34 attempts by GM, 12 runs by GM all scrambles or sacks, and 1 by AJ). That's really on Saban too. He always says he has the veto power to change a play, but they got lopsided in the style and philosophy that had won all those games. All the way around, it was not a situation that looked like they were comfortable and it was a game where they did all the things that went against what won ballgames for them for the last 2 years.
DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Reality Bites
The reason this post is on Tuesday and not Monday is simply to take extra time and not be quite as emotionally pissed as I was Monday. The reality is that his Defense has a lot of potential and a steaming pile of hype to it, but very little in tangible substance. They have 1 good to great pass rusher in Upshaw and when he goes down every other game, every other game is a struggle for this defense to create dissruption. Dareus has not shown any of the hype and potential that we all thought we would see. It really is more or less a reality check that now that he's a known name, he's not able to handle the doubles that come with it. The rest of the D Line is either overhyped or underdisciplined. Square and Sentimore show flashes that they are playmakers, but Square gets lost in translation at times and Sentimore is always good for at least 1 lost containment per series. Both are things that will keep them in rotation and not every down players. Nose had a bigger drop off then anticipated as Murphy and Chapman have yet to establish themselves as guys that could replace Cody. Both just don't have the drive in them to be great nose tackles. For a guy as big and as old as Murphy is, it is really disappointing that he cannot translate all that into a great ball player.
The linebacker core has been a sore spot all year really, but we've ducked the bullet until Saturday and now their undiscipline ways and other issues have come front and center. They don't have a Mike LB they like. Donta isn't going to be utilized to his best at it. Johnson looked good at it last week but the staff apparently felt otherwise. Mosley will be a good Mike in the future, but he's way too green for such a role against great offensive minds like Spurrier and Malzahn. Harris is a bust and has now returned to the bench and the schemes will never let Chavis Williams play enough to contribute more than 5 to 10 times a game. The biggest problem is that Donta isn't healthy. They want him to be ready to roll, but you can tell each week that he just can't move well enough to do the things he is being asked to do. He also lacks confidence in his knee. There were 3 or 4 times Saturday where he had a chance to snuff a play out and stop the running backs at the line or behind it and let them drag him forward 3 yards because he just won't plant the bad knee and drive with it.
The secondary is very green and very average. Kirkpatrick is their only cover guy, but he's very undisciplined and loses containment too often. Millner has yet to show that he's ready. Menzie like Hightower is not healthy enough to play substantive downs. I think if he were, this secondary would be much better. He at least shows that he can read the play. He just can't move to it. Lester is fine in cover 2, but against the run and when in man coverage, is average at best. The loss of Robbie Green is really showing itself now. Barron is only one man and he cannot be asked to do it all, and he too suffers when asked to cover a WR. The biggest villian going against the secondary isn't the players, it is the coaches though.
The coaches continue to try and cover and live in a false assumption that if you cover it, you can win. The 1st half vs. ARK, the 2nd half vs. UF, and all of the USCar game show that covering all day is how you get beaten up and worn down. All 3 examples have the same theme. Bama sends 3 or 4 and drops the rest, the QB has plenty of time and makes his progressions. Each example, Bama cannot get the D off the field fast enough. Florida made enough mistakes that it didn't show up as substantively as it did in the other two.
So how is this good? In re-reading it, it seems rough, but that's really what needs to be done. Fans and player got too high on the product and didn't spend nearly enough time realizing that this defense isn't as good as last year's. It is more of a mirror to some of Kines defense. Lots of bending and the hope of not breaking, but it works at times and doesn't others. Still, while it isn't the most optimistic thing, you know what you have, and if Saban does what he usually does, he'll start making roster moves and trying to find the best 11 in each situation to win. Folks in the BJ Scott breakout game camp, your chant may come soon enough. I'm starting to wonder how he's that far behind the others. Same for Fulton, I get they may not do the best in zone, but have you seen the finished product? Nobody plays well in zone except for Lester. To me, that's kinda good news that we'll see what Bama has over the next few weeks at several positions. In the meantime, it will do the fan base good to quit talking shit all day.
The Ugly...heck, it was so bad it got ugly....
Special Teams are just dysfuncionally special....
I hate watching special teams mistakes. So, you can bet that there was a lot of times where I was hating life Saturday with each blunder. I'll start with the fake FG. There are three things about the FG that were bad from the start:
1. If you call timeout, you almost have to fake it because otherwise, you wasted a timeout or just iced your own kicker.
2. Everyone in the lower 48 states knows by now that Shelley is the short yardage FG kicker and a 42-45 yard try is out of his range, so the fake is on.
3. Using a Jack Linebacker as the safety valve is about as bad an option as any imaginable. The old addage held true, if you can't catch, you play linebacker.
AJ also showed 2 times on special teams that he gets rattled quick. He was in such a hurry to get rid of the ball that he just needed to wait about 2 more seconds and Underwood would have been angled and separated enough to put it over his shoulder for a 1st down at least. The missed EXP was really on him. If the snap hits your hands, it is yours to bring down and plant, it doesn't really matter if it is high, low, right or left of target, if it doesn't hit the ground first, its on the holder to put it laces out. Laces out DAN.
The snapper isn't without fault though. His snaps have been earth diggers all season and Bama will have a punt blocked due to the timing delays from the snaps before the year ends. Maybe 3 or 4 at the rate it is going. The whole thing stinks.
Defensive Theories of Macro Proportional Ineptness
Despite the special teams blunders, and the offense having the sputters at times, the loss really falls on the defense. They had 2 stops the whole day. The safety and the interception were the only stops they made, and really the defense didn't cause the safety. As a whole, if any defensive decision maker thinks that the best way to protect this team is to cover it, they've only assured themselves of an 8 or 9 win season. This team has to be ready to play a lot more man with the corners and prepare to put more than 3 or 4 men on the rush against the meat of the SEC schedule. They can't zone out Ole Miss, and UGA proved that UT is just one blitz away from disaster, LSU same thing, and Auburn same thing. You must be ready to give up the big play once or twice to get 5 or 6 bigger plays. They just aren't good enough to play the amount of cover they do. That isn't a player issue, or a talent issue, it is a coaching realization issue. They also really really need to think about how this team's packages are going to be used. They got caught more than once trying to late sub and Spurrier caught them each time. That is just a sign of lack of preparation on the coaching staff's part. They need to find the best 11 potentially and grow with them and do the things that they do well and be ready for the parts they don't do well. Of course, if the offense can run the ball and keep the defense off the field, this kinda lessens the concern.....
October 3, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Florida
The best part of Saturday's game was that the team came out and executed a business as usual ass kicking. It wasn't hyped up or emotional, it was controlled, physical, and methodical. With that said, this will be a longer GBU because there is a good bit to talk bout with the game and around the SEC. So, for those who hate long posts, this was the warning....
OFFENSE
The Good...
First half game plan
As you know if you read old posts on here, I often get irritated by the game plan that Bama goes with at times because it is often too cute and sometimes has issues with consistency. This week's 1st half game plan was really really well thought out and did a great job of keeping Florida's defense back peddling. They didn't execute perfectly, but they did score at will early on and each play lead to a future play. There was great balance and good execution as they scored on all of their first 4 drives of the game.
Amazing play
The one thing I often wanted to see when Bama went to the "Wildcat" was a pass. After 18 games of it, it finally came on the 19th tried. Maze has a ton of talent and has matured a lot from the Sugar Bowl to now, and I really wish they would get him more involved in the game plan because he's got the ability to make big plays every time he gets the ball. The thing that now happens with Maze's pass to Williams is that it will make defenses finally back off the line. Florida was stacking 8 and 9 when Bama went cat Saturday, and they did on that play and they even released Williams selling out on the run. It was also nice to see them continue to incorporate Williams and Dial into the offense.
Combined rushing effort...
Ingram and Richardson had ok nights individually as Mark had the TDs and TR had the yards, but together they had a very nice night with 22 carries for over 100 yards and 2 scores. The Gators spent a lot of time making sure they weren't going to be posterized by Ingram the way they were 10 months ago. Instead they let Richardson do it with some of his big runs. The shotgun off tackle play was a great execution on Florida's nickel formation and Richardson hit the 2nd gear and flipped the field. Ingram's first TD was a great effort by Fluker and Dial and Ingram to have the patience to let everything happen. I see so many running backs rush the lane and try to create before the moment is there when I watch games on Saturdays, and to see Ingram just let the play happen even with the game playing as fast as it does, he slows it down and makes a 4 yard play into an 8 or more play with ease.
McElroy leads the way
I'll be honest. I am getting pretty damn tired of reading threads and opinions about how "poorly" McElroy is playing. Perhaps I missed the game those folks saw???? He didn't have a great 2nd half, but he didn't turn it over, he kept the offense out of trouble, and for all his flaws that some can point to, there are 2 things he'll bring that nobody in America can: First, he is just a winner. Second, he is so smart and such a coach in the huddle, it is rare that he makes mistakes and when it does occur, they don't kill the team the way most QBs do. Saturday, that was the status quo. He plays to his strengths and the game plan was simple. They were going to play short on the passes and make quick passes to keep the pressure on Florida and not the OL or McElroy. His first 3 drives were very nice drives, and he moved the offense up and down the field with very few glitches. As a whole, he played well, hit the passes he needed to, got rid of it when he needed to, scrambled and made things happen (Florida got frustrated each time he made a dash for it and made a first down). I get it that folks want the QB to throw for 200 plus and have 3 TDs and all the ESPN fantasy football stats, but with Ingram and Richardson and the style that this OL has, that's not who they really are going to be this year. He can do it, but they don't have to ask him to do it because they have great weapons that are safe options in Saban's mind.
The Bad...
Too tight playcalling in the 2nd half....
I was disappointed that they took the foot off the gas at the half. I thought when Saban started talking about 60 minutes and such, they would keep pushing the gas and control the time of possession. Instead, they got tight and didn't do much of anything the rest of the night. The best plays that occurred for the offense were off McElroy's hustle. In fact, the only 10 plus yard plays Bama had were McElroy runs. That's not what anyone wants to see because those are guaranteed busted plays or poor plays. Some will fuss because they wanna talk about the complete win. This wasn't a complete win. This was a 30 minute win and 30 minute go through the motions.
The Ugly...
The return of Julio Drops...
Fans want Jones to be the best in the SEC and you can go out on the Internets and find a thread here there and yonder that argues that. Saturday was not that day for those proponents. He had two or 3 plays where he just flat dropped passes he has to catch and the rest of the night he let Florida's corner just shut him down. Here's the part where the proponents wanna say the knee. Bullshit, he just flat got beat back again. Julio will get a 1st round pick because he's freakishly talented, but he needs to start showing the concentration and capacity to make plays consistently before he even deserves "best" monikers. Right now, I wouldn't put him as best on the team. Hanks probably is their best through 5 games. Argue away there....
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Funny how pressure makes them look better
When Bama plays man and plays with a mix of blitz and pressure packages, they look like a different team than the team that hee hawed through the first 3 and a half games. This defense isn't going to be as good as last year's, but they can win 14 games too. Bama is starting to get full speed finally with Upshaw and Dareus getting close to healthy, and Nico and Square's emergence have helped round the defense out. Hightower looked a lot more like the Hightower of old because he wasn't having to bark plays and get everyone in position. Nico made probably the key play of the game on 4th and goal because he is more comfortable in the Mike position getting folks in position and looking for tips on the play pre-snap. As a result, Bama could go with Square/Murphy/Chapman/Gentry and Dareus in the middle and putting Upshaw and Hightower/Stinson at the ends. These down four created a lot of pressure and kept Brantley uncomfortable all night.
Great efforts
I thought this was Upshaw's best game of his career. He played with purpose and looked like the guy that fans have imagined. Dareus looks much more comfortable playing inside than he does at rush end, and played inside most of the night. Dre Kirkpatrick also had his best night yet. He had been abused by Arkansas for most of the game, but he returned the favor for the most part Saturday. Even when he gave up a reception, he was on the guy like velcro. Chavis Williams in limited duty had a very nice night on his assignments. His contribution on 4th and goal won't get a lot of mention, but he cut the primary option off on the jump pass and as a result when Burton jumped, he only had 1 play, and it wasn't the right one because Williams had shut him down.
CJ Mosley again is gonna be the next Rolo
Honestly, he's probably gonna be better than McClain if he keeps playing and learning. The thing about Mosley that tells me he's gonna be great isn't that he scored a TD or that he gets x number of tackles, it is that he's always in the right position to make plays. His instincts to the play are just special and it isn't something that can be coached, he's gonna be a coach on the field eventually. I was really surprised that he didn't really play much, if at all, against ARK, but the staff recognized they needed more of him out there so that they can do more of the things with Hightower, Johnson, Dareus, and others.
Great job by specialists
Short of the 1st punt of the night for Bama that was a sorry snap that resulted in a shank, the special teams played pretty well. Jones had a tough night as a WR, but his 41 yard return shocked the Gators who probably had not given up 41 yards in the last 2 years on punt returns. Shelley continues to be money in his range and Foster got his kickoff leg back in line after 3 weeks of Wild Thingesque play. Overall, the special teams got the job done and kept Florida from having anything to work with short of the 3 points they helped with.
The Bad...
Too much junk given up
While in the 1st half, they pretty much shut down Florida's offense after the 1st series, the second half was not as productive. When you are on D, you have kinda a hierarchy of objectives. You wanna create turnovers or get off the field fast and get your O back on the field. Then it drills down to keeping the yards allowed low, not flipping the field, etc. Bama did the 1st a few times, but the second didn't happen. Bama only created 2 short 3 and outs after the half. They also let Florida chew up clock and yards. Bama only had 5 snaps in the 3rd Qtr. and 15 in the 2nd half. Now, that is on the O more than the D, but they did let Florida have 38 snaps in the 2nd half and 21 minutes on the field. It didn't catch up with Bama and it didn't hurt them on the scoreboard thanks to turnovers and red zone miscues on Florida's part, but you don't wanna live that way much.
The other thing that happened too much was Bama went zone or blitzed a corner and nobody covered once the corner released or blitzed. There were 3 or 4 times where that happened and it just kept Florida on the field and feeling like they had a chance. The 1st play of the second half and the 2nd down from the 4 yard line were both situations where that happened. The 2nd down play probably bothers me more because when you have gotten a punt downed at the 1, you don't let them loose like that. You just don't.
It's Millner time.....sure ain't the high life....
He's young and the potential is there, but geez he's gotta start playing right eventually. The holding penalty was silly and was a case where he panicked before he should have. They tried blitzing him and the guard just swatted him like a bug. Now, you are saying "yeah he's a lineman and Millner is a DB", yeah, but if he blitzes from the proper angle, he has a safety. He took a straight b line to the QB instead of executing the right angle and getting from Brantley's backside. If he had gotten to him, it would have been a highlight reel moment decleater probably, but they are rare in occurance because of what happened. I don't mind the pass interference as much because it beats giving up a TD. The Gators picked on him a good bit in the 2nd half, and he best get used to it until he proves to opposing OC's that he isn't the easy target.
The Ugly...NONE
Random Thoughts...
Fourth and Stupid strikes again....well almost....
Les Miles continues to live dangerously and if they had lost, you can bet the Bayou would have started sharpening pitchforks and lighting torches. As is, he survives another week til Florida gets them. While this year's Florida team is not a title contender team, they can beat the snot out of a severe underachiever in LSU. That's really the part that amazes me. They have plenty of talent and plenty of depth, short of QB thanks to the freshman going to the MLB. What they don't have is heart. Everything is a struggle, and everything is confused and unscripted. It is like a bad dinner theatre every Saturday for LSU and that won't fly long with their fans.
With that said, Derek Dooley is a bigger idiot today. You have your goal line D out there, you don't have to sub just cause LSU does. How they get 14 players on the field is beyond me. That's just poor coaching and to out poor coach Miles says something. They had the game won, but the coaches lost it. LSU made a poor move in sending a corpse cold QB out there and ran an option play that was stuffed. LSU panicked and ran out a new set of players and couldn't get set. Hebert had to quick snap and it went to the 30. All stupid on their part minus the center who did the right thing by snapping the ball to make sure they got the play off. However, because UT and the staff were lost in the moment or whatever, they bailed out the Hat again.
Of course, the Vol fans begin their annual recital of the NCAA rule book and bend it worse than a DC Politician. They wanna talk about the officals not letting them get set. Hell, they had 25 seconds and didn't get their guys out there right. How long are they supposed to have? The clock can't run either, I don't think, if the official is over the ball. Two, all the crap about slinging helmets is getting old. If you get a chance to watch the last play again, UT's players slung helmets when they thought they won, plus they were on the field before the play ended....all things the janitor fans missed.....They should take time to pray and give thanks, they could be
The Dawg Nation and their Delusional Drive to Dominance.....
Living here in the midst of Jawga fuuutbawwwwl, I can tell you that Dawgvent is a nice cross sample of how bizzare and lost the GA fans are now a days. The bottom line with the Bulldogs is that they have quit listening to Richt and he's not doing much about it. For those of you who have not paid a lot of mind to them, and rightfully so if you didn't, in the mind of UGA fans the first 3 losses really didn't count because AJ Green didn't play. I guess they are PS3 or XBox people and that whoopin MSU gave them didn't happen. Colorado was where they were gonna turn things around. Oops. Also, they will tell you that their D isn't that bad, it is just that AJ Green hasn't played. I guess he plays DB too and linebacker. Also, the coaching is getting used to the new QB and the 3-4 because AJ Green hasn't played. You get the hint.
Well, now the fans are about where we (the Bama fans) were 3 years ago and 7 years ago. They are starting to divide amongst the loyalist and those who see this turd won't float much longer and it is time to flush. Sound familiar? Looks familiar to that futile 6 and 6 team that didn't show up for Auburn 3 out of 4 years and lost to anyone directional. Feels like those teams that quit on the staff time and time again. The Dawgventers are having grand visions for the future though. The only coaches they haven't tied to the job, that isn't open yet, are Bryant, Rockne, and Landry. They are vastly convinced that Kirby Smart will jump on their opening and is on top of this situation already. More on that soon. If they can't get him because AJ Green hasn't played, Jim Harbaugh will surely leave Stanford for a lesser educational outpost. I can say that, I have a certification from UGA. It ain't Stanford educationally, athletically, and is less of a campus. Now, if either of them aren't up to the challenge, well, Jon Gruden could come because he wants in. Or Muschamp will balk at the millions he'll make and a sure fire job that waits for him at Texas for UGA. Keep in mind, they have never been big on finding big name coaches and botched Dooley's replacement moment by letting Erk Russell go to GA Southern in a snit.
So what happened? Well, this goes back a ways for UGA. When VanGorter (sp?) left for the NFL and other stops, so went the spine that Richt used. The UGA fans and staff are way too loyal to their coaches in a way that makes Shula and Croom look like they have a quick hook. They didn't want to make moves on some of their coaches that weren't SEC caliber like Willy Martinez until it was way too late. So, when they signed Grantham, there was this false optimism that came through the UGA nation. I told UGA fans it took Bama a year and a heck of a recruiting job to get the 3-4 working. Pish posh, this is UGA, they know next year is their year every year. Well, Richt is saintly and a great guy, blah blah blah, so much so that those silly 2 a days that never did nothing for nobody because AJ Green hasn't played, and now here we are. UGA is soft, has 0 drive, 0 leadership, and 0 hope because they skipped 2 a days, and skipped making tough staffing choices in 2005-8. Richt and the Dawgs are gonna be hard pressed to win 5 games right now. They have Vandy and Idaho St as probably wins, but the rest are teams that are either just better, or can run the ball and UGA can't handle the run because AJ Green...ok I now have over used that.
Don't feel bad for them Jawga fuuuutbawwwwl fans, they think they are better than you. Just ask em, Saban is that 4 million dollar jerk who yells and screams at people and is mean to folks on TV. They don't want that. They want a nice guy. That's why they never win. Nice guys suck in football. Visa vi, Georgia sucks.
Ever wonder why ClemPson and Old Piss suck?
Well, they staffed up with every Shula loser and former Bama staff dud you ever saw. Uncle Charlie Harbison................................................................................................................................ok, I edited the long cussing rant about that joke. He's there. Danny Pearman is there, he still can't coach. Brad Scott, who didn't coach on Dubose or Shula's bad staffs, but can ruin a steel ball is there too. Lots of junk on their staff, and when you watch them lose to Auburn the way they did, and lose horribly to the U, it is because they are infected with loser coaches.
Dave Rader is trying to ruin Masoli over in Oxford. Just ask JPW how great it was to get turned around sideways by the insurance salesman. Croyle is still wondering why he plateued after his sophomore year. That staff is full of duds, and they're ruining a guy that I thought was a great young coach in Tyrone Nix. It is what it is, and Houston Nutt is on life support with a staff of losers too.
BCS troubles ahead
Bama's schedule isn't easy. It will be a real testimony of Cochran's 4th Quarter work if they go 12 and 0 again, and to the grit of the players too. If they do, they will join a host of potentials out there that could or will. Boise State more than likely will. Utah and TCU have a date with undefeated again. The winner of that game is going to the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon has pitfalls but they control their destiny. They should be the favorite the rest of the way against Oregon State, UCLA, and USCal. Ohio State controls their destiny, but look like the typical Big 10 team. November will make or break them as they get PSU and Miiiiiichigan at home and go to Iowa. Circle that one. Boise has nothing on their schedule that should be an issue, after all, Fresno is supposed to be a game for them and Ole Miss pimp slapped them. What happens if Nevada beats Boise? Do they go to the BCS bowls like the others have? They have just as good a resume as Boise, Utah, and TCU. As you know, I hate the BCS because it leaves too much error to be made as fact. Bama, Oregon, and Ohio State all could be undefeated and then you have screaming over who should be where. Bama if they win out, they're in, no worries there.
However, what happens if Bama slips but still wins the conference? How can anyone say they aren't better than Ohio State? OSU has yet to play anyone worth mentioning. Miami isn't that special, and I gotta hunch FSU will expose them. Oregon probably is legit as the number 2 team out there in the BCS as is. But, the what ifs are gonna be a problem this fall, I can see that already unless there are some major letdowns ahead.
Looking ahead to USCar
This is the game that has worried me all summer and fall. Lattimore is a really good player and has a great future ahead of him. He's given Spurrier balance in their offense and with their WR core being as physical and tall as they are, they are gonna be trouble. However, if Garcia chokes again, Spurrier will yank him, and throw in a green QB that needs seasoning before he plays a Bama type team. However, as you remember last year, Spurrier can coach against Saban and throw wrinkles that frustrated a veteran D, he can do that and then some to a young but growing D. On the other side, USCar's D isn't anything to sneeze at. You can run on them, Cam Newton is still lumbering on them in their minds. Ingram and Richardson will have to have big nights and silence the crowd early. Colombia is a tough place to play typically too. They will be a louder and more distracting and disorienting crowd than Arkansas was. They also will come after Bama harder than Arkansas did because they can run and can play good D.
I hope to see Bama continue to dial up the heat and not try to protect the secondary so much. I hope to see Bama get Ingram and Richardson going early and get down hill fast like they have most of the year. They will need to get better play from the WRs and safeties than what they got this week, but I don't think the D will have to stretch and play so many assignments this time. I worry about this game because the let down factors are there with a young team, and Spurrier has got the week off and home field advantage for him. However, I can see Bama establishing a tone and controlling this game to a point where folks start talking bout the Iron Bowl being the real SEC Championship too.
OFFENSE
The Good...
First half game plan
As you know if you read old posts on here, I often get irritated by the game plan that Bama goes with at times because it is often too cute and sometimes has issues with consistency. This week's 1st half game plan was really really well thought out and did a great job of keeping Florida's defense back peddling. They didn't execute perfectly, but they did score at will early on and each play lead to a future play. There was great balance and good execution as they scored on all of their first 4 drives of the game.
Amazing play
The one thing I often wanted to see when Bama went to the "Wildcat" was a pass. After 18 games of it, it finally came on the 19th tried. Maze has a ton of talent and has matured a lot from the Sugar Bowl to now, and I really wish they would get him more involved in the game plan because he's got the ability to make big plays every time he gets the ball. The thing that now happens with Maze's pass to Williams is that it will make defenses finally back off the line. Florida was stacking 8 and 9 when Bama went cat Saturday, and they did on that play and they even released Williams selling out on the run. It was also nice to see them continue to incorporate Williams and Dial into the offense.
Combined rushing effort...
Ingram and Richardson had ok nights individually as Mark had the TDs and TR had the yards, but together they had a very nice night with 22 carries for over 100 yards and 2 scores. The Gators spent a lot of time making sure they weren't going to be posterized by Ingram the way they were 10 months ago. Instead they let Richardson do it with some of his big runs. The shotgun off tackle play was a great execution on Florida's nickel formation and Richardson hit the 2nd gear and flipped the field. Ingram's first TD was a great effort by Fluker and Dial and Ingram to have the patience to let everything happen. I see so many running backs rush the lane and try to create before the moment is there when I watch games on Saturdays, and to see Ingram just let the play happen even with the game playing as fast as it does, he slows it down and makes a 4 yard play into an 8 or more play with ease.
McElroy leads the way
I'll be honest. I am getting pretty damn tired of reading threads and opinions about how "poorly" McElroy is playing. Perhaps I missed the game those folks saw???? He didn't have a great 2nd half, but he didn't turn it over, he kept the offense out of trouble, and for all his flaws that some can point to, there are 2 things he'll bring that nobody in America can: First, he is just a winner. Second, he is so smart and such a coach in the huddle, it is rare that he makes mistakes and when it does occur, they don't kill the team the way most QBs do. Saturday, that was the status quo. He plays to his strengths and the game plan was simple. They were going to play short on the passes and make quick passes to keep the pressure on Florida and not the OL or McElroy. His first 3 drives were very nice drives, and he moved the offense up and down the field with very few glitches. As a whole, he played well, hit the passes he needed to, got rid of it when he needed to, scrambled and made things happen (Florida got frustrated each time he made a dash for it and made a first down). I get it that folks want the QB to throw for 200 plus and have 3 TDs and all the ESPN fantasy football stats, but with Ingram and Richardson and the style that this OL has, that's not who they really are going to be this year. He can do it, but they don't have to ask him to do it because they have great weapons that are safe options in Saban's mind.
The Bad...
Too tight playcalling in the 2nd half....
I was disappointed that they took the foot off the gas at the half. I thought when Saban started talking about 60 minutes and such, they would keep pushing the gas and control the time of possession. Instead, they got tight and didn't do much of anything the rest of the night. The best plays that occurred for the offense were off McElroy's hustle. In fact, the only 10 plus yard plays Bama had were McElroy runs. That's not what anyone wants to see because those are guaranteed busted plays or poor plays. Some will fuss because they wanna talk about the complete win. This wasn't a complete win. This was a 30 minute win and 30 minute go through the motions.
The Ugly...
The return of Julio Drops...
Fans want Jones to be the best in the SEC and you can go out on the Internets and find a thread here there and yonder that argues that. Saturday was not that day for those proponents. He had two or 3 plays where he just flat dropped passes he has to catch and the rest of the night he let Florida's corner just shut him down. Here's the part where the proponents wanna say the knee. Bullshit, he just flat got beat back again. Julio will get a 1st round pick because he's freakishly talented, but he needs to start showing the concentration and capacity to make plays consistently before he even deserves "best" monikers. Right now, I wouldn't put him as best on the team. Hanks probably is their best through 5 games. Argue away there....
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
Funny how pressure makes them look better
When Bama plays man and plays with a mix of blitz and pressure packages, they look like a different team than the team that hee hawed through the first 3 and a half games. This defense isn't going to be as good as last year's, but they can win 14 games too. Bama is starting to get full speed finally with Upshaw and Dareus getting close to healthy, and Nico and Square's emergence have helped round the defense out. Hightower looked a lot more like the Hightower of old because he wasn't having to bark plays and get everyone in position. Nico made probably the key play of the game on 4th and goal because he is more comfortable in the Mike position getting folks in position and looking for tips on the play pre-snap. As a result, Bama could go with Square/Murphy/Chapman/Gentry and Dareus in the middle and putting Upshaw and Hightower/Stinson at the ends. These down four created a lot of pressure and kept Brantley uncomfortable all night.
Great efforts
I thought this was Upshaw's best game of his career. He played with purpose and looked like the guy that fans have imagined. Dareus looks much more comfortable playing inside than he does at rush end, and played inside most of the night. Dre Kirkpatrick also had his best night yet. He had been abused by Arkansas for most of the game, but he returned the favor for the most part Saturday. Even when he gave up a reception, he was on the guy like velcro. Chavis Williams in limited duty had a very nice night on his assignments. His contribution on 4th and goal won't get a lot of mention, but he cut the primary option off on the jump pass and as a result when Burton jumped, he only had 1 play, and it wasn't the right one because Williams had shut him down.
CJ Mosley again is gonna be the next Rolo
Honestly, he's probably gonna be better than McClain if he keeps playing and learning. The thing about Mosley that tells me he's gonna be great isn't that he scored a TD or that he gets x number of tackles, it is that he's always in the right position to make plays. His instincts to the play are just special and it isn't something that can be coached, he's gonna be a coach on the field eventually. I was really surprised that he didn't really play much, if at all, against ARK, but the staff recognized they needed more of him out there so that they can do more of the things with Hightower, Johnson, Dareus, and others.
Great job by specialists
Short of the 1st punt of the night for Bama that was a sorry snap that resulted in a shank, the special teams played pretty well. Jones had a tough night as a WR, but his 41 yard return shocked the Gators who probably had not given up 41 yards in the last 2 years on punt returns. Shelley continues to be money in his range and Foster got his kickoff leg back in line after 3 weeks of Wild Thingesque play. Overall, the special teams got the job done and kept Florida from having anything to work with short of the 3 points they helped with.
The Bad...
Too much junk given up
While in the 1st half, they pretty much shut down Florida's offense after the 1st series, the second half was not as productive. When you are on D, you have kinda a hierarchy of objectives. You wanna create turnovers or get off the field fast and get your O back on the field. Then it drills down to keeping the yards allowed low, not flipping the field, etc. Bama did the 1st a few times, but the second didn't happen. Bama only created 2 short 3 and outs after the half. They also let Florida chew up clock and yards. Bama only had 5 snaps in the 3rd Qtr. and 15 in the 2nd half. Now, that is on the O more than the D, but they did let Florida have 38 snaps in the 2nd half and 21 minutes on the field. It didn't catch up with Bama and it didn't hurt them on the scoreboard thanks to turnovers and red zone miscues on Florida's part, but you don't wanna live that way much.
The other thing that happened too much was Bama went zone or blitzed a corner and nobody covered once the corner released or blitzed. There were 3 or 4 times where that happened and it just kept Florida on the field and feeling like they had a chance. The 1st play of the second half and the 2nd down from the 4 yard line were both situations where that happened. The 2nd down play probably bothers me more because when you have gotten a punt downed at the 1, you don't let them loose like that. You just don't.
It's Millner time.....sure ain't the high life....
He's young and the potential is there, but geez he's gotta start playing right eventually. The holding penalty was silly and was a case where he panicked before he should have. They tried blitzing him and the guard just swatted him like a bug. Now, you are saying "yeah he's a lineman and Millner is a DB", yeah, but if he blitzes from the proper angle, he has a safety. He took a straight b line to the QB instead of executing the right angle and getting from Brantley's backside. If he had gotten to him, it would have been a highlight reel moment decleater probably, but they are rare in occurance because of what happened. I don't mind the pass interference as much because it beats giving up a TD. The Gators picked on him a good bit in the 2nd half, and he best get used to it until he proves to opposing OC's that he isn't the easy target.
The Ugly...NONE
Random Thoughts...
Fourth and Stupid strikes again....well almost....
Les Miles continues to live dangerously and if they had lost, you can bet the Bayou would have started sharpening pitchforks and lighting torches. As is, he survives another week til Florida gets them. While this year's Florida team is not a title contender team, they can beat the snot out of a severe underachiever in LSU. That's really the part that amazes me. They have plenty of talent and plenty of depth, short of QB thanks to the freshman going to the MLB. What they don't have is heart. Everything is a struggle, and everything is confused and unscripted. It is like a bad dinner theatre every Saturday for LSU and that won't fly long with their fans.
With that said, Derek Dooley is a bigger idiot today. You have your goal line D out there, you don't have to sub just cause LSU does. How they get 14 players on the field is beyond me. That's just poor coaching and to out poor coach Miles says something. They had the game won, but the coaches lost it. LSU made a poor move in sending a corpse cold QB out there and ran an option play that was stuffed. LSU panicked and ran out a new set of players and couldn't get set. Hebert had to quick snap and it went to the 30. All stupid on their part minus the center who did the right thing by snapping the ball to make sure they got the play off. However, because UT and the staff were lost in the moment or whatever, they bailed out the Hat again.
Of course, the Vol fans begin their annual recital of the NCAA rule book and bend it worse than a DC Politician. They wanna talk about the officals not letting them get set. Hell, they had 25 seconds and didn't get their guys out there right. How long are they supposed to have? The clock can't run either, I don't think, if the official is over the ball. Two, all the crap about slinging helmets is getting old. If you get a chance to watch the last play again, UT's players slung helmets when they thought they won, plus they were on the field before the play ended....all things the janitor fans missed.....They should take time to pray and give thanks, they could be
The Dawg Nation and their Delusional Drive to Dominance.....
Living here in the midst of Jawga fuuutbawwwwl, I can tell you that Dawgvent is a nice cross sample of how bizzare and lost the GA fans are now a days. The bottom line with the Bulldogs is that they have quit listening to Richt and he's not doing much about it. For those of you who have not paid a lot of mind to them, and rightfully so if you didn't, in the mind of UGA fans the first 3 losses really didn't count because AJ Green didn't play. I guess they are PS3 or XBox people and that whoopin MSU gave them didn't happen. Colorado was where they were gonna turn things around. Oops. Also, they will tell you that their D isn't that bad, it is just that AJ Green hasn't played. I guess he plays DB too and linebacker. Also, the coaching is getting used to the new QB and the 3-4 because AJ Green hasn't played. You get the hint.
Well, now the fans are about where we (the Bama fans) were 3 years ago and 7 years ago. They are starting to divide amongst the loyalist and those who see this turd won't float much longer and it is time to flush. Sound familiar? Looks familiar to that futile 6 and 6 team that didn't show up for Auburn 3 out of 4 years and lost to anyone directional. Feels like those teams that quit on the staff time and time again. The Dawgventers are having grand visions for the future though. The only coaches they haven't tied to the job, that isn't open yet, are Bryant, Rockne, and Landry. They are vastly convinced that Kirby Smart will jump on their opening and is on top of this situation already. More on that soon. If they can't get him because AJ Green hasn't played, Jim Harbaugh will surely leave Stanford for a lesser educational outpost. I can say that, I have a certification from UGA. It ain't Stanford educationally, athletically, and is less of a campus. Now, if either of them aren't up to the challenge, well, Jon Gruden could come because he wants in. Or Muschamp will balk at the millions he'll make and a sure fire job that waits for him at Texas for UGA. Keep in mind, they have never been big on finding big name coaches and botched Dooley's replacement moment by letting Erk Russell go to GA Southern in a snit.
So what happened? Well, this goes back a ways for UGA. When VanGorter (sp?) left for the NFL and other stops, so went the spine that Richt used. The UGA fans and staff are way too loyal to their coaches in a way that makes Shula and Croom look like they have a quick hook. They didn't want to make moves on some of their coaches that weren't SEC caliber like Willy Martinez until it was way too late. So, when they signed Grantham, there was this false optimism that came through the UGA nation. I told UGA fans it took Bama a year and a heck of a recruiting job to get the 3-4 working. Pish posh, this is UGA, they know next year is their year every year. Well, Richt is saintly and a great guy, blah blah blah, so much so that those silly 2 a days that never did nothing for nobody because AJ Green hasn't played, and now here we are. UGA is soft, has 0 drive, 0 leadership, and 0 hope because they skipped 2 a days, and skipped making tough staffing choices in 2005-8. Richt and the Dawgs are gonna be hard pressed to win 5 games right now. They have Vandy and Idaho St as probably wins, but the rest are teams that are either just better, or can run the ball and UGA can't handle the run because AJ Green...ok I now have over used that.
Don't feel bad for them Jawga fuuuutbawwwwl fans, they think they are better than you. Just ask em, Saban is that 4 million dollar jerk who yells and screams at people and is mean to folks on TV. They don't want that. They want a nice guy. That's why they never win. Nice guys suck in football. Visa vi, Georgia sucks.
Ever wonder why ClemPson and Old Piss suck?
Well, they staffed up with every Shula loser and former Bama staff dud you ever saw. Uncle Charlie Harbison................................................................................................................................ok, I edited the long cussing rant about that joke. He's there. Danny Pearman is there, he still can't coach. Brad Scott, who didn't coach on Dubose or Shula's bad staffs, but can ruin a steel ball is there too. Lots of junk on their staff, and when you watch them lose to Auburn the way they did, and lose horribly to the U, it is because they are infected with loser coaches.
Dave Rader is trying to ruin Masoli over in Oxford. Just ask JPW how great it was to get turned around sideways by the insurance salesman. Croyle is still wondering why he plateued after his sophomore year. That staff is full of duds, and they're ruining a guy that I thought was a great young coach in Tyrone Nix. It is what it is, and Houston Nutt is on life support with a staff of losers too.
BCS troubles ahead
Bama's schedule isn't easy. It will be a real testimony of Cochran's 4th Quarter work if they go 12 and 0 again, and to the grit of the players too. If they do, they will join a host of potentials out there that could or will. Boise State more than likely will. Utah and TCU have a date with undefeated again. The winner of that game is going to the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon has pitfalls but they control their destiny. They should be the favorite the rest of the way against Oregon State, UCLA, and USCal. Ohio State controls their destiny, but look like the typical Big 10 team. November will make or break them as they get PSU and Miiiiiichigan at home and go to Iowa. Circle that one. Boise has nothing on their schedule that should be an issue, after all, Fresno is supposed to be a game for them and Ole Miss pimp slapped them. What happens if Nevada beats Boise? Do they go to the BCS bowls like the others have? They have just as good a resume as Boise, Utah, and TCU. As you know, I hate the BCS because it leaves too much error to be made as fact. Bama, Oregon, and Ohio State all could be undefeated and then you have screaming over who should be where. Bama if they win out, they're in, no worries there.
However, what happens if Bama slips but still wins the conference? How can anyone say they aren't better than Ohio State? OSU has yet to play anyone worth mentioning. Miami isn't that special, and I gotta hunch FSU will expose them. Oregon probably is legit as the number 2 team out there in the BCS as is. But, the what ifs are gonna be a problem this fall, I can see that already unless there are some major letdowns ahead.
Looking ahead to USCar
This is the game that has worried me all summer and fall. Lattimore is a really good player and has a great future ahead of him. He's given Spurrier balance in their offense and with their WR core being as physical and tall as they are, they are gonna be trouble. However, if Garcia chokes again, Spurrier will yank him, and throw in a green QB that needs seasoning before he plays a Bama type team. However, as you remember last year, Spurrier can coach against Saban and throw wrinkles that frustrated a veteran D, he can do that and then some to a young but growing D. On the other side, USCar's D isn't anything to sneeze at. You can run on them, Cam Newton is still lumbering on them in their minds. Ingram and Richardson will have to have big nights and silence the crowd early. Colombia is a tough place to play typically too. They will be a louder and more distracting and disorienting crowd than Arkansas was. They also will come after Bama harder than Arkansas did because they can run and can play good D.
I hope to see Bama continue to dial up the heat and not try to protect the secondary so much. I hope to see Bama get Ingram and Richardson going early and get down hill fast like they have most of the year. They will need to get better play from the WRs and safeties than what they got this week, but I don't think the D will have to stretch and play so many assignments this time. I worry about this game because the let down factors are there with a young team, and Spurrier has got the week off and home field advantage for him. However, I can see Bama establishing a tone and controlling this game to a point where folks start talking bout the Iron Bowl being the real SEC Championship too.
September 26, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Arkansas
Ok, raise your hand if you knew all was well and Saban had a plan, and this game was in control. Now, for the rest of you who kept your hand down, you can donkey punch the liars who did. Really and honestly, this was a statement game for the Tide. They took a serious knockout quality punch and survived it.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Taking the air out of the ball and keeping Mallett on the sidelines
Bama's 15 play drive and 8 play drives in the 2nd half just iced Mallett and the Hawg O. Because they were successful in converting the drives into points, it put pressure on the Hawgs to respond. They didn't, and each time they didn't, Bama made them pay with another long drive that changed the tempo of the game from the horse race in the first half to a ground and pound brawl in the second.
Mark Ingram
Do I really have to say much more? What a difference he makes in this team. While Richardson is plenty good, he isn't the game changer and tone setter that Ingram is. The patience, the ability to cut and adjust to the defense, and the pure freak balance he possesses is amazing. He will easily be in the top 3 all time soon, and probably is the greatest that Bama has had.
Answering the bell
Bama was down 7-0 and looked rough. Ingram makes 2 cuts on an inside trap/counter and is off to the races. He put a stiff arm on the same guy twice, which is rare and good job by the Hawg defender to keep up on the play, and tight ropes to the endzone to give the Tide a chance to reset the game and start over. This would be a common theme it seemed like. Each time Arkansas did something, Ingram was counter punching the momentum back.
McElroy is just clutch
Yes, there is a lot of discussion below about Greg's game, but in the end when the game counted most (4th quarter and 3rd downs) he was making plays. Bama was 8 of 14 on 3rd down as well as McElroy hit 75% of his passes in the 4th quarter (and was 9-13 in the 2nd half). Both were big for the Tide because they needed every bit of them to win this game. In the 3rd, the 2nd TD was a big play for both Greg and the offense. The screen is Greg's best pass play because he sells it so well he's NFL caliber, and he does a great job of sucking in defenders before he releases the ball. Lost in all the complaints about Greg, he lead the Tide to a score on all but one real drive in the 2nd half. The first drive stalled out and the last drive was the victory formation.
Trent Richardson's all purpose purpose....
Lost in all the hullabaloo, TR had a huge day. 85 yards rushing, 25 receiving and a TD, and 117 return yards equated to a very good day for Richardson. Congrats to him for making the best of his time and to the staff for finding ways to get him into the game and get the ball in his hands without taking Ingram out of the game so to speak. He even made about 2 tackles on special teams.
Getting the push when they needed it
The O line didn't exactly win the battle all day, but like McElroy, when they had to make it, they made it. The 4th and inches, the goal line surge for the winning TD, every first down gained by Ingram and Richardson, the o line was there making it happen.
The Bad...
Interception number 1
Geez, where to begin. There are about 3 villains in this crime. First criminal is McElroy. Greg knows better than to force a ball into the coverage, especially in the red zone. He saw a guy in the open, and Williams was for a split second open, but there isn't a QB on Bama's campus who could thread it there. Heck, only guys I know who could are Brees and Manning. The second villain is the OC. On 3rd and goal from the 4, calling a play with a stretch formation that doesn't have the primary read as a fade or slant is just not high percentage football. The 3rd villain is James Carpenter. Carpenter just let his guy loose and McElroy couldn't follow thru the way he wanted to. Regardless, the whole thing sucked.
Interception number 2
Bad play, bad play call, and bad effort in a lot of areas here. McElroy can hit that pass, but he held the ball too long. He did a poor job of looking off the safety to get Hanks separated from any interceptors or tacklers. If he looks off the safety, that is a TD and the game is changed from there. As is, Hanks didn't help him either by standing statuesque and watching it all go by, but that one is solely on McElroy.
15 first half runs....
I'm sure there will be some who balk at this, but 15 rushes was about 5 too few. Your play makers are Ingram and Richardson, right? Why not get them more involved and keep the offense moving downhill. McElroy was not having his best day, nor was the Tide pass protection, but the running backs were and the Tide run blocking was too. Sure the passes probably did help push the Arkansas D back some and made them respect the balance, but if Bama runs on 3rd and goal instead of throwing, what differences would we be talking about?
The Ugly...
Richardson runs for 50 yards but that was 3 too many
The thing that Richardson does that just irks me still is that he wants to hit players too much and loses sight of the bigger picture. On the last play of the 1st half, he makes a lot of great cuts, and had the Hawg D broken, but he lost his head and cost the team a chance at 3 points. Instead of cutting out of bounds with 2 seconds left, he cut back upfield and went for a guy to hit for no reason whatsoever. When they get in film study, he'll get chewed on about it. A 7 point deficit at the half would have be a whole different ball game.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
The hits finally kept coming....
Saban said at the half that he didn't like the pressure they were calling up at the half. I'd agree with that and then some. In the 2nd half, the Tide used its best 2 weapons against Mallett- their offense and the smoke screen blitzes. The blitzes and pressure packages were huge in the 4th quarter. He took a shot from Gentry that shook him, Hightower shot put him 15 yards and that got in his head, and then there were about 4 other shots that he took that changed the way the game was played. Before the pressure started to work, Mallett was just picking on Dre and the linebackers, afterwards, he was throwing junk and Dre and Lester were able to capitalize for 3 picks.
Hip to be Square
I thought Square had his best game of the year. Like Hightower, Menzie, Upshaw, did I miss any injured player(?), Square isn't 100%, but he's playing through it. Square just continued to get beyond his blocker and working through doubles to get to the ball and get into Mallett's line of sight.
Lester in coverage
Lester in man and against the run is well.....anyways, when he's playing cover 2 or any zone package, he's very good at reading the play through. His first pick of the day was a good read of Mallett's eyes. The second pick was a bad throw that he was there to clean up. Regardless of that, both were great plays on his part because Lowery wasn't going to make that catch. Lester is best in deep center field, and I would not be surprised to see them start doing more of that and less man and creeping him up to the box.
Second half adjustments
You know you will read the 1st half non-adjustments below, but in the 2nd half is a great example of how a great staff makes adjustments. Arkansas had the game in their court at the half. They didn't make any adjustments, and didn't adjust to Bama taking the air out of the ball. Bama used the offense to ice out the air attack and put pressure on them to answer. Each time Arkansas tried, Bama was throwing the sink at him. Why it didn't come from the opening kickoff? I dunno, but I'm just glad they did before the end. The best part was that it was not just one little thing Bama changed, it was about everything. They started dropping the safeties and bringing the linebackers. They started using more stunts at the line. They started using different player sets (Jordan was in a lot in the 4th, Hightower played Jack a lot). They sent pressure from Menzie and others that was disguised and confused Mallett.
Growing up under fire
Well, Penn State didn't exactly press this defense, nor did Duke. Arkansas threw a lot at the Tide and to be honest, they had Bama backpeddling, but in the end, when the game was in the balance, the secondary made the plays and broke Arkansas. Dre Kirkpatrick has a lot of room for improvement, yet is the best they have, but as the game wore on, his patience started to kick in, and he was showing that he was learning what veteran WRs were doing to him. Menzie played pretty well for the most part, but he got more involved as the game wore on. Millner....Barron started making more plays and quit releasing his guy for no reason.
Getting plays from special teams
Mandell and Shelley both had good games for their respective jobs. I was tighter than a virgin on prom night as Shelley lined up the FG in the 4th, but he went up and knocked it down like it was nothing. After 4 years of Tiffin's ups and downs, it was nice to see a kicker make a clutch kick against the Hogs on the road. Richardson, as mentioned, just kept making big plays off kickoffs and setting the offense up with good field position.
The Bad...
1st half gameplan
Whomever decided that the best plan for the defense was to play containment against a pass happy ARK team needs religion. I am guessing that they were trying to protect the young corners by giving them more help, but gosh almighty they only added fuel to the fire. The Tide as a whole are horrible in zone coverage this year. Kirkpatrick and Millner both made several bad reads or missed their zone assignment. Barron released before he should have on a few plays. The linebackers could not get in position at times and cover their zones. As a result, you saw a Tide defense give up 200 plus yards in about 17 minutes of football, and about 5 30 plus yard plays given up. 2 stats that you don't expect to see from a Nick Saban defense. Wanna bet they got the ducks shitting on the yard speech?
Tackling and the lack of
Bama's tackling has been off all year, but it was in full display Saturday. Wanna bet the Gators are amp'd for that? Saturday, the Tide overpursued often, didn't set their hips but set their feet and got flat footed often, and tried to make about 3 times the number of arm tackles that we saw last year. The answer to the why we see it more is 2 part: part one is youth, part two is discipline. The defense is young and lacks a lot of experience in these situations. They don't know how to get into position to make tackles like an Arenas or McClain did. They don't know how to read and react when playing zone and get into position. They don't know a lot of the things we got spoiled on, but it is fundamental football all the same and you expect a starter at this level to know those things when they get there.
The Ugly....
Two plays, 50 seconds, 7 points
Probably the worst opening to a game in the Saban era and the worst show of defense since Dubose was there. I hate seeing bad defense, and folks, that drive was just sorry defense. They did nothing right on the first play and they followed it up with another play that was worse than the first. The main issue that I saw was that there were multiple guys in the 2 plays that didn't know who or what their assignment was. Millner was man when he should have been zone, other guys released before they should have, Lester tried to get back in position but hesitated and got tracked by a less than stellar running back. On and on, I could go, but I won't.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
How red is Richt's ass?
Crimson would be light in comparison right now folks. The biggest sign that he's done is this: when they needed to win a game, the whole team and staff came to Starkville with no urgency or effort. They came in like they were a winning program and got Croomed (credit Cecil). Richt's era is pretty well over and now he has to win out to have a hope of staying. Good luck there. A loss to Colorado will pretty well have a meeting with the AD that he doesn't want. Houston Nutt probably is the first fired, but Richt's not far behind right now. UGA alumni are getting real impatient and starting to mumble about how the program is sliding down the pecking order fast. They are right. USCar, LSU, and others are passing them for good now.
Heisman Hype?
Ryan Mallett's hopes are now gone. He choked on national TV and he's done. Keenum is out for the year unfortunately. Pryor is racking up stats against the weakest schedule in America, but that's about to change. Same for Denard Robinson, who I would vote for if the vote was today, but the race is really down to 3 guys. Luck, Pryor, and Ingram. Luck gets his shot at primetime vs. Oregon this week. Ingram gets another national TV audition vs. UF. Pryor will rack stats up still as he gets a sorry Illini team, but he gets some tough tests down the road to show he's worthy. If Luck leads Stanford to the upset, he'll be hard to beat for the Heisman. Really, if that happens, and Pryor does what he seems to do each year (choke), he deserves it.
Boise is good, as is TCU, but neither deserve to be talked about in the BCS title scene
The good news here is that voters agree. Oregon jumped TCU after their big win. If they beat Stanford, they probably jump Boise. Boise has 2 quality wins vs. Tech and OSU, but their conference schedule is candy compared to the Big 10, Pac 10, and SEC. Really, the BCS fly in the ointment is Oregon not Boise. If they go end to end, and the Ohio State U wins out, and Bama/UF/LSU/AU wins out, what do you have then? A mess. Those 3 represenatives deserve the shot over either Cinderella.
Fans hopefully will calm down now
I wasn't able to post last week after changing jobs, and it will be tight for a while as to when I can get this in, but I did read a lotta bullshit from folks about how nobody could beat Bama. Um, folks, there are a lot of pitfalls out there. Yeah, UF has looked bad at times, but they looked sharp Saturday. The speed and defense can beat Bama. Yeah, USCar lost to that other school in the state, but they can win on any given Saturday, and that game is on the road. Yeah, LSU looks like a train wreck at times, but they keep winning. If they find magic in a bottle, they will be hard to stop. Talent isn't the Tiger's problem. Auburn is the real test in the end. Folks balked at them, and they scoffed at Herbie for insinuating such, but they have confidence. Beating USCar wasn't a fluke or just a win for them, UGA would give a nut to have that win right now. Yes, Auburn has to go on the road and play soon, but their Palmetto punchouts of ClemPson and USCar aren't sneezed at by me. Bama can win out, but they can lose a game too. Folks who keep hyping up the bullshit factor are only adding to the misery that can come.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Taking the air out of the ball and keeping Mallett on the sidelines
Bama's 15 play drive and 8 play drives in the 2nd half just iced Mallett and the Hawg O. Because they were successful in converting the drives into points, it put pressure on the Hawgs to respond. They didn't, and each time they didn't, Bama made them pay with another long drive that changed the tempo of the game from the horse race in the first half to a ground and pound brawl in the second.
Mark Ingram
Do I really have to say much more? What a difference he makes in this team. While Richardson is plenty good, he isn't the game changer and tone setter that Ingram is. The patience, the ability to cut and adjust to the defense, and the pure freak balance he possesses is amazing. He will easily be in the top 3 all time soon, and probably is the greatest that Bama has had.
Answering the bell
Bama was down 7-0 and looked rough. Ingram makes 2 cuts on an inside trap/counter and is off to the races. He put a stiff arm on the same guy twice, which is rare and good job by the Hawg defender to keep up on the play, and tight ropes to the endzone to give the Tide a chance to reset the game and start over. This would be a common theme it seemed like. Each time Arkansas did something, Ingram was counter punching the momentum back.
McElroy is just clutch
Yes, there is a lot of discussion below about Greg's game, but in the end when the game counted most (4th quarter and 3rd downs) he was making plays. Bama was 8 of 14 on 3rd down as well as McElroy hit 75% of his passes in the 4th quarter (and was 9-13 in the 2nd half). Both were big for the Tide because they needed every bit of them to win this game. In the 3rd, the 2nd TD was a big play for both Greg and the offense. The screen is Greg's best pass play because he sells it so well he's NFL caliber, and he does a great job of sucking in defenders before he releases the ball. Lost in all the complaints about Greg, he lead the Tide to a score on all but one real drive in the 2nd half. The first drive stalled out and the last drive was the victory formation.
Trent Richardson's all purpose purpose....
Lost in all the hullabaloo, TR had a huge day. 85 yards rushing, 25 receiving and a TD, and 117 return yards equated to a very good day for Richardson. Congrats to him for making the best of his time and to the staff for finding ways to get him into the game and get the ball in his hands without taking Ingram out of the game so to speak. He even made about 2 tackles on special teams.
Getting the push when they needed it
The O line didn't exactly win the battle all day, but like McElroy, when they had to make it, they made it. The 4th and inches, the goal line surge for the winning TD, every first down gained by Ingram and Richardson, the o line was there making it happen.
The Bad...
Interception number 1
Geez, where to begin. There are about 3 villains in this crime. First criminal is McElroy. Greg knows better than to force a ball into the coverage, especially in the red zone. He saw a guy in the open, and Williams was for a split second open, but there isn't a QB on Bama's campus who could thread it there. Heck, only guys I know who could are Brees and Manning. The second villain is the OC. On 3rd and goal from the 4, calling a play with a stretch formation that doesn't have the primary read as a fade or slant is just not high percentage football. The 3rd villain is James Carpenter. Carpenter just let his guy loose and McElroy couldn't follow thru the way he wanted to. Regardless, the whole thing sucked.
Interception number 2
Bad play, bad play call, and bad effort in a lot of areas here. McElroy can hit that pass, but he held the ball too long. He did a poor job of looking off the safety to get Hanks separated from any interceptors or tacklers. If he looks off the safety, that is a TD and the game is changed from there. As is, Hanks didn't help him either by standing statuesque and watching it all go by, but that one is solely on McElroy.
15 first half runs....
I'm sure there will be some who balk at this, but 15 rushes was about 5 too few. Your play makers are Ingram and Richardson, right? Why not get them more involved and keep the offense moving downhill. McElroy was not having his best day, nor was the Tide pass protection, but the running backs were and the Tide run blocking was too. Sure the passes probably did help push the Arkansas D back some and made them respect the balance, but if Bama runs on 3rd and goal instead of throwing, what differences would we be talking about?
The Ugly...
Richardson runs for 50 yards but that was 3 too many
The thing that Richardson does that just irks me still is that he wants to hit players too much and loses sight of the bigger picture. On the last play of the 1st half, he makes a lot of great cuts, and had the Hawg D broken, but he lost his head and cost the team a chance at 3 points. Instead of cutting out of bounds with 2 seconds left, he cut back upfield and went for a guy to hit for no reason whatsoever. When they get in film study, he'll get chewed on about it. A 7 point deficit at the half would have be a whole different ball game.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good...
The hits finally kept coming....
Saban said at the half that he didn't like the pressure they were calling up at the half. I'd agree with that and then some. In the 2nd half, the Tide used its best 2 weapons against Mallett- their offense and the smoke screen blitzes. The blitzes and pressure packages were huge in the 4th quarter. He took a shot from Gentry that shook him, Hightower shot put him 15 yards and that got in his head, and then there were about 4 other shots that he took that changed the way the game was played. Before the pressure started to work, Mallett was just picking on Dre and the linebackers, afterwards, he was throwing junk and Dre and Lester were able to capitalize for 3 picks.
Hip to be Square
I thought Square had his best game of the year. Like Hightower, Menzie, Upshaw, did I miss any injured player(?), Square isn't 100%, but he's playing through it. Square just continued to get beyond his blocker and working through doubles to get to the ball and get into Mallett's line of sight.
Lester in coverage
Lester in man and against the run is well.....anyways, when he's playing cover 2 or any zone package, he's very good at reading the play through. His first pick of the day was a good read of Mallett's eyes. The second pick was a bad throw that he was there to clean up. Regardless of that, both were great plays on his part because Lowery wasn't going to make that catch. Lester is best in deep center field, and I would not be surprised to see them start doing more of that and less man and creeping him up to the box.
Second half adjustments
You know you will read the 1st half non-adjustments below, but in the 2nd half is a great example of how a great staff makes adjustments. Arkansas had the game in their court at the half. They didn't make any adjustments, and didn't adjust to Bama taking the air out of the ball. Bama used the offense to ice out the air attack and put pressure on them to answer. Each time Arkansas tried, Bama was throwing the sink at him. Why it didn't come from the opening kickoff? I dunno, but I'm just glad they did before the end. The best part was that it was not just one little thing Bama changed, it was about everything. They started dropping the safeties and bringing the linebackers. They started using more stunts at the line. They started using different player sets (Jordan was in a lot in the 4th, Hightower played Jack a lot). They sent pressure from Menzie and others that was disguised and confused Mallett.
Growing up under fire
Well, Penn State didn't exactly press this defense, nor did Duke. Arkansas threw a lot at the Tide and to be honest, they had Bama backpeddling, but in the end, when the game was in the balance, the secondary made the plays and broke Arkansas. Dre Kirkpatrick has a lot of room for improvement, yet is the best they have, but as the game wore on, his patience started to kick in, and he was showing that he was learning what veteran WRs were doing to him. Menzie played pretty well for the most part, but he got more involved as the game wore on. Millner....Barron started making more plays and quit releasing his guy for no reason.
Getting plays from special teams
Mandell and Shelley both had good games for their respective jobs. I was tighter than a virgin on prom night as Shelley lined up the FG in the 4th, but he went up and knocked it down like it was nothing. After 4 years of Tiffin's ups and downs, it was nice to see a kicker make a clutch kick against the Hogs on the road. Richardson, as mentioned, just kept making big plays off kickoffs and setting the offense up with good field position.
The Bad...
1st half gameplan
Whomever decided that the best plan for the defense was to play containment against a pass happy ARK team needs religion. I am guessing that they were trying to protect the young corners by giving them more help, but gosh almighty they only added fuel to the fire. The Tide as a whole are horrible in zone coverage this year. Kirkpatrick and Millner both made several bad reads or missed their zone assignment. Barron released before he should have on a few plays. The linebackers could not get in position at times and cover their zones. As a result, you saw a Tide defense give up 200 plus yards in about 17 minutes of football, and about 5 30 plus yard plays given up. 2 stats that you don't expect to see from a Nick Saban defense. Wanna bet they got the ducks shitting on the yard speech?
Tackling and the lack of
Bama's tackling has been off all year, but it was in full display Saturday. Wanna bet the Gators are amp'd for that? Saturday, the Tide overpursued often, didn't set their hips but set their feet and got flat footed often, and tried to make about 3 times the number of arm tackles that we saw last year. The answer to the why we see it more is 2 part: part one is youth, part two is discipline. The defense is young and lacks a lot of experience in these situations. They don't know how to get into position to make tackles like an Arenas or McClain did. They don't know how to read and react when playing zone and get into position. They don't know a lot of the things we got spoiled on, but it is fundamental football all the same and you expect a starter at this level to know those things when they get there.
The Ugly....
Two plays, 50 seconds, 7 points
Probably the worst opening to a game in the Saban era and the worst show of defense since Dubose was there. I hate seeing bad defense, and folks, that drive was just sorry defense. They did nothing right on the first play and they followed it up with another play that was worse than the first. The main issue that I saw was that there were multiple guys in the 2 plays that didn't know who or what their assignment was. Millner was man when he should have been zone, other guys released before they should have, Lester tried to get back in position but hesitated and got tracked by a less than stellar running back. On and on, I could go, but I won't.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
How red is Richt's ass?
Crimson would be light in comparison right now folks. The biggest sign that he's done is this: when they needed to win a game, the whole team and staff came to Starkville with no urgency or effort. They came in like they were a winning program and got Croomed (credit Cecil). Richt's era is pretty well over and now he has to win out to have a hope of staying. Good luck there. A loss to Colorado will pretty well have a meeting with the AD that he doesn't want. Houston Nutt probably is the first fired, but Richt's not far behind right now. UGA alumni are getting real impatient and starting to mumble about how the program is sliding down the pecking order fast. They are right. USCar, LSU, and others are passing them for good now.
Heisman Hype?
Ryan Mallett's hopes are now gone. He choked on national TV and he's done. Keenum is out for the year unfortunately. Pryor is racking up stats against the weakest schedule in America, but that's about to change. Same for Denard Robinson, who I would vote for if the vote was today, but the race is really down to 3 guys. Luck, Pryor, and Ingram. Luck gets his shot at primetime vs. Oregon this week. Ingram gets another national TV audition vs. UF. Pryor will rack stats up still as he gets a sorry Illini team, but he gets some tough tests down the road to show he's worthy. If Luck leads Stanford to the upset, he'll be hard to beat for the Heisman. Really, if that happens, and Pryor does what he seems to do each year (choke), he deserves it.
Boise is good, as is TCU, but neither deserve to be talked about in the BCS title scene
The good news here is that voters agree. Oregon jumped TCU after their big win. If they beat Stanford, they probably jump Boise. Boise has 2 quality wins vs. Tech and OSU, but their conference schedule is candy compared to the Big 10, Pac 10, and SEC. Really, the BCS fly in the ointment is Oregon not Boise. If they go end to end, and the Ohio State U wins out, and Bama/UF/LSU/AU wins out, what do you have then? A mess. Those 3 represenatives deserve the shot over either Cinderella.
Fans hopefully will calm down now
I wasn't able to post last week after changing jobs, and it will be tight for a while as to when I can get this in, but I did read a lotta bullshit from folks about how nobody could beat Bama. Um, folks, there are a lot of pitfalls out there. Yeah, UF has looked bad at times, but they looked sharp Saturday. The speed and defense can beat Bama. Yeah, USCar lost to that other school in the state, but they can win on any given Saturday, and that game is on the road. Yeah, LSU looks like a train wreck at times, but they keep winning. If they find magic in a bottle, they will be hard to stop. Talent isn't the Tiger's problem. Auburn is the real test in the end. Folks balked at them, and they scoffed at Herbie for insinuating such, but they have confidence. Beating USCar wasn't a fluke or just a win for them, UGA would give a nut to have that win right now. Yes, Auburn has to go on the road and play soon, but their Palmetto punchouts of ClemPson and USCar aren't sneezed at by me. Bama can win out, but they can lose a game too. Folks who keep hyping up the bullshit factor are only adding to the misery that can come.
September 13, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly- Penn State
There is nothing like a tradition game to pump the juices and make you fall in love with football all over again. The talk and the hype up of the football weekend was pretty overstated as a whole, but if you are UGA, Va Tech, Boise, or FSU today, that's the least of your worries. The game itself went about as I thought it would. PSU has recruited to play in the Big 10 and not a national level. They were slower, and short of athletes to match up what they had in front of them. They are probably another Outback or Cap 1 bowl team.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Dominating without the best weapon
Not to nerd this up, but the nation has yet to see the full power of this fully operational battlestation. It is expected that Ingram comes back for Duke and gets his legs wet before the Arkansas game where they really need him. With all that said, this offense just put a physical performance on the Lions that they aren't used to. The O Line surged ahead almost every play. The backs punished the 2nd level defenders and made their arms get shorter as the game wore on. The wide outs threw blocks and shoved DBs around all night. McElroy got into the act too. He refused to slide and went for more, not always the best idea ask Colt McCoy. Richardson went to work for the national audience and displayed what will have him a lotto pick next year. He continues to grow and improve his vision and patience.
Incorporating the TE/H Backs
While I thought Williams would be the more likely of the duo to snag the first TD, but Dial has shown his versatility this fall. I look for them to continue to work Dial and others into the flat and red zone opportunities because defenses have 4 options to man up on and double one (Jones gets the double, Maze, Hanks, and the back are getting manned up mostly) and that leaves a nice soft spot for one of them to be there when McElroy needs them.
Hank the Tank
While the others had a case of the drops, Hanks continues to show his next level is here now. He is getting better separation and looks comfortable in the flat when he squares up. It can be hard for WRs to accept that they are going to take a lick from a linebacker or safety, but Hanks seems to live with it. I know folks have wanted him demoted down the chart for the sexy name that has no PT, but like McElroy and others that aren't en vogue, Hanks isn't going away.
Norwood droppin a two step flip
First, I liked the whole drive. It sent PSU on its heels fast (see Friday's comments on the PSU game) and really set the tone for how things were gonna be during the night. Norwood isn't going to wow folks often, but he's got a lot of upside to be another slot man in this offense. The best part of his catch was that he squared to keep the defenders from getting a clean hit on him, that allowed him to stumble and flip it in. He got a chewing for the flip, rightfully so, but they won't be too mad at him in film study. He did well blocking later in the game too, so he probably will get more PT based on his efforts.
Lacy held the ball right
Some of you out there had the butt hurt because I was hard on Lacy for not carrying the ball right. Then Coach Saban said the same damn thing. Putting the left hand over the ball keeps helmets and knees from knocking the ball out 99% of the time. He did this week almost out of fear that he may never see the light of day again. His carries are probably going to be fewer and farther now that Ingram is back, but he'll be the salt back and asked to salt the games away with the lead. If he keeps focusing on the ball control and not on a juke or highlight moment, he may be a little slower, but he'll get a lot more PT.
McElroy continues to show his best skills
There is no leash on him this year and he's just matured as a player, plain and simple. I like that he commands the respect of the other 10 guys with him. You don't see a lot of jabbering in the huddle or any body language from them like they are confused, inattentive, or anything else other than ready. McElroy's passing has improved because he has confidence in his game. The Florida game has turned the light on for him that he can play at that level and with those types of players, whereas around Ole Miss and UT he didn't have that confidence. The Auburn game gave him the confidence and the staff too that he can be left in charge of winning the game when it counts. I saw all those in him Saturday as he just out did the entire PSU defense and staff. Maybe the thing that has me happiest is that he's now checking down to his 4th read (Norwood was more than likely) to find his options before he tucks and runs. Guys like McElroy are who you have to have to win championships, and if he stays healthy, I think Bama is in great shape for a repeat.
The Bad....
Pity
Let's be honest. If Bama wanted to score 70 and run JoePa out of Tuscaloosa and college football, they could have. The accelerator was cut off in the second half for the most part, and the Tide went straight into conservative control mode. I respect that, but I see a lot of need to work on things still with the backups. Up 21-24 in the 4th quarter, if you wanna go tight and just maul it out, let the backups go. That prevents injuries like the one to Carpenter.
The Ugly....
Poor officiating
I'm not one to carp on officiating. In fact, I usually am the one who says they don't determine a game. However, when you bring a bunch of yankee sumbitches down to Dixie, you get shorted a ton of yards. The McElroy dive was probably the worst effort of fairness in the history of modern football. I could understand if they were walleyed or just fat and slow and didn't get in position, but the guy was right there and missed it. Needless to say, Bama should send a letter to the Big 10 that says:
The Good....
Like the offense, the best is ahead
With Dareus finally available next week, Upshaw should be ready by then as well, and with the secondary and other young players growing little by little, the best days for this defense are ahead. The fact that in spite of the flaws they have, to only give up 3 points to a national program still says something. Granted, this PSU offense isn't exactly those of Collins/Carter and Blair Thomas-esque teams, it is still a nice notch on the belt.
3 red zone turnovers
Well, 2 and one that if they had completed it would have been in the zone. The Tide was bending a good bit during the night, but broke PSU once they crossed midfield all night. I know some said the defense didn't blitz, but they actually did more than you would have thought. While the blitzes didn't really have a major impact as far as sacks and loss of yards, they did cause each turnover.
Playing in space
I thought the defense looked a lot more comfortable playing in space this week. As mentioned, they were content to give up a few yards to State and let them chew clock, but they never let PSU get beyond them. That's a key thing to watch for if they continue to use this style of defense because as Michigan found out, when you play to contain, and you don't, it hurts. Barron is at his best when he's playing cover 2 because it lets him do his favorite thing....jump over receivers for the ball. Lester also plays better in the 2 as opposed to playing man or up on the run. He sees the field better from a distance pre snap than he does when he's creeped up and having to react faster post snap.
The tackle firm of Hightower, Mosley, and Harris PC
Hightower's knee isn't 100% and if I guessed, it is probably 75% or so. With that said, when he's moving forward, and left to right, he's still as good as any in the nation. He just isn't as confident when back peddling. That will come in time as he heals and the catches and nagging tugs go away. Harris looked like he is getting more and more at home with his new position. He needs to work on angles to keep from doing so many drag down tackles and ankle tackles, but at least he's moving to the ball. Prince Hall went everywhere but the right way. CJ Mosley just continues to impress me. I think after everyone is back and in play, you see him at Mike or Will and Hightower puts his hand down in nickel and dime situations. Putting Upshaw, Hightower, Dareus, and Murphy/Chapman/Square out there is a down four that has potential to do quality damage.
The Bad...
Poor angles = poor tackles
It is basic defensive football principles that if you want to not give up yards after contact (better known as arm tackles), you have to position yourself right. I noticed several just overshooting or making a poor judgement and the result was blown coverage and additional yards after contact. Penn State probably had an additional 50 yards thanks to tackling woes. Lester and Millner both are real bad about making the wrong read and getting inside too far and it allows players outside to a downhill running situation. Bama really misses Arenas because he was excellent at that. Millner, in his defense, can be there in time, but right now he's still feeling his way through because he hasn't ever played that style of ball.
The return of Wild Thing
For all the great strides it looked like Foster was going to take, he nutted that one. Looked like my tee shot on a par five after a few brews. His kickoffs were sporadic as well. Last week it was a boom fest, this week they were 5-10 yards short.
The Ugly....
Ball Control....
One of those old proverbs came true Saturday. Always know where your balls are and protect them at all times. My hunch is that 2 things will be discussed in the defense meetings for a while. One, when you get a fumble and run with it, protect it with 2 hands. See Eddie Lacy for details. Two, when the ball is on the ground, fall on it and cover it with your stomach and arms and shield the other team with your ass. See Penn State's WR for that example. It was a great turnover, but a lousy end.....
Poor Officiating
Yes, the officials blew that call too. Again, Big 10 officials suck.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
What did the games teach us?
Michigan v. Notre Dame- It ain't over til its over. I watched this game while waiting for Bama's game and the others (FSU v. OU) were just not that fun to watch. Rich Rod is under the stink eye of boosters, but he's got a pure spread QB and he's something special to watch. I was impressed at how well he carves defenses up with both his arm and feet. The guy has one of the fastest accelerations I've seen. I don't know if the Wolverines can win 8 or 9 games, but they will be in all 12 this year.
Auburn v. MSU- Cam Newton is good, but MSU not having a QB was better for them.
Va Tech v. James Madison- James Madison can win it and not act like they conquered Russia, why couldn't Boise State?
Oregon v. Tennessee- Mother Nature hates the Vols too. The Vols had the Ducks dead to rights before the storm. Oregon weathered 2 storms and won in a beat down. Dooley's got a lot of work ahead of him.
By the way, I didn't do too bad on the spread. I hit 6 out of 8 Friday missing FSU and USF. Must have been the letters that confused me.
OFFENSE
The Good....
Dominating without the best weapon
Not to nerd this up, but the nation has yet to see the full power of this fully operational battlestation. It is expected that Ingram comes back for Duke and gets his legs wet before the Arkansas game where they really need him. With all that said, this offense just put a physical performance on the Lions that they aren't used to. The O Line surged ahead almost every play. The backs punished the 2nd level defenders and made their arms get shorter as the game wore on. The wide outs threw blocks and shoved DBs around all night. McElroy got into the act too. He refused to slide and went for more, not always the best idea ask Colt McCoy. Richardson went to work for the national audience and displayed what will have him a lotto pick next year. He continues to grow and improve his vision and patience.
Incorporating the TE/H Backs
While I thought Williams would be the more likely of the duo to snag the first TD, but Dial has shown his versatility this fall. I look for them to continue to work Dial and others into the flat and red zone opportunities because defenses have 4 options to man up on and double one (Jones gets the double, Maze, Hanks, and the back are getting manned up mostly) and that leaves a nice soft spot for one of them to be there when McElroy needs them.
Hank the Tank
While the others had a case of the drops, Hanks continues to show his next level is here now. He is getting better separation and looks comfortable in the flat when he squares up. It can be hard for WRs to accept that they are going to take a lick from a linebacker or safety, but Hanks seems to live with it. I know folks have wanted him demoted down the chart for the sexy name that has no PT, but like McElroy and others that aren't en vogue, Hanks isn't going away.
Norwood droppin a two step flip
First, I liked the whole drive. It sent PSU on its heels fast (see Friday's comments on the PSU game) and really set the tone for how things were gonna be during the night. Norwood isn't going to wow folks often, but he's got a lot of upside to be another slot man in this offense. The best part of his catch was that he squared to keep the defenders from getting a clean hit on him, that allowed him to stumble and flip it in. He got a chewing for the flip, rightfully so, but they won't be too mad at him in film study. He did well blocking later in the game too, so he probably will get more PT based on his efforts.
Lacy held the ball right
Some of you out there had the butt hurt because I was hard on Lacy for not carrying the ball right. Then Coach Saban said the same damn thing. Putting the left hand over the ball keeps helmets and knees from knocking the ball out 99% of the time. He did this week almost out of fear that he may never see the light of day again. His carries are probably going to be fewer and farther now that Ingram is back, but he'll be the salt back and asked to salt the games away with the lead. If he keeps focusing on the ball control and not on a juke or highlight moment, he may be a little slower, but he'll get a lot more PT.
McElroy continues to show his best skills
There is no leash on him this year and he's just matured as a player, plain and simple. I like that he commands the respect of the other 10 guys with him. You don't see a lot of jabbering in the huddle or any body language from them like they are confused, inattentive, or anything else other than ready. McElroy's passing has improved because he has confidence in his game. The Florida game has turned the light on for him that he can play at that level and with those types of players, whereas around Ole Miss and UT he didn't have that confidence. The Auburn game gave him the confidence and the staff too that he can be left in charge of winning the game when it counts. I saw all those in him Saturday as he just out did the entire PSU defense and staff. Maybe the thing that has me happiest is that he's now checking down to his 4th read (Norwood was more than likely) to find his options before he tucks and runs. Guys like McElroy are who you have to have to win championships, and if he stays healthy, I think Bama is in great shape for a repeat.
The Bad....
Pity
Let's be honest. If Bama wanted to score 70 and run JoePa out of Tuscaloosa and college football, they could have. The accelerator was cut off in the second half for the most part, and the Tide went straight into conservative control mode. I respect that, but I see a lot of need to work on things still with the backups. Up 21-24 in the 4th quarter, if you wanna go tight and just maul it out, let the backups go. That prevents injuries like the one to Carpenter.
The Ugly....
Poor officiating
I'm not one to carp on officiating. In fact, I usually am the one who says they don't determine a game. However, when you bring a bunch of yankee sumbitches down to Dixie, you get shorted a ton of yards. The McElroy dive was probably the worst effort of fairness in the history of modern football. I could understand if they were walleyed or just fat and slow and didn't get in position, but the guy was right there and missed it. Needless to say, Bama should send a letter to the Big 10 that says:
Dear Big 10:
We appreciate your efforts to keep one of your fine programs in line with the SEC. Let this letter pay service to this fact. At no point does the University of Alabama fear, worry, contemplate, or care for a school that comes from a conference with a number or calls itself Big. We have p'wned them all and will continue to do so with or without the efforts of your officiating.
Go to hell,
Mal, Nick, and 101,000 fans there SaturdayDEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Good....
Like the offense, the best is ahead
With Dareus finally available next week, Upshaw should be ready by then as well, and with the secondary and other young players growing little by little, the best days for this defense are ahead. The fact that in spite of the flaws they have, to only give up 3 points to a national program still says something. Granted, this PSU offense isn't exactly those of Collins/Carter and Blair Thomas-esque teams, it is still a nice notch on the belt.
3 red zone turnovers
Well, 2 and one that if they had completed it would have been in the zone. The Tide was bending a good bit during the night, but broke PSU once they crossed midfield all night. I know some said the defense didn't blitz, but they actually did more than you would have thought. While the blitzes didn't really have a major impact as far as sacks and loss of yards, they did cause each turnover.
Playing in space
I thought the defense looked a lot more comfortable playing in space this week. As mentioned, they were content to give up a few yards to State and let them chew clock, but they never let PSU get beyond them. That's a key thing to watch for if they continue to use this style of defense because as Michigan found out, when you play to contain, and you don't, it hurts. Barron is at his best when he's playing cover 2 because it lets him do his favorite thing....jump over receivers for the ball. Lester also plays better in the 2 as opposed to playing man or up on the run. He sees the field better from a distance pre snap than he does when he's creeped up and having to react faster post snap.
The tackle firm of Hightower, Mosley, and Harris PC
Hightower's knee isn't 100% and if I guessed, it is probably 75% or so. With that said, when he's moving forward, and left to right, he's still as good as any in the nation. He just isn't as confident when back peddling. That will come in time as he heals and the catches and nagging tugs go away. Harris looked like he is getting more and more at home with his new position. He needs to work on angles to keep from doing so many drag down tackles and ankle tackles, but at least he's moving to the ball. Prince Hall went everywhere but the right way. CJ Mosley just continues to impress me. I think after everyone is back and in play, you see him at Mike or Will and Hightower puts his hand down in nickel and dime situations. Putting Upshaw, Hightower, Dareus, and Murphy/Chapman/Square out there is a down four that has potential to do quality damage.
The Bad...
Poor angles = poor tackles
It is basic defensive football principles that if you want to not give up yards after contact (better known as arm tackles), you have to position yourself right. I noticed several just overshooting or making a poor judgement and the result was blown coverage and additional yards after contact. Penn State probably had an additional 50 yards thanks to tackling woes. Lester and Millner both are real bad about making the wrong read and getting inside too far and it allows players outside to a downhill running situation. Bama really misses Arenas because he was excellent at that. Millner, in his defense, can be there in time, but right now he's still feeling his way through because he hasn't ever played that style of ball.
The return of Wild Thing
For all the great strides it looked like Foster was going to take, he nutted that one. Looked like my tee shot on a par five after a few brews. His kickoffs were sporadic as well. Last week it was a boom fest, this week they were 5-10 yards short.
The Ugly....
Ball Control....
One of those old proverbs came true Saturday. Always know where your balls are and protect them at all times. My hunch is that 2 things will be discussed in the defense meetings for a while. One, when you get a fumble and run with it, protect it with 2 hands. See Eddie Lacy for details. Two, when the ball is on the ground, fall on it and cover it with your stomach and arms and shield the other team with your ass. See Penn State's WR for that example. It was a great turnover, but a lousy end.....
Poor Officiating
Yes, the officials blew that call too. Again, Big 10 officials suck.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
What did the games teach us?
Michigan v. Notre Dame- It ain't over til its over. I watched this game while waiting for Bama's game and the others (FSU v. OU) were just not that fun to watch. Rich Rod is under the stink eye of boosters, but he's got a pure spread QB and he's something special to watch. I was impressed at how well he carves defenses up with both his arm and feet. The guy has one of the fastest accelerations I've seen. I don't know if the Wolverines can win 8 or 9 games, but they will be in all 12 this year.
Auburn v. MSU- Cam Newton is good, but MSU not having a QB was better for them.
Va Tech v. James Madison- James Madison can win it and not act like they conquered Russia, why couldn't Boise State?
Oregon v. Tennessee- Mother Nature hates the Vols too. The Vols had the Ducks dead to rights before the storm. Oregon weathered 2 storms and won in a beat down. Dooley's got a lot of work ahead of him.
By the way, I didn't do too bad on the spread. I hit 6 out of 8 Friday missing FSU and USF. Must have been the letters that confused me.
September 9, 2010
Random Thoughts...
Some football and non-football related subjects for the traditional Random Thoughts before gameday....
Maybe the university should have the games under a cell phone tower?
I guess maybe my age is showing some, or maybe I'm behind the times. I thought you went to games to watch football and root for the team, not pick crops on Farmville. The littany of postings about how there was no AT&T coverage was well noted as I saw it 100 times by Monday afternoon. Number one, get Verizon and enjoy cell phone life that much more. Number 2, shit on a bunch a 3G and be a fan, not a preppie snob. I still listen to the radio during the game to catch scores, and to hear Eli and Snake tell me what is happening on the sideline. Are radios taboo now?
What to do with the Blue? Do I boo? No Rammer Jammer? Says who?
Here's the long and short of the week long brain fart: when you aren't running around hunting a bar to make a call, don't boo the opponents or their fans coming in, but do what you do otherwise. You can boo if they score, you can boo if they flip you off, but don't boo just to boo something. As to Rammer Jammer, it is as much a Bama tradition as JoePa is to PSU. I think it insults his status more to not do it. With that said, singing it after beating UTC or some pansy, well that doesn't sit as well with me as it does if Bama beats a quality opponent. Just think, Ole Miss would like to just be able to sing right now.....
Basking in the glow of Jacksonville State's glory still...
I watched the full game on the CSS replay this week. What a great game from so many levels. The fact they were beaten and should have given up, but didn't is a great lesson to pass on to your kids if they play sports. The fact that they didn't panic or flip out when faced with 4th and what seemed like forever, priceless lessons there. The fact that when they had to make a choice, play it safe and win or lose later, or win or lose now and choosing the unconventional bet and cashing in, great lesson there too. You can fuss at me, I don't care, but the best catch last Saturday was Jax St's 4th down TD in the back of the endzone. Why? While it lacked the pizazz of Julio's catch, it had more meaning in the world of football.
Looking at Penn State...
They are the prototypical Big 10 plus 2 team now a days. They are physical, they play smash mouth ball on both sides, and they are slow. Their running back is fast and their QB is fairly fast, but their defense is more of a lumbering defense than a swarm defense. That's where the keys to victory start- speed. Bama must flush the Lions out of their comfort zone and confuse them. On offense, they need to attack them and display the speed and have the defense on its heels going backwards fast. On defense, they just need to contain the outside and collapse the middle. PSU is not going to out throw Bama to victory. Bama has to force a freshman to play like a senior. There will be a lot of smoke on this gameplan and they will fake pressure to confuse him, they will blitz from places he cannot see in his pre snap reads (ask Tebow how it felt), and they will have to push the pocket back fast and fluster the guy. The other key is no turnovers. PSU is a team that will beat you if you give them that chance. If McElroy and the running backs, Lacy this is you, keep it clean and keep the ball control offense in full effect, this is a win without doubts. If they toss picks and drop the ball on the ground a couple of times, I can't say that is what will happen.
Mike Marrow Transfers....Donna Martin Graduates....
Here's kinda the way it is. If you did not make the participation chart on Saturday, and you do not have a redshirt available, you might be processed sooner or later. Is that fair to all? No. Is that the way big time football is now? Yes. Can Marrow play somewhere else and be good at it? Probably. Could he have ever played at Alabama and been a big contributor? No. Like I said pre-season, it is hard for tweeners to survive in this program.
Damn you dirty Braves!!!!
It was easier to watch them stumble when Murphy was there, but they've teased at being special all year and now they're fighting to stay in it. Letting the nasty whore Pirates beat you with their rookie league pitching is just embarrassing. I still don't know what Derek Lee does for the Braves...other than get out 3/4ths of the time. The biggest thing is that the pitching is tired. Lowe's body is starting to betray him, he looked better last night but still, Hudson looks out of gas, Hanson's not been right all year, Jurjens is only worth a home start, and Kenshin Krappywalki couldn't pull a win out of his poop hole with tweezers. They have 3 foundation players for the future in Prado, Heyward, and Infante. That gives hope, but they may be too young for this moment.
Pickem...
The point spreads are courtesy of MGM Grand. Here are some games of interest and my guesses at the spread. Note- I don't say take these to the bank or put your life savings on them, but I do take time to think these through:
Auburn v. MSU- AU -1.5 Auburn. I know that the heart strings tell you otherwise, but MSU is improved and all, but they do not have the speed on defense to handle Auburn yet. The game will be tight, but I see Auburn coming out of this one.
UGA v. USCar- SC -3. South Carolina. Granted this is a pickem game on a neutral site, but USCar has a good defense and UGA doesn't. Look for Spurrier to expose the Dawgs often as they did last year. The new defense isn't broken in good yet, and it won't help that a veteran Gamecock offense is waiting on them at the door.
USF v. UF- UF -15.5. USF by points. While I think they improve on the issues Florida had, this is not the team that will help them show that. USF will come in wanting to show they are a player in Florida sports. USF has the talent to pull off the upset, but I don't think they can.
FSU v. OU- OU -7. FSU by points, maybe straight up. Chokelahoma is such a bad team to play the spread against. I'm not sold on FSU's revival under their new coach, but I do know that when you struggle to put away Utah State, you have issues. Florida State's speed and quarterback will beat the spread.
Michigan v. Notre Dame- ND -4. Michigan. Notre Dame didn't impress me much beating a Bama reject and a group of neverwillbes. Michigan's QB issue may be over and they probably shock the Irish again.
The U vs. OSU- OSU -8.5. OSU. While I won't be surprised if I missed this, OSU looks like a team ready to march to the BCS again. This is a great statement game for them.
Oregon v. UT- OU -12. Oregon. Even if the spread were 17, I would take the Quack attack. UT has very little in the quality athlete department, and Oregon has shit loads of it.
Penn St v. Bama- Bama -12. Bama. Like OSU, won't be surprised if they don't beat spread, and Bama is horrible against the spread, but I think their experience and talent overwhelms PSU. The poor recruiting starts to rear its head Saturday.
The non-football/sports commentary on VH1s 100 greatest artists...
Or as it is probably better known as Top 100 artist found commonly on For the Love of RayJ or Flava of Love contestants iPods. A truly poor list if ever conceived. Click here to see the list. Some don't shock me, but can you explain to me how in the country that we live in and the influence they have had on music, how the hell the Eagles or at least Don Henley is/are not on the list? Yet, Alicia Keys is? What has she done over 3 decades? My favorite is that Justin Timberlake is there. You know, the next song he writes will be his first....
I will commend them for at least having Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, and Iggy Pop on there. How Lennon was as low as he is baffles me too. The guy was a genius. I wonder how Nirvana is so low? When I hear them on the radio, I can still hear Kurt talking to me as a 15 year old high schooler. If you are 15-22 now, you just don't get the music the same way. In 1992-4, when Kurt sang, he sang the song of a generation and the feelings we had. U2 had every right to be higher as well, they've made hits since the 80s and heck Bono gets to see the Pope when he wants. When did Justin Timberlake do that?
I hate growing old.....
Maybe the university should have the games under a cell phone tower?
I guess maybe my age is showing some, or maybe I'm behind the times. I thought you went to games to watch football and root for the team, not pick crops on Farmville. The littany of postings about how there was no AT&T coverage was well noted as I saw it 100 times by Monday afternoon. Number one, get Verizon and enjoy cell phone life that much more. Number 2, shit on a bunch a 3G and be a fan, not a preppie snob. I still listen to the radio during the game to catch scores, and to hear Eli and Snake tell me what is happening on the sideline. Are radios taboo now?
What to do with the Blue? Do I boo? No Rammer Jammer? Says who?
Here's the long and short of the week long brain fart: when you aren't running around hunting a bar to make a call, don't boo the opponents or their fans coming in, but do what you do otherwise. You can boo if they score, you can boo if they flip you off, but don't boo just to boo something. As to Rammer Jammer, it is as much a Bama tradition as JoePa is to PSU. I think it insults his status more to not do it. With that said, singing it after beating UTC or some pansy, well that doesn't sit as well with me as it does if Bama beats a quality opponent. Just think, Ole Miss would like to just be able to sing right now.....
Basking in the glow of Jacksonville State's glory still...
I watched the full game on the CSS replay this week. What a great game from so many levels. The fact they were beaten and should have given up, but didn't is a great lesson to pass on to your kids if they play sports. The fact that they didn't panic or flip out when faced with 4th and what seemed like forever, priceless lessons there. The fact that when they had to make a choice, play it safe and win or lose later, or win or lose now and choosing the unconventional bet and cashing in, great lesson there too. You can fuss at me, I don't care, but the best catch last Saturday was Jax St's 4th down TD in the back of the endzone. Why? While it lacked the pizazz of Julio's catch, it had more meaning in the world of football.
Looking at Penn State...
They are the prototypical Big 10 plus 2 team now a days. They are physical, they play smash mouth ball on both sides, and they are slow. Their running back is fast and their QB is fairly fast, but their defense is more of a lumbering defense than a swarm defense. That's where the keys to victory start- speed. Bama must flush the Lions out of their comfort zone and confuse them. On offense, they need to attack them and display the speed and have the defense on its heels going backwards fast. On defense, they just need to contain the outside and collapse the middle. PSU is not going to out throw Bama to victory. Bama has to force a freshman to play like a senior. There will be a lot of smoke on this gameplan and they will fake pressure to confuse him, they will blitz from places he cannot see in his pre snap reads (ask Tebow how it felt), and they will have to push the pocket back fast and fluster the guy. The other key is no turnovers. PSU is a team that will beat you if you give them that chance. If McElroy and the running backs, Lacy this is you, keep it clean and keep the ball control offense in full effect, this is a win without doubts. If they toss picks and drop the ball on the ground a couple of times, I can't say that is what will happen.
Mike Marrow Transfers....Donna Martin Graduates....
Here's kinda the way it is. If you did not make the participation chart on Saturday, and you do not have a redshirt available, you might be processed sooner or later. Is that fair to all? No. Is that the way big time football is now? Yes. Can Marrow play somewhere else and be good at it? Probably. Could he have ever played at Alabama and been a big contributor? No. Like I said pre-season, it is hard for tweeners to survive in this program.
Damn you dirty Braves!!!!
It was easier to watch them stumble when Murphy was there, but they've teased at being special all year and now they're fighting to stay in it. Letting the nasty whore Pirates beat you with their rookie league pitching is just embarrassing. I still don't know what Derek Lee does for the Braves...other than get out 3/4ths of the time. The biggest thing is that the pitching is tired. Lowe's body is starting to betray him, he looked better last night but still, Hudson looks out of gas, Hanson's not been right all year, Jurjens is only worth a home start, and Kenshin Krappywalki couldn't pull a win out of his poop hole with tweezers. They have 3 foundation players for the future in Prado, Heyward, and Infante. That gives hope, but they may be too young for this moment.
Pickem...
The point spreads are courtesy of MGM Grand. Here are some games of interest and my guesses at the spread. Note- I don't say take these to the bank or put your life savings on them, but I do take time to think these through:
Auburn v. MSU- AU -1.5 Auburn. I know that the heart strings tell you otherwise, but MSU is improved and all, but they do not have the speed on defense to handle Auburn yet. The game will be tight, but I see Auburn coming out of this one.
UGA v. USCar- SC -3. South Carolina. Granted this is a pickem game on a neutral site, but USCar has a good defense and UGA doesn't. Look for Spurrier to expose the Dawgs often as they did last year. The new defense isn't broken in good yet, and it won't help that a veteran Gamecock offense is waiting on them at the door.
USF v. UF- UF -15.5. USF by points. While I think they improve on the issues Florida had, this is not the team that will help them show that. USF will come in wanting to show they are a player in Florida sports. USF has the talent to pull off the upset, but I don't think they can.
FSU v. OU- OU -7. FSU by points, maybe straight up. Chokelahoma is such a bad team to play the spread against. I'm not sold on FSU's revival under their new coach, but I do know that when you struggle to put away Utah State, you have issues. Florida State's speed and quarterback will beat the spread.
Michigan v. Notre Dame- ND -4. Michigan. Notre Dame didn't impress me much beating a Bama reject and a group of neverwillbes. Michigan's QB issue may be over and they probably shock the Irish again.
The U vs. OSU- OSU -8.5. OSU. While I won't be surprised if I missed this, OSU looks like a team ready to march to the BCS again. This is a great statement game for them.
Oregon v. UT- OU -12. Oregon. Even if the spread were 17, I would take the Quack attack. UT has very little in the quality athlete department, and Oregon has shit loads of it.
Penn St v. Bama- Bama -12. Bama. Like OSU, won't be surprised if they don't beat spread, and Bama is horrible against the spread, but I think their experience and talent overwhelms PSU. The poor recruiting starts to rear its head Saturday.
The non-football/sports commentary on VH1s 100 greatest artists...
Or as it is probably better known as Top 100 artist found commonly on For the Love of RayJ or Flava of Love contestants iPods. A truly poor list if ever conceived. Click here to see the list. Some don't shock me, but can you explain to me how in the country that we live in and the influence they have had on music, how the hell the Eagles or at least Don Henley is/are not on the list? Yet, Alicia Keys is? What has she done over 3 decades? My favorite is that Justin Timberlake is there. You know, the next song he writes will be his first....
I will commend them for at least having Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, John Lennon, and Iggy Pop on there. How Lennon was as low as he is baffles me too. The guy was a genius. I wonder how Nirvana is so low? When I hear them on the radio, I can still hear Kurt talking to me as a 15 year old high schooler. If you are 15-22 now, you just don't get the music the same way. In 1992-4, when Kurt sang, he sang the song of a generation and the feelings we had. U2 had every right to be higher as well, they've made hits since the 80s and heck Bono gets to see the Pope when he wants. When did Justin Timberlake do that?
I hate growing old.....
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